Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-10-14

| concealed it's grim suggestion OF north
ern cold when winter should come.
One of the ladies-she had been
speaking in an American accent
| suddenly threw up her arms and
/ pointed to great shield surmounted
| with crown, and supported by sculp-
tured storks.
| .Daisy" she said. "look!"
The other girl glanced upwards.
| Yes. Duchess!" she said.
| Cannot you see what i mean?"
the first speaker replied. Look at
| that shield and crown. 1t is that
| which has brought misery and dread
full woe into my life ever since 1 left
my quiet country home and married"
II don't think you ought to be so
imaginative said the younger wo-
| man. What l mean is that it is
| splendid to let ones brains receive all
| sorts of impressions and ponder over
| them, and dwell upon them in times
of quiet happiness; but, as we are sit
uated now, Duchess, think you ought
to forget such things; you ought to
tune yourself up-to gather together
all your nerve force to meet the ac-
ltnal moment
| Il suppose you are quite right
Daisy" said the Duchess, but, oh!
If you only knew how my heart and
brain are racked and torn with a
! thousand conflicting hopes, impress
sions and black fears! That blazonry
1 Is no greater or finer in the history
\ 81
married Alberto and became the Ouch
ess Of London / added to our own
coat-of-arms one far greater than my
fathers, and far more illustrious than
even this Royal shield you see there.
1 And yeti am here and in disguise
| lurking unknown in this old town.
and feeling every moment the dread
pressure of another woman's hand.
am afraid to move, my life is bound
and circumscribed by mysterious con
ventions, and |, the Duchess of Lon
don, am creeping and crawling while
my little boy, my darling little boy
heir to a principality thousand times
more potent and more great than this
lis a captive in the hands Of wo-
man."
Daisy Hobson rose from her seat
and went hurriedly to the Duchess.
| She put one slim arm round her neck
and kissed her upon the cheek. No,
no! she said; don't let your nerves
4 get the better of you. oh, my dear,
please control yourself, for everything
depends upon that
The Duchess looked at her wildly
1 for a moment, and then suffered that
kind and controlling arm to lead her
to her chair once more, But it's
4 three days now, Daisy she said, in
a faint voice, since we have heard
anything from Michael or Captain
1 Marriott"
Never mind!" the younger girl re-
4 Piled. II should not think about that
at all, Duchess, If / were you. Could
i you possibly have two more able
champions In this strange and dread
full business than Mr.. Grant-and-
and my dear boy? So far we have
done everything that they have told
a us. They insisted that we should fol
4 low out their directions most scrupu-
i lousy. They told us before we left
j Cologne that, il we did not do exactly
as they said, or If we made one false
X step, ruin to all their plans would en-
q sue. SO far we have done exactly
what we have been told, and am GER
tain that everything will come right,
4 II only we trust In them"
8. The young girl was standing over
q her patroness, speaking in deep and
Il earnest voice
The Duchess looked up; her lovely
a face--worn now, but still face for
which many men might die gladly
became calmer. while happier light
entered the. eyes and stopped the
8 piteous qhiVering Of the sweet mouth
Daisy" she said, your trust is won.
!. derful, and you put me to shame"
But, my dear, surely you are trust
4 full, too? You have most gallant
] knight in Michael Grant, and also
Duchess. surely you can trust my owr
: dear Basil, who is SO quick and
! clever, who can supplement SO vel
and brilliantly the work Of Michae
1 Grant himself
9 ~ know! / know!" the Duchess
4 answered. Il am an migrate. I have
no faith. Yet, Daisy, though believe
= utterly In the power Of dear Michael
!. and also In the quickness and tht
3 readiness Of the man who loves, you
nevertheless, a great wave OF depres
!. sion sweeps over me at times, and
J, iearS the worst and most dreadful
thing Of all. ,5
Z 5 Oh, dear, you should control thos
s. feelings!.
y Daisy, could you control them II !
y was your little boy your little heart
"a ioYe-that you were trying to rescu
g from 5 some mysterious and dreadful
oI late I You see, Daisy, you are no
g married. When YOU and Captain MAJ
oi rlott are married, and perhaps Go
= = -: yol Doyh little boy; the
Y perhaps you Will appreciate what