Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-09-11
But why should she starveT'

But Why SnOuld Snt stdfVe!
Then what-what do you propose
my daughter is to live on? Though,
mind you, if she marries you she Is no
longer daughter of NINE" !
Il do mind you. Well, she can live
on me. l am a very rich man, Mr..
~Brackley?'
"Rich-you?" said Brackley, thinking
that the tutor was blutling.
Every, very rich. One of the rich
est men in England. You see, l came
here as q tutor-like King Arthur,
don't you know-just to see how the
poor live" !
How the poor live! You needn't in
suit me. sir! To steal my daughter and
rob her of her inheritance is enough"
You are right, Brackley, you are
right" said Ford, dropping into famll-
iarity very unbecoming in a tutor, and
I wasn't speaking the truth. I anne
here to see your daughter. Yours are
not, as you mentioned yourself, the sort
Of people whom l am likely to meet.
You must forgive my being vulgar
enough to say sc. But I had fallen IN
love ut sight Of her, and I thought If I
made her acquaintance in the ordinary
way, that if she didn't fall in love with
me, you would, and try to persuade
her. | 80 wanted to be loved for my
self, and 1 was as little sure Of that in
my w world as in yours. Pm a
nobleman." s.. so
"a nobleman!"
Haven't you heard of Lord Ascot?
I see you have. Well, he is the richest
nobleman in Rutland, if not the oldest
in descent, and he was reported to
nave gone on a yachting expedition.
Well, it wasn't true. His yacht went,
but he did not. He went on an expedi-
ton to Lancaster Gate"
Lord Ascot! You'll"
eyes, M 1 am so glad that IN
marrying Mabel I shall not be marry
ing her family. 1 was a little afraid I
should have to, and l was quite pre-
pared to make the sacrifice. But you
have made the way easy"
Brackley sank into a chair. The
revelation had been too much for him
1t was some minutes before he could
speak.
""Then I have the honor to tell you,
Lord Ascot" he said, gathering
strength as he went on, 81 have the
honor to tell you that you have be-
haved like a cad. You steal into a
mans house and get his daughters af-
fections under the pretense that you
are a penniless tutor. You take adj
vantage of q fathers natural and prop
er anger at such ruin for his daugh-
ter to break with him INC to cut him
off from that daughters love. You
may be a nobleman, by name, If not
by nature, and you may be a rich man,
but 1 don't take back a word which I
said to Ford the tutor-except, per-
h.ps, what I said about orr not being
likely to meet"
"By jove! you've got more spirit in
you than I %bargained for" said Lord
Ascot. Il am beginning to be sorry J
for the first time hat you swore you
would never speak to your daughter
again If she married me-"
But at tina moment Mabel burst into
the room.
81 can't bear the suspense any long
err" she cried. HAS he told you, ia
ther2 I see he has. You must forgive
him and me-"
She went and stood by the young
man, taking his hand.
your father has sworn that If you
marry me he will never speak to you
again."
Father" She left her lovers hand,
and went to her father. "You can't
meal that. I love Mr.. Ford. I don't
mind trying to work for my living.
But I do want to be happy. And 1
couldn't be happy If you cast me of
like that, and cast him off too"
$50 you would leave your father
for this MANI said Brackley.
~ would leave you for him because
he is to be my husband. But 1 love
you, father, and if you do this dreadful
thing you wifi know that o are spoil
ing my life-and spelling it just when
1 ought to be happy"
The two men looked ut each other.
I'VE mustn't spoil her happiness,
eyen to please ourselves" said the
young man. II expect you will have to
DFeak your odlH. bfackiey anu Suaii
nave to grin when you do it. Shall we
fall on our knees and ask your bless
ing?'
But at that Mr.. Braekley turned and
left the room hurriedly.
"He will forgive US. I'm sure ne
WILL said Mabel.
Il think 20. darling; and we shall
yet learn to like each other-he and J."
Saturday Journal.