Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-03-19
Hidden
Perils
BY MARY CECIL HA
XIII.-(Continued.)

LII III IEeuud y, 10 uCI lOWeE youls Z
dear fellow, for such as he."
But Rourke shook his friend away ;
and. still without deigning to stand up
in his passion, looked at the steward with
a burning light in his beautiful dark blue
eyes.
you villain; you do well to cover
there, you dastardly thief! But would
l touch you, do you think? If / wanted
you out Of my path, l would set my dogs
upon you, or my keepers. Marshall, |
shall dispute that will to the last penny
I possess. That won't be long, III? No
matter, | will spend all, and then. If the
matter is not ended | will end it myself
in another way"
They left the house ogether, passing
slowly down the shallo, flight of steps,
and Athol noticed how nngcringiy Rourke
laid his hot hand on the old cannon as he
passed it.
"Ihere!' he said. presently, turning to
glance at the high castellated towers,
this Is the last time. l will not enter
it OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" he said, with
n change of tone, Marshall wishes me
not to dispute the will"
And will not?"
"Ah, you look as anxious over the re-
quest as he did. What towards you all
nre.'
He sees there is not the smallest
chance of a decision in your favor as
your s~tepmother was thoroughly compos
mentis to the last, and you know that the
power of willing the estate was left in her
hands,
THAT | doubt said Rourke. ut seems
to me now too degrading n thing for my
father even to have contemplated, not to
speak of calmly carrying it out. Now
that ! see it in this disgraceful light, l
mean; for, l never thought of it before"
Then Mr.. Marshall is geing to exam
Inc your fathers will again."
mo, l shall do it myself; I am going
at once-to-night. After that, l have
promised to be guided by his advice a
cowardly promise, l call It,"
"A brave one, 1 call it," said Athol,
gently.
That morning Rourke spent chiefly in
the private Office of Messrs. Marshall &
Sullivan, going from there with the SEN
Tor partner to visit the Wills Office in
Doctors Commons.
Mr.. Marshall handed to the clerk a slip
of paper on which was written the name
of his late client; then Rourke began to
search through the heavy index volumes.
~"Trenham."
There it was, and the clerk handed
over the will to Mr.. Marshall. 1t needed
but little study from him, while Rourke's
eyes followed more slowly yet even he
could distinguish how straightforward
wos the fact that eyerything-all estates,
both iea! and personal-was devised and
bequeathed by the testator 10 his wife.
Rourke's head was not raised unit
many minutes after the lawyer had ceased
reading then even the clerks noticed his
angry sternness.
rs our cab waiting?" asked the lawyer,
~fussily, to cover Rourke's odd manner.
LET us start. then. 1t is all right. We
have seen what was needed. l wish you
good-morning.'
And with a pleasant nod to the clerk.
who was making his own surmises, Mr..
Marshall ushered Trenham out into the
street.
There is nothing more to do, them"
'.No. 1t is, as / feared, as I was sure"
the lawyer said, looking with elaborate
feigned interest out upon the passers-by +:
.Fbut you seemed doubtful, so it was best
to read it over. No; we remain just
W WHY Iid
II am going straight home low, Mr..
Marshall" he said, with a laugh, when
the lawyer tried in vain to tempt him to
lunch straight home to Winterfeld.
That's a lying phrase, that h~ackneyed
one of Home, sweet home"
wait a little before you condemn it,"
said the old man, cheerily wait Until
you are settled with your pretty wife, or
,..,: 4 ,,r%sl .,o,, I,or - ,,a,~ Hail.
you. l shall hear a different tale when
I come next into the country to see you"
The old farm seemed decked in an i'm
provised gala dress when it's master re-
turned, and the meal awaiting him-set
out so substantially and so daintily in the
long, brightly lighted room-was a meal
the novelty of which was to be as tempt
ing to Rourke as ito delicious and savory
dishes. 1t was what Mrs. Sheriff called
a Substantial tea far more appetizing,
considering all things, and quite as sat
isfying. she said, as any dinner she ever
had overlooked at Hohve.
But this meat was not for the master
alone in his solitude. 1t had other charms
which a dinner at Hohve had never pos
sessed for there about the snug, warm
room, waiting for him, was quite a hap
~py-looking group of guests. There were
Una and Lorraine there were Miss Shelf
word and Lncilla We're: and there were
Athol and Abram Rartle.
Rourke drew his hand across his eyes
as IL surprise had dazzled him: then the
full Kindness of this thought swept over
him and he stood among these guests Of
his, conscious-as they made him feel
that he was entertaining, under his own
roof, those whom he loved best in all the
world. No wonder thai it was the heart
lest, merriest meal that the old farm had
ever witnessed in its day having, to be
sure, never received a group who tried
so generously and considerately-and
with such true refnement-to make the
evening a happy, and even a gay one, for
their host.
CHAPTER XIV.
During the few weeks between Rourke
Trenham,s return from London and his
marriage, a great change was effected at
syyv.AA~-Go1I IT,. srtor.n orro - -