Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-05-27
ANGEL
CHAPTER x11-tcontinued.>
BY G

ElNClltllN VI llG HlBlA-Ilt III aILDSI
soaking heaths and through dead VIII
lagos, where little cottages showed UP
for a moment in the glare of the head
lights, then faded into the darkness.
Too soon she came to o familiar
stretch of the road and the car slowed
down so that they might not pass the
tiny grass lane that led to E1atrby
Mill. They came to 1t at last, and the
car bumped cautiously over deep cart
ruts, even loose stone, and through long
drenched grasses till there doomed out
Of the night the squat outlines OF
Flairby Mill.
once upon a time, before the COM
ing OF cheap machinery. Flairby Mill
had been famous In the district,
and the rumble of its big stones went
on necessarily. night and day: but the
wheel had long since broken, It's wreck
lay in the bed OF the little stream that
had so faithfully served 1t; it's ma
chinery was rust and scrap iron, and
only the tiny dwelling house that ad-
Joined was OF value. With little or no
repair the homestead had remained
watertight and weatherproof and here
in had kathleen stored the odds and
endsof her fathers household. The sad
dies, shields, spears and oddments he
collected in his travels, and the modest
library that had consoled the embitter-
ed years OF his passing, were all stored
here. Valueless as the world assesses
value, but In the eyes of the girl pre-
cious things associated with her dead
father.
The tears rose TO her eyes as Sped
ding, taking the key from her hand,
lifted * Into the ioek of a seventeenth
century door, but she wiped them
away furtively.
SPEEDING utilized the acetylene lamp
OF the car 10 show him the way into
the house. You must direct me, Miss
Kent he said, and Kathleen pointed
the way. Up the oaken stairs, covered
with dust, their footsteps ~resounding
holloway through the deserted home
stead, the two passed. At the head
of the stairs was a heavy door, and
acting under the girls instructions,
the lawyer opened this.
Ii was a big room, almost like a
barn, with a timbered ceiling sloping
downward. There were three shut
tered windows, and another door at
the farther end OF the room that led to
q smaller room.
This was the miller's living ROOM"
she said sadly. She could Just re-
member when a miller lived in the
homestead, and when she had ridden
up to the door of the mill, accompan-
led by her father, and the miller, white
and jovlal, had lifted her down and
taken her through a mysterious cham
Der where great stones turned labori-
ouSly and noisily, and the air was
filled with a fine, white dust.
SPEEDING placed the lamp on the
table, and cast his eyes round the
room in search OF the books, They
were not difficult to discover; they
had been unpacked, and were arranged
In three disQrderly rows upon roughly
constructed b~ookshelves. The lawyer
turned the lamp so that the full vol
ume OF light should fall on the books.
Vac he - na ~ F,1I AFta~ th.Y,, vnxny
by row, checking each copy methodi-
caily, and half muttering the name OF
each tome he handled. There were
school books, works OF travel, and now
and again a heavily bound scientific
treatise, for her father a made
science a particular study. The girl
stood with one hand resting on the
table looking on. admiring the patience
of the smooth, heavy man at his task,
and, 1t must be confessed, inwardly
wondering what necessity there was for
this midnight visitation. She had told
the lawyer nothing about the red en-
velope, but instinctively felt that he
knew all about II.
"Anabasis, Xenophon," he muttered:
'Jo3ephus, Works and Life: Essays of
Ella; Essays, Emerson; Essays, De
Quincy What's this?"
He drew from between two bulky
volumes a thin little book with a dis
colSred cover. He busted II carefully,
glanced at the title, opened Ii and read
the title page then walked back TO the
table and seated himself, and started
20 read the book.
The girl did not know why, but
there was something In his attitude at
that moment that caused her a little
uneasiness, and stirred within her a
sense OF danger. Perhaps IL was that
up till then he had shown her marked
Difference, had been almost ~obsequious.
Now that the o 10 been u he
~disregarded her. He did not bring ii
TO her or invite her attention, and she
felt tina she was out OF the picture
that the lawyers interest in her affairs
had stopped dead just as soon as the
discovery was made.
RE turned the ivayes ov-i carefully,
pouring over the Introduction. and her
eyes wandered from the book TO his
face. She n never looked at him
before with any critical interest. In
the uufriendly light OF the lamp, she
saw his imrerfections-the brutal
strength Of his Jaw, the INSCRIPTIONS
thinness Of the lip, the heavy eyelids.
and the curious hairlessness of
his face. She shivered a little. for she
read too much in his face for her
peace OF mind.
Unconscious OF her scrutiny. for the
book before him was all-engrossing,
the lawyer went from pag to page.
"Ion't you think we had better be
going?" Kathleen asked timidly.
SPEEDING looked up. and his stare
was in keeping with his words.
when I have finished we will 60"
he said brusquely, and went on read
ing.
= Kathleen gave a little gasp of aston
ishment, for. with all her suspicious,
she had not been prepared for such
q complete and instant dropping OF his
mask OF ~amiability. In a dim fashion
she began TO realize her danger, yet
there could be no harm; outside was
the chauffeur, he stood for something
De established order. She made an
other attempt.
Il must insist. Mr.. Speeding. upon
your finishing our examination OF
that book elsewhere. do not know
whether you are awake that you are
Occupying the only cair in the ROOM
she added Indignantly.
~ am very well aware" said the
lawyer calmly, without raising his
eyes.
MIR. Spedcingi'
rga fnaked M with an air of uvna ~