The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-12-03

My position here is a false oae,
Sara. l prefer to CO."
This morning l should have hesc
a sword ver your head"
1T is very difficult for me to realize
all that has happened"
You are free to depart You are
free In every sense Of the word. Your
future rests with yourself. my a
TT hurts me more than l can tell
to feel that YOU have been hating mv
alE these month";"
TT hurts me--now."
Hetty walked to tho window and
looked out.
What are your plans?" Sara In
CURED, after an interval.
"I shall seek employment-and wait
for you to act"
ny You mearr"
II shall not run AWAY. Sara Nor Do
T intend TO reveal myself to the IN
thorities. am not morally guilty OF
crime. A year ago l feared tho con-
sequences Of my deed, but ! have
learned much since then. ! wan .
stranger in a new world. In England
we have been led 20 believe that you
lynch women here rs readily as you
lynch men. l now know better tran
that. From you alone l learned fny
greatest lesson. You revealed to me
the true meaning Of human kindness.
You shielded me who should not
Even now | believe that your first
impulse was a tender one. / shall
not forget It, Sara. You will live to
regret the baser thought that came
later on. I have loved you-yes, al
most as a good dog loves his master.
II is not for mo to tell the story Of
that night and all these months to
the world. + would not be %betraytng
myself, but you. You would be called
upon to explain, not !. And You would
BIZ the n to suffer. When you met
me on the road that night / was On
my way back to the inn to give my
self into custody. You have made II
Impossible far ne to DO so now. Ny
lips r sealed. 1t rests with you,
Sara"
Sara Joined her IN the broad win.
dow. There was \ strangely exalted
look in her lace. A gilded birdcage
hung suspended In the easement. With.
out a word, she threw open the win.
dow screen. The gay little canary In
the gilded cage cooked his head and
watched her with alert eyes. Then
she reached up and gently removed
the cage from It's f~astenings. Putting
1t down upon tho window sill, chs
opened the tiny door. The bird hoped
about his prison In a state OF great
excitement.
Hetty looked on, fascinated.
At last a yellow streak shot out
through the open door and an instant
later resolved itself into the bobbing,
fiutterlng dicky-bird that had lived
In q cage all its life without an hour
OF freedom. For a few seconds II
circled over the tree tops and then
alighted on one of the branches. One
might we'll have imagined that he
could hear It's tiny heart beating with
terror. It's wings were half-raised and
1uttering, It's head jerking from side
to side in wild perturbation. Taking
courage, Master Dlcky hoped limo
rously to a nearby twig, and then ven
tWed a flight to a tree top nearer the
window easement. Perched in it's top
most branches he cheeped shrilly, a.
II there was fear in his little breast.
In silence the two women In the
window watched the agitated move
ments OF the bird. The same thought
was In the mind OF each, the Same
question. the same intense wish.
A brown thrush sped through the
air, close by the timid canary Liks
q fash 1t dropped to the twigs lower
down. its wings paipitating In violent
alarm.
"Dicky!" called Sara wrandall, and
then cheeped between her teeth.
A moment later Dicky was futtering
about the caves; his circles grew
smaller, his winging less rhythmical,
till ut last with a nervous little iutter
he perched on the top Of the window
shutter, 80 near that they might have
reiched to him with their hands He
sat there with his head cooked 10 one
side.
"Dicky!- called Sara agaia. Thu
time she held out ho finger. For some
time he regarded Il with indlferencs.
not to say disfavor. Then he DOL ono
more flight, but much shorter than the
first. bringing up again at the shutter.
top. A second later he hoped down
and his little talons gripped Sar1's
finger with a earnestness that left
no room for doubt
She lowered her hand until II was
even with the open door Of the gilded
cage. He shot inside with a whir that
suggested a scramble. With his wings
folded, he sat on hts little trapezs
and cheeped. She closed and fasteneA
the door. and then turned to Hetty.
my symbol" she said softly.
There were tears In Hetty's eyea