Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-02-25

CHAPTER VI.
BY tho Author Of
"Tho Mystery OF q Hanson Cab" Etc.

was reused out OF her habltual mall
ference, and she refused absolutely to
accept Aylmer as her son-in-law.
1T is because that black woman dis
trusts me that you object" he said.
IN wonder hat an educated person
should be dominated by that uncivil-
lied creature.
Dido has nothing to do with my
REFUSAL" said the widow, coldly; and
although / take her advice in some
things, 1 do not in this. I don't wish
Isabella to marry you, ana / request
you to leave my house."
LAS q gentleman I must accept your
dismissal, but l ! decline to give up Isa-
BELLA"
And l." cried the girl, swear to re-
main true to Maurice,"
You'll do nothing of the sort" said
her mother, violently. II forbid o
even to think of that young man. You
'hall marry whom l choose!"
DIR. Etwald, 1 s%uppose?"
No! Mr.. Sarby."
David" calculated Maurice, in an
~Astonished tone. You wish Isabella
to marry him!"
Yes! He loves Isabella much more
than you do, and he asked permission
which you didn't-to pay his adj
dresses to her. I consented, and So"
Mrs. Dallas raised her voice, che shall
marry her"
Il refuse to marry Mr.. Sarby," said
Isabella, vehemently. Il hate him!"
That is no matter!" replied her
mother, coldly. you must marry
hint"
MUST" repeated Maurice. with
great Indignation.
Yes. Mr. Aylmer! Must! Must!,
Must! If you want an explanation of
that you can ask Major Jen!"
The Major! My GUARDIAN" cried
Aylmer, quite thunderstruck us he
against me?
ASK him! I want no further speech
es from you. Go to your room, Isa-
bella"
Resigning himself to the inevitable.
Maurice gave one glance at Isabella,
and went outside with a heavy heart.
Dido was standing upon the veranda.
with her eyes glowing like two Goals.
Yet there was IN ill-concealed express
sion of triumph in her gaze which
Maurice, in his then disturbed and an
gered state of mind, could i'll brook.
tie paused abruptly as he passed by
Ter, and asked a direct question::
Why do you nate me, Dido?''
"Voodoo!" said she in a harsh voice.
"Bah you black parrot!" muttered
Maurice. scornfully, and turned upon
his heel. As he vanished down the
walk Dido clapped her hands together
with great satisfaction, and began to
Sing In low tones. Her song was bar
barrie in words. and strange beyond all
telling in the music 1t rose and fell,
1 a ~ ~, - - ~ - ~ 49, a. 49,
ly painful manner. In the drawing
room Mrs. Dallas had risen to her feet
at the first deep contralto note, and
now stood rocking herself to and fro
with an expression of alarm on her
face. Isabella was terrified in her
turn. She shrieked and ran out Of the
room. Then Dido. still singing, ap-
peared at the window. and LOOKED at
Mrs. Dallas with an expression of
triumph. l.
Why do you sing the death song 2"
asked Mrs. Dallas. opening her eyes.
Because de master hab doomed dat
valler-h'ar!" said Dido, and continued
her song.
In the meantime, Maurice walked
slowly homeward. puzzling out his own
mind, az to what could be the meaning
Of these strange things. He could not
understand why Mrs. Dallas objected
to him as a son-in-law; nor could he
surmise the meaning OF the mysterious
word "Voodoo." pronounced SO signii-
cantly by Dido. However. he saw
plainly that the negress was the dis
turbing element In the Dallas house,
hold, and by q half-hypnotic control
over the weak will of her mistress. she
could act as she pleased.
Maurice, simple and upright in con
duct and character, was no match for
the INSCRIPTIONS Vaccinations OF Di-
do. She hated the young man. ana
was determined that HI should NOT
marry her nursling. But whether she
had, like Mrs. Dallas. a preference for
David over DR.. Etwald. Maurice could
not determine. The more he thought
over affairs. the more incoherent and
complicated did they become; 80 Ayl-
mer gave up the task In despair. Then
Il occurred to him that Mrs. Dallas had
referred him to Major jon; SO to his
guardian Maurice went the ONE he
arrived at the big house.
Major gone out, sir" explained
Jaggard. to whom Maurice applied for
Information. He got q message from
Or. Etwald. and went to see him. Be
BACK to dinner, sir, / blieve."
Where II Mr.. Sarby? ~
'"Gone over to Branch Hall, sir"
"Ho. ho!" thought Maurice, as he
turned away. so David had gone to
wee Mes. Now II he Is in love with
Isabella. and Mrs. Dallas favors his
suit, I wonder why he acts in that
way"
The question he could not answer. SO
Diminishing It from his memory, he re-
tired to tho smoking room with a nov
Ell. When FEN and David returned he
intended to question both, and, is pos
sible. get to h bottom Of these sick
sning mysteries.
Hang It'll" soliloquized Maurice over
hiS book: since yesterday everything
seems to have gone wrong. That ne
gress and DR.. Etwald are at the bot
tom Of affairs. But I can't see their
eason for mixing up things So"
Then he laid aside his book to think.
and stared idly 1t the opposite wall.
Il CHANGED to be that upon which the
baTbaric weapons before alluded to
were arranged, and conspicuous among
them the golden handle Of the devil
otdck. Recalling the mention of Woo
doc. ana Etwald's reference to African
W1tchcfaft, Maurice connected In his
en- nlhd The ASvi-stick with those
eerbaftema ana on che Impulse OF the
/ momQnt n ne n AXnmfno the magic