Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-06-10
CHAPTER II.-(Continucd.)

and he went up stairs, returning pres
emily. carrying a small basket filled
with keys.
These are yours, my daughter" he
said. and waved his hand will a LITTLE
touch of ann
oh, so many" She poured the keys
upon the table. There were half a
hundred of them. of many kinds and
sizes; and they were all tagged with
little bits Of ivory. IN which their sew
eraI uses were written clearly in ink.
Your mother was very mcthodical-
very painstaking--"
He shook his head and turned to III"
fire. as though to hide anw shor of
feeling.
Zelda was turning tho keys over in
her hand, and she did not look at him.
A mist had come into her eyes. Sh"
remembered the dark woman who had
been so gentle and patient with her
childhood. They used to walk toS"th-
err in the old pasture; and they carried
their books to a seat that had been
built under Il great beech where her
mother read the quaint tales and old
ballads that were her delight. These
were the only happy memories she
had kept Of her mothcr-the times un-
der the beech. with which her father
was not associated.
I'm sure it's your time to go to bed,
father. You mustn't let me break in
on your ways" Zelda walked over to
him and put her hands on his Shout
ders. Il want to be very good to you,
father; and I know we'll live here very
happily. You won't mind me much
when you get used to me-
She touched his forehead with her
lips.
Thank you, thank you"-and there
was a helpless note in his voice.
turned away from him quickly,
restored the keys to the basket ana
ran with it to her room.
The next morning she was down to
his 7 o'clock breakfast in the cold. for
bidding dininE-rOom. She was very
gay and made him talk a great deal to
her. He had been up for an hour at
work in the barn, where he cared for
his own horse. He carried the morn
ing newspaper to the table, as he mad
done for years.
This will never do, father. You
must talk to me and help me to learn
the American breakfast habit. I'll be
lonesome if you read at the table
His thoughts seemed far away; he
had. long been out of practice IN the
amenities and graces and the morning
had brought him once more race 10
face with this change in his life. Ihe
place across the. table had been empty
for so many years that he resented the
appearance there of this slender dark
girl, pouring his coffee with an ease
that puzzled and even touched him.
There had been another girl like her,
In the long ago, and this was her
child. The resemblance between motn-
err and daughter was so marked that
he grew uneasy as he pondered 1t; he
made a pretense of holding up ms
newspaper to shut out the girl ana
when he dropped it Zelda was waiting
for him. her elbows On the table, her
hands clasped urder her chin.
"Oh, pardon mel" he exclaimed, rls-
ing hastily.
AS she helped him into his overcoat
her hand touched a hammer he car
ried in his pocket with a miscellaneous
assortment Of nails, for use IN repair
ing the small properties he owned in
MANY PARTS of town, and she drew the
implement forth and inspected 1t at
arms length.
.Why, father. What on earth is
this?"
The nails iingled. and she made a
dive into the pocket and drew forth a
handful.
why, you've forgotten to empty
YOUR pockets! You mustn't go about
with this hardware in your clothes
He reached for the things. a little
shamefacedly.
"You don't understand. I need them
to make trifling repairs. you know
He smiled, and she put the things back
into his pockets. still laughing at him.
II must go about with you. can
carry the hammer. Maybe you will let
.oI ~-on ip n whiIa IF I
am good"
He drew out a faded silk handker-
chief and began twisting it about his
throat. but Zelda took it from him and
adjusted it carefully under his coat
collar: and she brushed his old brown
DERBY hat with a whlsk broom hat
lay on the hall table.
He suffered her ministrations with
his patient smile, into which he tried
to throw something of a look of pride;
and when she had set the hat square,
w on his head. she drew back and re-
garded him critically and then kissed
him on the cheek.
Now be sure to come home to
luncheon always. You didn't come
Yesterday and 1t was lonely. I must
get Polly to show me the way to the
| grocery. I don't intend to let her be
L the pOSSs Ia SuAS ~ ~NSAS
YOU all these years.
ooh, in time you will come to it.
| Polly will do very well, and you
| oughtn't to be bothered with such
things. IL usually buy the groceries
myself. One of my tenants is a gro
Ger and-and-he does a little better
for mel"
"Oh, to be sure. You must do it in
your own way. father" There was a
| note of disappointment in her voice.
and he would have liked to concede
| something to her. but he did not know
| how.
She roamed idly about the house,
going finally to the kitchen. where the
colored woman toll her hat orders
for the remaining meals of the day
| had been given by her father. Polly
viewed Zelda with admiration, but she
| did not ask advice, INC zenda contin-
ued her wanderings, going finally to
the attic with the key-basket.
The place was pitch dark when she
threw open the door, and as there was
no way of lighting it. she went down
and brought several old candlesticks
from the parlor. The attic was a great
low room extending owe the whole
OF the house. 1t was upholstered. TX
es n barrels ~abounded. Bunches OF
herbs. long dried, and garden tools
/ hung here and there; In a corner an
II ~ 49, =