The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-03-25
iii mi nm
III--(continued

- ASS us 1SllDS 10 the 1Dr2rV' said
his father, arising.
say" said chetwynd, IF you think
Mary is too young to know things,
you're off your base
My son. I'm sorry to hear you use
guch an expression. Off my base?
what DO you mean, sir?"
h onto things all right, an
nounced the boy eagerly. Sic knows
q good deal more h you think she
ooes; You ought to her some of the
words she uses"
Incredible" cried Mr.. Presbrey,
plainly distressed, and without knowing
what words she had used.
horace studied the figures In the
carpet for a momen You may ask"
put Martha had departed. Ring the
peIl, please, my dear."
me bell was tangled once more and
Martha came into the room, somewhat
out OF Breath.
I hadn't got half way upstairs,
ma,am," she announced rather sharply.
You may bring Mary downstairs,
also, Martha" ordered Mrs. Blagden.
Flfteen minutes passed before Eric
ous, presented themselves in the Ii
prary. Eric, while dressing, had given
nlrnself up to reckless speculation as
TO the cause of the summons. On the
way downstairs he confided his conclu-
sions to the mystified Mary. His eyes
We liz JoSouS llOpG HAT
lurked in his soul.
l II bet they're going to SEND us off
TO boarding school," he whispered. She
gave an ecstatic gasp, and clutched at
his arm.
oh, Eric. do you really think so? Oh,
1t ant be true!"
We'll. it's something" he argued ex-
citedly.. 1T must be important, or they
wouldn't be getting US out Of bed"
Mary. was Of faint heart. She pulled
a Wry face. And Mary's dark, flower
like face was of an exquisite modelling
that could not be wrought into any
thing unpleasant to the eye, no matter
how hard she tried. Her very worst
faces" were fascinating. You would
have loved every inch of her. believe
me.
"Tisn't boarding school, she de-
clared. ''That could wait till break
fast time. It's something else. Mr..
Presbrey's still there"
Eric pondered. I'll bet it's about you
n me skipping Sunday school two
weeks ago-the day of the fire down
In Front street.
Maybe someone's left us a fortune,''
whispered she, just as he was about to
turn the knob OF the library door. "Oh,
my! What If someone has"
Er1c's Gee" was a great potential
declaration Of resolve
The Blagden library, like all other
rooms In the big house, was stiffly re-
spectacle. The rows Of books, in the
original cloth bindings, covered the
wall space on four sides of the room
from floor to ceiling. The glass door
Blagden carried the key in his trousers
pocket. The only portion OF the vol
umes accessible to the reader was the
title stamped or the back. Dust was
not the only thing that was denied ac-
cess to the shelves. Most Of the VOL
GnaS vera first a1itfnpc q nd ,,y,,,,t o~l
they possessed a value that was not to
be disturbed by the ordinary mind,
Sometimes Mr.. Blagden himself looked
INTO them. but to no one else was this
privilege extended. There was no book
there, you may be sure, that the most
innocent boy or girl could no have
read without contamination. They were
a particularly clean lot Of items" to
use the professional term.
Once, by mistake, an English edition.
in IL volumes, Of the Memoirs Of Casa
nova joined the solemn and sedate
company, quite without discussion. for
the simple reason that the master of
the house had taken the books in part
payment of a debt incurred by a real
literary chap, who had been in college
with him. The erotic Casanova re-
manned there for many months, touch
Ing hides with a carefully bound set Of
Ruskin, before someone who knew
came along to enlighten Mr.. Blagden
as to their -salaciousness. The owner,
aghast, would have cast the offending
volumes into the fire had not ms
friend advised him that a good set Of
Casanova would bring something like
500 If the fright party" came along.
80 Mr.. Blagden kept them a year long
CT, waiting for the right party to come
along. He sold them at last to the
cashier in his bank, and eve afterward
looked upon that gentleman as a per-
son of perverted taste and not to be
wholly trusted.
But I am d~iverging. The two Mid
thornes. on entering the room, paused
irresolute just inside the door, gazing
in no little dismay upon the -four stern
yisaged persons ranged about the long
library table. Chetwynd had partially
faced himself by sitting upon the
mall Of his back in the great arm
chair In the corner.
"Close the door, Eric" said his uncle.
Now, come here. You, too, Mary" The
children approached timorously. LET
me see your lip. You tumbled off the
fence?"
Eric fell into the trap. Yes sir" he
replied.
There was a monen of silence, while
four pairs of condemning eyes trans
fixed the boy.
Eric, it is wrong to tell fibs." said
his aunt, in hurt tones.
The boy saw his mistake. He felt a
not, 1uTlOuS wave VI 1iulllilldllOll SIlOOl
by his throat and up to his brain.
TT isn't a fib," he cried stoutly. Il
did fall off the fence last week"
you were attempting to deceive u.s."
declared his uncle, fastening his cold
grey eyes upon the boys face. TT is
quite as bad as lying. Why could you
not have told the truth, and a that
, Chetwynd struck you?"
Because I'd sooner lie than tell
tales" declared Eric boldly. My moth
er used to punish me If 1 came in cry
ing and told her some boy had hit me
and father always said I ought to be a
man and fight back instead Of -"
That viii do, that will do" inter-
rupted Mr.. Blagden in some haste. Mr..
Presbrey coughed. with a delicate re-
gard for the feeling sof his unfortunate
friends.
Poor boy, poor boy" he sighed las
the twig Is bent!"
"Er-ahem! Your unit and l have
come to the conclusion. children. that
It is high time you were brought to a
realization of what is before you. 1t