The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-11-08

Darling !" he lnurmured. pressing
her hand to his lips. "Dear heart-dO
you meal It'll"
Eleanor" Seymour's voice cut the
darkness like a knife.
"Yes." came Elean0r's voice out Of
the night ~ she Joined her s%tepfather.
The sound Of hoofbeats grew fainter
and finally died into silence; the soft
patter OF rain OF the chestnuts and the
low wall Of mourning from the negro
quarters formed the only requiem over
the funeral pyre of the house Of Max
well.
John drew nearer the ruins and
looked up at the frowning majesty Of
the six huge chimneys. 'They must
come down." he murmured. and made
a mental note to go to town and get
the dynamite necessary for the blast
ing.
Out OF the grove Of trees Uncle
Jake's, voice came, cracked with emo
ton. "Marse John, Aunt Sally she done
clar outer her cabin an it's sweeter'n
honey fob yo' comfort, sab; yo' bed
an lot OF things from the big house am
there-Oh, Marse John"
Maxwell forgot his own troubles in
allayIng the grief Of the old servants.
but when the gray morning dawned
and he still lay awake In his new quar-
tiers all the comfort and hope that
E%ieanor's promise had awakened in
him had departed.
He would be a cur indeed to snatch
the d~elicately nurtured girl from her
home and let her slender shoulders
bend beneath the burdens that the wife
Of a poor beggar, he thought
bitterly-must suffer!> He would not
bind her to a promise given perhaps in
the first warmth of sympathy. He
would go away--alone-and Seymour
could have the coveted land.
Stern in this resolution, he rode ovcr
to Leesburg that afternoon and pur-
chased q quantity of dynamite. and the
following day. with the help of the SER
wants. he prepared to raze the menac-
ing chimneys to the ground.
The women servants carried all the
precious crystal and china to q place
Of safety, and then the work of remov-
ing the chlmneys was begun.
One by One they tottered and fell In
clouds of choking dust. until there re-
manned only the great central chimney
the hearthstone around which gener-
atoms of Maxwells had gathered in joy
! and sorrow. In prosperity long ago. and
| now in bitter ruin. Better remove this
landmark Of a dead race Of which he
| was doomed to be the last.
So unused Maxwell, as he stood alb
sorbed in bitter >thought while Uncle
Jake. near-sighted and half blinded by
tears, recklessly prepared the last
| blast. The fuse was laid and they
| withdrew into the shelter Of the chest
nut grove.
Il done leave cherry stick OBJ dinna-
| mite there, Marse john" muttered the
! old man with resentful triumph in his
grumbling tones. "There won't no
folks pint in here an say"
my God. Jake, what"
Johns words were drowned in a
~deafening roar. followed by the black
ness and silence Of death itself.
When he regainel consciousness his
eyes opened on the sunshine stream
ing through the window of Aunt Sal
ly's cabin; all around him We're famil-
lar articles OF furniture and above him
bent Eleanor Lee.
"What happened-Uncle Jake?' he
asked family.
Uncle Jake'S snow-crOwned head
bobbed above the foot Of the bed, his
lips stretched In a tOothless smile.
"Here l is, Marse John" he chuckled
softly dem lazy nisgers done left q
fodder bald yander in de grove, an
when de 'splosion came this niger fell
on the bed an amt hurt a mite, sab.
You was de only one"
I'm glad Of that, Uncle Jake"
smiled Maxwell, and then he raised
his eyes to Eleanor's. "What did the
doctor sayY"
"That you will be as good as new In
a few weeks" returned Miss Lee
promptly. evading his tender eyes.
Maxwell groaned.. 1.-THE devils own
luck" he muttered desperately. Nell,
darling, ! can't hold you to your prom
Use to 60 with mel am penniless. ]
am not selfish enough to accept your
sacrifice"
A soft hand covered his mouth and
Eleanor's bright hair touched the pill
low beside his head. 'Tve set my
heart on making a rich marriage.
John, don't disappoint me, please
Listen-two weeks ago l heard my
stepfather telling that man who bought
the Lesson place next door that he
was positive that. there was q vein Of
coal beneath your place that meant a
fortune to the man who acquired the
property.
II thought the matter over and de-
cided that he was the author OF MI
your troubles. It Is he who has baked
all your enterprises. He had hoped to
discourage you and send you away,
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