Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-06-11
The House of the Black
81 ,.... Ring e.,,...... SOS

at him now, though he had never APP
peared more ludicrous. Bolt upright he
sat In a straight backed chair that
creaked dolefully under his every move
ment, and twirled his fat thumbs, and
told her of his week; his sales of this
and that; his plans and his profits, and
his ideas. The abundance of his pros
perity seemed to keep him In a con-
tinual state OF mild establishment. She
did not laugh nor remark; she sat by
the window. her eyes on the distant
range, which still had a ghost OF smoke
upon 1t, and rocked to and fro with
nervous jerks, while he droned on with
his tales of prosperous endings and
moving accidents by store and farm.
Today she loathed the man. 1t seemed
to her as IL she had never really seen
him before. Something all of a sudden
had opened her eyes. He was a mere
clod OF a creature. intent on money
and acres. And he was to be her hus-
band! Her fathers will was like iron,
when once he was set, and he had
willed 1t. There was no escape; only
five weeks more. She stopped rocking
and looked with far eyes out over the
ridge. He had never known her so
still.
you are not well, Rose" he said at
length, with calf-like tenderness. You
are not yourself
mo: I'm not myself" she snapped
suddenly. turning full upon him. 81
think I'd better go to my room." In
a twinkling she disappeared, leaving
him to wonder and speculate, and spend
the forenoon alone.
After the dinner, which was patriarch
al In Its quality and its p~rofusion, the
Squire took the young man to a ramble
over the estate. He instructed him as
TO the different plots and their time
OF rotation. and he mapped out the
spring campaign of paintings and SOW
ings. The fences were in perfect con-
dition; the corners M bounds were
carefully marked; the wheat was free
from winter-kill and ely" Then HI
exhibited the barns and out~-buildings
and stock as IL Karl were a prospective
buyer. And the young man viewed 1t
all with huge approval and made hard
hearted suggestions that pleased the
Squire. Here was a soninlaw after his
own heart.
They sat long over the evening tea.
so long that Karl missed the evening
service. He was In high spirits. He
laughed and Joked and beamed upon
Rose, n the old man reflected his
joy; he fairly purred In his content.
Things were moving smoothly. 1t was
perfectly natural that Rose should be
sober. She had gone through an ex-
thbo oo SAIOo6h W Ill q lC-
time with shudders-but 1T would end
all right. She needed diversion, and
merry company, and she was getting it.
That night, as she started for her
room, he spoke to her with unusual ten
derness.
THE day has done you good. Dot"
He put his hand on her shoulder and
looked at her a~dmiringly. 81 haven't
seen so much color in our cheeks for
a long time. Oh. we know all about It,
you rogue. You can't fool US Ho, no,
ho!" He chucked her under the chin
playfully.
But, father"
"Oh, come, come now; don't say a
word about it," he cut her off jovially.
II know just how It IS. Girls have
to go through just about so much
nonsense. It's born In 'em. Ho, no, no!
But you go TO sleep, and get rested,
Dot. Sleep just as longs you want to;
that's what's going to put you right
onto your feet again. Don't you worry
n bit. Wal, goodnight" She wa
vered a moment as IL about to speak,
then turned and ran quickly UP the
stairs.
Her room was on the garden side. She
blew out her light as she entered. She
would sit by the window in the cool
night air. She wanted to think. A
young moon was casting in a weird
/ Wv Al ~ oAto NAAO d oAiA OtoL VI AAS
growing spring were breathing up from
the garden like a greeting.
h had hardly closed the door when
something dropped with a little crash
near the window and rolled with me-
tallic tinklings into the center of the
room. Her first thought was that she
had pushed something from the bureau,
and half automatically she CROPPED to
pick It Up A moment later her hand
struck ft-a pine cone. How came q.
pine cone in her room7 1t must have
come In at the open window. There
was a paper on tia note. He was out
there; 1t was a message from him.
Her heart went off in a %1utter, and her
hand trembied so that she could hardly
disentangle the dainty little missive.
What did 1t say? To light the lamp and
examine 1t was out of the question; he
would know at once what she was do
ing. A moment n she went into the
opposite room, closed the door and
struck a match. A candle was on the
little table.
Dear Miss Hartswick: / am In the
garden under your window. May 7 see
you for a moment and speak to you?
I must see o some time. The other
day In the mountains you were with
me only by accident, n l would not
take advantage Of the accident to tell
you what I must tell you. May I see
/ NOhb Al H. III NkAAJ AOt u l. an
sitting on the bench by the crocuses
and waiting for you. I am, honestly
yours, James Farthing."
She blew out the candle instantly, as
IL in spite of the inner room he could
see her: then she stole back AS she
entered again the sweet thrill of the
April night stole up and greeted her
like the breath of a lover. Then she sat
for a moment IN the side of the bed
and tried to think.
The note was still In her hand. After
a time she went into the opposite room
again, and, re-lighting the candle, read
1t twice over. There were fair
ness n passion and boyish
honesty In every line. How
gentlemanly he had been and how con-
sideratei You were with me only by
accident. and I would not take advan-
tage OF the accident" She tiptoed
to the head Of the stairs and listened.
No sound. Her father and mother
were already in bed and doubtless
asleep.
Another wavering moment and she
went to her room, found a soft. white
shawl to throw over her shoulders, and
then stole down the back way into the
night-the~ throbbing April night, where
young Jim. trembling with eagerness,
stood amid the
Now the age-old drama OF two men
and a maiden. IL played In the madness
Il ~ th. o{txr VSnrr III nAftaA aN-