Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-05-16

amy desire to please. This he did. >lot
because ne liked it or took amy inter
est in things political. philanthropic or
economic. but only because he con
idered that u man in his position
iWcd certain duties to the state
duties which it would be cowa-dly to
shirk.
But he really cared nothing for the
thouShts of others. for their opinions.
their joys or their sorrows. He had
schooled himself not to care. to call
phIlanthropy empty sentiment. politics
senseless ambition, economic grasping
aVarice.
His was a life entirely wrapped up
i'm itself. In youth he had been very
shI-a shyncss caused at first by "A
seriolis defect OF speech. which, though
cured in later years. always left AN
u-nconqucrahle diflidencc, an almost
morbid fear of ridicule in its train.
Because of this. l think. he had
never been Il SpOrtSman-or, rather.
had n"Ner been an athlete. for he was
splendid with n gun and the finest re
NolNer shot i'll England. so I've been
sold. and an acknowledged master OF
fence, but with bat. ball. OF racquet
he was invariably clumsy.
He had always hated to be laughed
at. and. therefore,. had never gone
through the rough mill of a tyro in
athletics or in games. Arthur. one
OF his brothers. had been Il blue at
Oxford; the other one. James-you
remember James de Moun1fcrd? was
the celebrated cricNeter: but he, the
eldest. always seemed to remain out
side that magic circle of sport, the
great ring of many links which unites
Enslishmen one to another in a way
that no other conformity of tastes,
breeding, or of religion can ever do.
of this difiidence. too, no
doubt. he had never married. was
told once by an intimate friend of his.
that old ad-as he was universally
callcd-had never mustered up suf-
ficlent courage to propose to any
wonlan. And as he saw one by one
the coveted matrimonial prizes-the
pretty girls whom at different tunes he
had admired sufficiently to desire for
w~iie-snapped up by more entcrprising
wooers, his dour m~croseness grew into
positive chronic i'll humor.
He liked no one and no one liked
hiil-and during 60 years of life he
had succeeded i'm eliminating from his
entire being every feeling of sentiment
save one. He had to all appearances
an absolutely callous heart: he cared
neither for dog nor horse-he ordered
a splendid mare to be shot without tho
slightest compunction after She had
carried him in the hunting field and in
the park faithfully and beautifully for
over eight years. just because she had
SHE'D at q motor car and nearly thrown
Hilfl. II WdS IOl CItcl. YOU NHOW, just
ca!lous i'm all respects save one; void
of all s~entiment-he called it senti-
mentality-save in his affection for
Luke.
luke had been-ever since he was
a growing lad-the buffer in the estab-
lishlment between the irascible master
and the many subordinates. From Mr..
Warren-the highly paid and greatly
sn,lbbed secrctary-down to the maids
below stirs. one and all brought
troubles. complaints, worries to Mr..
brought instant dismissal. and no one
thought of leaving a place. where, be-
sides excellent wages, there was the
pleasure Of waiting on Mr.. Luke.
Never Mr.. de Mountford. YOU notice,
always MIR. Luke. He had grown up
amongst the household: Winston. the
old coachman. had taught him to ride;
Mary. now housekeepcr. then a nurse,
had bathed him in a wash-hand basin
when he was less than 1S inches long.
Therefore the atmosphere of the
Harris. With the perfect and uncon-
scious selfishness of a woman in love,
she gagged everything in life just as
it affected Luke. She even contrived
to like Lord Radcliffe. He trod on
corns, it is true; he had that lofty
contempt for the entire feminine sex
which pertains to the oriental, more
than to the more civilized western
races; he combated her opinions. both
religious and political, without any
pretense at Difference. he smoked
very strong cigars in every room
in the house without the slight
est regard for the feelings of
his lady visitors; he did or left I'M
done a great many other things which
would tend to irritate and even to Of
fend a oma accustomed to the con-
ventional courtesies OF daily social
life: but when Luke entered a room,
where, but a moment ago, Lord Rad
clyffe a been venting his chronic
i'll humor on an offending or innocent
subordinate. the old mans dour face
would become TRANSPORTED, irradiated
with a look of pride and of joy at
sight of the nan on whom he had
lavished all the affection OF which his
strong nature was capable.
Luke could do no ron Luke was
always right. He could argue with his
lordship. contradict him. obtain any
thing he liked from him. Eternal con-
tradict1ons of human nature; the
childless mar in perfect alteration be-
fore a brothers son: the callous, hard
hearted misanthrope soft as wax in
the hands OF one man.
Continued Mex. Week.)