The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-01-08
Love and Law
BY MIRIAM LEE DALLAS
Copyright. 1919, by the Western News
paper Union.)

way.
What is the trouble now. Reuben?"
inquired his wife.
"Verda. She's on my mind and it
makes me suspicious and uneasy"
"SuSpicious of what? Uneasy
why?" demanded Mrs. Hall. rousing up
considerably, for her favorite niece
had won from her almost motherly
regard.
"Just this, Martha" explained Reu-
ben Soberly: "Nerda has been here a
month. and talks of staying two.
| Doesn't it look to you as if there is
something in the wind when a city
bred girl prefers this dull, way-back
! life of ours to the excitement Of the
! town? Then, again, who supposed
when Brother Luke sent her On that
the bewitchng little fairy was going
to have every young man in the village
fall head over heels in love with her?'
you great goose! Verda is simply
enjoying the heydey of her beautiful
youth. Do you want to shut her up
like prisoner in q nunnery?"
II DON'T" dissented Reuben, "but
l owe a duty to her father to see that
! she doesn't fall in love with some poor,
shiftesS fellow and us get blamed by
Luke for it to the end of the chapter"
"She is up to enjoying life like the
sweet, rational creature she is" per-
sisted Mrs. Hall, land don't 90, like
the meddling simpleton you are, and
interfere with her innocent pleasures
1t was coincidental and suggestive
quite that at the general store that
evening the usual indolent, gossiping
group making their headquarters there
| should be discussing new legal meas
ure, "the search and seizure law"
Now Reuben did not very deeply take
in the merits Of the proposition and
Rugged the delusion to his narrow
mind that he had discovered a way out
of his troubles.
Search and seizure" he meditated,
on his way home. ''That strikes me
right. 1t must meas that when a per-
son, say a relative or Il guardian,
wishes to protect Il person under his
! care and responsibility the law says
search and seize for the benefit of the
relative or ward. My duty is plain. l
won't tell Martha; she'd only encOur-
age VeYda under all circumstances l
owe it to my brother and to my con-
science to keen Il close eye on the
girl, and Pm gong to do 1t
Verthl went away with some girl ac-
quaintances the next day and Mrs.
Hall had occasion 10 visit tie town
stores. AS soon as he was alone ReU-
! ben locked himself in the house, so as
to be sure there would be no Interrupt
ton, and went upstairs to the room
| apportioned to Nerda.
"I like the girl" he soliloquiZed,
"and Pm no pryina spy. It's for her
own good and my duty TO Brother
Luke and he went to the bureau in
one corner OF the room and opened its
top drawer. There was ring with
,lsinty bit of ribbon tied around it, and
faded rose and little packet of let
tors The first of these began with.
"Dear Miss Hail. the next three or
four with Dear Verda,' and the last,
ardent. full of love and expressed de-
votion, bore such words as "darling'
| and "deArest." They were signed with
an initial Only-it was ''K."
| "W'hO is 'R?'" ruminated Reuben,
"hnd wonder what Martha would say
! to ulI that gushy trash? Why, the fell
! low writes as if he owned Nerda. En-
! gagged? Oh must advise her father,
q: get the girl back home at once"
Reuben sat down under a tree in the
garden and cogtated deeply over the
; subject in hand. Then the hayrack
wagon came up and Verda went up to
| her room. bst came down again almost
| Immediately and with an expression
of paIpable anxiety and excitement
| c!Ouding her face, discovered Reuben
and ran up to him.
ooh, Uncle Reuben !" she exclaimed
breathessly, "sOnle one has been ran
sacking my bureau and they have
taken some-some things l wouldn't
! lose for the world. Maybe some bur
glar has visited the house,
WAS it some letters you have
missedY questioned her uncle.
"Why, yes, uncle-how did you
knOW?"
"Sit down, Verda. | have something
to say to yOu,' and forthwith he ex-
planned the merits of the case, while
his niece. open-eyed and astonished.
stared at him as though he were a
professional rObber.
ooh. uncle How could yOu?" she ut
! tered pcignantIy.
And who is RIP" he challenged.
"He is the only man | shall ever
/ love-" declared Ver(la. "He is Ray
! nlond Breer, and although only knew
! him two weeks, and he has gone away
! for spell he writes me every day,
and WHO has a better right?' and
Vcrt;l broke down with tears and sobs,
! While Reuben Hall muttered to HIM
self: "WelI she's got good sense to
: win the wcalthiest young man in Rush
vilie.'