The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1916-08-31
eouQualne 1EIPTA1nn
D, OGRTaUoG 4 pGAAooel

shine. The air vas warm and halny.
1t would have been di@eult for any
one not acquainted with the country.
and the temperature OF July. 70 real
ize that this vas ALASKA
Dear Mr. Bsason." raa ths letter.
I'VE beg 70 inf0ra you that. In aecOrd-
anoe with the terms Of your late faith
er's will. all ths property except the
limited estate eatailed. goes to your
younger bsothsr. You are. however.
Baron LnAeld. and. ~ ssch. are bow
the owner OF Linneld Manor. Kindly
wire u instructions - to your plans.
We wish to add that. inasmuch a.
the upkeep Of the estate far exceeds
the rent-roli. II would be to your In
terest to sell this TO your younger
brother. There 10. however. q codicil
to the will. made BY your father In
his last illness. Should you decide te
leave the woman with whom you are
living. an annual sum Of I'VE thousand
pounds 10 to b paid you. to enable
you to keep up your title respectfully
faithfully yours.
"Dench 4 Dench."
"The woman with whom he was Mv.
ing" Benson saw the words staring
at him out Of the typewriter page
His father had known. He had mar.
ried = half-breed.
Natusha had been educated at
mission school. and, save for the jet
black hair and rather high cheek
bones she might have passed for .
white woman. But in the eyes of his
acquaintances she was q squaw, and
he squaw-man. He had married her
when he was desperately lonely in the
remote North. and half-crazed with
drink besides.
Natusha had redeemed him. She
had thrown the whisky bottles away.
She had made him . home. She had
loved him. and he had loved her. too.
A violent revulsion Of feeling came
over Benson. He seemed to smell the
Sussex air. to sss the beautiful coun.
try of his birth. He had friends, many,
in England.
Benson resolved to run away. He
could walk to the nearest port and
catch the morrow's boat. He would
leave everything to Natusha. She
would doubtless 90 back to her own
people.
He saw her watching him silently
that night. Like . faithful hound she
knew his moods-her lords moods
Natusha watched him with q dumb,
aching at her heart. She had seen
the change In him.
At midnight, when he thought Natu
sha was sleeping. Benson arose noise
lessly from his couch. He had his
mackinaw and overshoes ready. for
the nights were cold.
When he had disappeared Natusha
kneeled at the bedside . moment in
prayer. She prayed to the God Of
whom the missionaries had told her,
as she had never prayed before. Then
she slipped out after him.
Az Benson strobe along the trail all
memory Of Natusha seemed to slip
from him. He was . boy once more,
In the Sussex lanes, heartfree.
He remembered the nnal angry
scene with his father, the old mans
futile wrath at the son who had dis.
honored his name.
1t had been the act of . goaded man,
desperate for money. but Benson could
only hang his head before the old
mans scathing words.
III ever temptation comes to you
again. sir. remember what you have
done and try with all your might to
conquer It," he had said. ..-
Suddenly he stopped dead. Why,
this was the temptation of which his
father had spoken. He was doing now
thing still more dishonorable than
that which he had done before What
was the use Of being Baron Linfeld
II he was scoundrel to boot1
Benson sat down and fought his
battle out. And. with her woman's in
tuition one who watched him from q
near hiding place knew that the God
Of the mission people was wrestling
with his adversary for Benson's soul
The agony ON the mans face wat
stronger than the suffering on hers
Forgetting all. daring his wrath
Natusha glided up to him. She kneeled
at his side and put her arms around
him.
And, in this position. she whispered
something to him, = woman's secret
that made his heart leap a. hers was
beating then.
Benson rose to his feet The hag
gArdness was zone from his face. He
saw his duty. He saw the years Of
ease and dishonor stretching before
him. on the one hand. and. on the 9th
er, years Of honor. He could make
himself respected. II he could not win
recognition for Natusha. he could fol
his daughter-or his son. And the
heir would be Baron Linfeld, IL it was
boy. II q girl-weil.
Natusha drew his arm through hers
and together they went back in 81
hence toward the cabin. They entered
and Benson, taking out the letter. de