Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-22
I'M nm MI
MARY M7DTHORNE
GEORGE BARR
Author of "Graustark," 'Truxton King" etc.
Copyright. 1911, BY Dodd, Mead & Co.
III. I'LL I'LL

WlloSS whitehead ISdu was pcIl hiiA
whose limbs tottered.
The next day, bright and early.
Horace Blagden sent out a command to
the officers and chief men of the First
church. They obeyed, and 3 o'clock
found all of them gathered in the pr1-
vate offices of the banker. They came
away from that meeting with grave
faces and troubled hearts, but just the
same. they affected no sign of hes
itancy in asking Mr.. Presbrey for his
resignation.
The minister was dumbfounded. He
had known all along that he was kick
ing against the pricks but. to quote
Uncle Jabez Carr, "he didn't know
there was a mule watin' to kick back
when he was a-lookin' t'other way
Mr.. P%resbrey refused to resign. A
never known the like of it. Todville
c~huckled. and, to a man came out for
Mr.. PresbreN. The same spirit inflated
the narrow bN-ways alC.lg the water
front until they were ready to burst
with acclaim. Notwithstanding Mr..
Presbrey's rigorous efforts to reform
that section of town, or to obliterate
it entirely. the saloon keepers, the
brothel house ners and the human
dregs of Corinth joyfully took sides
with him in the fight against Horace
Blagden. a rather anomalous condi-
ton, you may say. but perfectly natur-
al II you pause to consider the rela-
tive influence of the w c~ontenders.
Lower Corinth had no fear of God, but
1t skunk way from Horace Blagden.
Therefore. If it could destroy Horace,
there would be nothing to fear.
A subsequent letter from Mary in
formed Eric that Mr.. Presbrey was 10
open a schoo for boys on the old DeX-
ter farm. just above Corinth. A
youngish man from Boston was likely
to be called to the FIRST church. He
had preached for two Sundays on trial
and Uncle Horace was quite enthusiasts
tic over him..
Few and far between We're the let
tiers the young mar received from his
uncle. They We're always of a business
nature. absolutely undertaking in that
respect. Drafts from dividends, re-
ports on properties, and matters of that
sort. There never was a letter from
Aunt Rena. She mad no effort to be
friendly.
But one day, a month before he was
to sail for home. Eric received from his
uncle a letter that sorely disturbed his
peace OF mind. 1t revived the old dread
that grew up with him from childhood
and which a lain dormant for the
past few years-the dread of the pro-
phecy concerning himself and Mary. lie
had killed his man. That much of it
was fulfilled. Now. what of Mary?
Was she to fulfill her part of the ugly
prophecy?
His uncle, after a~pologising for call
ing his attention to the unpleasant mat
ter to follow. wrote:
Il am very glad to hear that YOU are
coming home. 1t is not, as / have stat
ed before in this letter. my custom to
interfere in the affairs of others. Since
YOU and Mary reached an age that war
1anted the belief that YOU would be
capable of thinking soundly for your
selves | have not undertaken to OBJ
trude my opinions, much less to offer
criticism of any act or impulse.
You, Eric, I knew to be level headed
and steady. ] have had no fears fol-
you. Regarding Mary. cannot speak
so confidently. She is and
she is extremely pretty. The combina-
ton is not as desirable as it may seem,
as viewed from the vantage point of an
older head. We have tried to keep the
path she traVerses clean and free from
communicating influences. But she sees
fit to resent our thoughtful considera-
ton. | am not pretending to you, even
delusiVelv, that she has overstepped
the bounds Of propriety in any sense Of
the term. 1 believe Mary to be a good
girl and pure minded.
You recall young Payson. He is now,
as you doubtless know, living in New
York, where he has a position with a
large BOND house--a responsible posi-
ton. l hear. He belongs to several
clubs and is what is termed a man
amout town. The influences of Corinth
seem to have deserted him. l am not
questioning his integrity. That privilege
was denied me long ago. l was mistaken
about him once. l shall not fall into
error again. 1 did him a grievous
wrong. Had it not been for the arrogant
demands Of Adam Carr, I should have
been inclined to restore him to his DO
sltlon in he bank. But that was not to
be considered I owe nothing to the
generosity of Adam Carr. He is my
enemy.
Now to come to the point. Mary. who
viii soon be p, has taken a great fancy
to this young man. He visits his mother
mere regularly and. while L cannot ask
him to come to my home, Mary sees
him frequently and in a clandcstine
manner. our unit and 1 have rcmon-
strated, but to no avail. She goes about
with him when the occasion presents
itself. She rides in his automobile with
strange men n women from New
York-flashy women who drink and
smoke. am sorry to say that She
seems to be estranged from her friend
and old time companion, Joan Bright.
The inference is plain. Joan does not
fapprove Of John Payson and his friends.
We see but little of her in these days.
A few nights ago Mary came home
from an all day trip-on a Sabbath -
and your aunt distinctly smell the
odor of wine on her breath.
Last week l met Payson in Corinth.
Realizing that it was better for every
zone concerned. / politely asked him to
tcome to my house to see Mary. We
would be glad to welcome him there.
He calmly informed me that he would
not put foot inside my gates, not in
1000, 900 years, or something to that eff
feet, W~hereupon l notified him that he
could not continue his attentions to my
niece unless he were manly enough to
visit her in the home Of her protectors
I will not repeat what he aid in re-
Spouse to this. Suffice to say. he in
suited me. He did not hesitate to say
that he would see Mary when he
pleased and as he pleased.
Il do not like this young man. He is
not all that he should be. Judge
Bright. once his friend. now says tina
he belongs to a fast set in New York
and has been spoiled-by prosperity and
a%dulation. l am quite sure thai he
means TO marry your sister II she viii
have him. He knows that she will come
into a fortune soon. He is a reckless
Spectator, l am told. / fear for hei
interests more han / can tell you.
You know him. l leave it to you as