The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-22
THE K1s-

ESiuC barton as size EOue alciis "a
her trusty little cob paid no heed To
the weather, SO absorbed was SIC iu
her own thoughts.
Ralph Underwood was coming tl.:lt
night to ask her To he his wife. sl!t Il i
sure, for his manner at the Fleici.el~'
dance the other evening had bccn VII
mistakable.
What answer should she give Ei:@:
Could she ever love n man She did no.
altogether trust?
All, IL only Jack could speak sin.
knew what answer she would give il
he ever asked the same question. l,u.
Jack never would now. though year,
ago he had shown in Il hundred iistie
ways that he loved her.
But that was before his father dicl
and Briarslnc.c was found to be mort
gagged and all the affairs terribly in
volved. SO now Jack was a poor mani
and hid even undertaken work as IT,
dcrwood's agent TO pay off the mort
gage which Ralph held.
ESlllc WIS Ilcll ana cOulu 10 as she
liked with the fortune she had inller-
tied from her mother, but WAS poMcr-
less to help Jack because of that I'M
written law that "a man is to Woo. IL
woman to be wooed."
The rain poured down and at last
aWoke I,smc TO Il sense of what was
going on around her.
rNJ,n ,,t, ,,.,t, n,,,;,, n,., -, ,.,"
rents. and an ominous roll of thunder
in the distance made Beauty tremb,e.
1t was Il lonely part of the road.
Only Il little cabin. much out of re.
pair. was in sight. She FASTENED to-
ward it. not knowing if Mrs. O'Grady
Still occupied the place or whether she
had already gone to live with her sis
ter in Kerry.
On trying to lift the latch l1sme
found it vas locked, but discovered Il
shelter in the peat shed at the back.
AS she stood there caressing her
horse to allay its fears she was stlr-
tied to hear Il key fitted into the lo.k
OF the door i'm front of the house.
The boards Of the mud covered walls
We're i'll fitting and rotten, and l.sme
could distinctly hear two men talking
as they entered and shook the water
from their clothes.
"a good thing we were so near the
place. said Underwood.
eyes" answered a voice which made
Esme blush in the semidarkness; cit is
a bad storm. but it will soon be over.
| am not sorry it has come now. as
you will see that something must be
done to the place before another ton
ant occupies it. 1t isn't fit for a dog to
live in, much less a human being"
~ shall do nothing. It's no use
spending money on property of this
kind. These peasants are used to pig
ging it. Leave the place alone"
"That is. Of course. your affair, Mr..
Underwood" said Jack. ''In my posi-
ton Us agent it was my duty to point
out to you what was needed, but |
cannot make you do it. Only 1 tell you
as man to man that the neglect of yo,u
tenants interests is Il disgrace to the
neighborhood. | have worked as your
agent In order to work off the mort
gage which you hold on my property.
Sut ! suppose the foreclosure WOW.
threaten must come now, for l cans,ut
work for you any longer and have not
money to redeem the estate"
"And pray why am I to lose your
valuable serviccs?" said Underwood.
"You know that during my manaea-
ment your profits have nearly doubled,
but when it comes to distilling' liq1i rs
In underground distilleries and ex! ect-
ing me to be Il party to the fraud |
draw the line"
How dare you speak like thi 10
me!"' said Underwood. choking Wirb
rage. You pauper. if I had not cln
ployed you you would have starved.'
"You are exaggerating my poverty"
said Jack in u calm tone. ut is true
by honest work 1 hoped to regain ny
property, but when you expect fi:
honest work you have come to tae
wrong man.
"By the way" continued Jack, aad
Esme could hardly catch his word.
for he was already in the road. 81 have
ordered back the pipes and stills"
1.-THE dickens you have" roared TN
derwood as he paced the miserable
room.
A quarter of an hour later l1snle
was in the coy office of her friend
and adviser. Mr.. Rance.
at is II large sum of money to In
vest in landed property, Miss Esme.
81 know" said the girl in her quick,
bright way, but what does that mat
ter? / have ever so much more when
| that is spent. Besides. l happen to
know the mortgage will be foreclosed
If this money is not paid, and l have
| other reasons as WE'LL
Beauty. trotting along in the twi-
light. was within Il mile of her own
/ warm stable when she suddenly
swc9ved from Il dark figure walking
rapidly along in the shadow.
Eslne. who had been sitting loosely
in the saddle. thinking over her after
Moons work. was taken unawares and
flung violently to the ground.
STORING over her. Jack-for it was
he who had unwittingly frightened
the cob-lifted her quickly in his arms.