The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-09-17

"A number of trunks and boxes havS
already come ashore" he went on, so
1t is just possible you may yet recover
your lost property"
THE salt water will have spoiled
everything by this time," she said,
with an absent look in her eyes.
Il understood you had some valu-
ables?"
There is the silver box, Of course.
1t would be a satisfaction to get 1t
back. though l fear its contents are
not Of very much value"
They may be of very considerable
value. Your father seemed to attach
importance to them, at any rate"
Yes she said, %absently; and her
thoughts went back in a fash to that
wild night when her father lay dying
on the floor of a gambling saloon in
Odero. yes, he mentioned particu-
larly the silver box"
IF il IN ashore you Will soon
hear of it. Esther is Tremendously
interested"
"Mr. Evans was very much interest
ed, | remember"
who is Mr.. Evans?"
ooh, he was confidential clerk, or
something of the kind, to Mr.. May
hew. | discovered him when | was in
Exeter. II was from him | got to
know about my fathers life in Eng.
land. He told me a great many
things"
But he was able to give you no as.
sistance?"
None at all. He did not seem to
be particularly we'll off. He could
not understand, he said, why my faith
er had consigned me to the care of
Mr.. Mayhem. Mayhem was an old
bachelor, and not a particularly agree.
able person at the best. | sometimes
think that perhaps everything has hap
pened for the best"
How did you discover this, Mr.. Ev-
ans?"
"Mr. Pinder mentioned him. He
said he had been with Mr.. Mayhem as
q boy, and that If any one could give
me information he thought Evans was
the man."
"And you say he was greatly inter-
ested in the story of the silver box?"
Greatly. Just as you are," she
laughed. HE asked me no end of
questions as to its size and shape, and
whether my trunk was in my state
room or IN the hold when the vessel
went down, and all that, you know"
do you think he knew more than
he chose to tell your"
mo, | don't think so. He could have
no interest in keeping anything back"
Perhaps so. Only there is a mys-
terry somewhere, and one wol Id like
to get to the bottom of it,"
Better let it sleep. My father, as
you know, was not a good man, though
he was, OF the whole, very kind to me.
You told me just now you did lot want
to rake up the past"
81 do not want to rake up anything
that would give pain to you or that
would mar our friendship"
What we know can never be buried
or forgotten" she said, with averted
eyes. "Ah, il we could only put into
a box some Of the things that have
been and bury them in the unremem-
bering sea, we might dream of friend
ship-to talk of 1t now Is foolishness."
Il do not think So" he answered,
promptly. why should you pay the
penalty of what your father did? Why
should / suffer because my father was
unwise?"
81 cannot answer as to the why or
wherefore. But you know as well as
| do that there is no escape from an
irrevocable order. We have to pay
the penalty whether we will or no."
I'm some things, yes. But this is a
matter that really rests with our.
selves. II we have the grace or the
courage to put our pride side, what is
there to hinder our being friends?"
could you put your pride aside?"
Easily"
could your mother?"
81 cannot answer for her."
Does she know who l ann"
mo; | think not"
''You had not the courage to tell
herr"
Ito Be Continued.)