The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-09-02

|
| paper UnioAl
Il don't like 1t, not one lbit!" ex
claimed Reuben Hall, In worried
| way.
What is the trouble now. Reuben p
inquired his wife. ~.
"Verda. She's ON my mind and il
makes me suspicious and uneasy."S
"SuspiciOus of what1 Uneasy
why?" demanded Mrs. Hall, rousing W
considerably, for her favorite niece
had won from her almost q motherly
regard. ".H '.;,s
Just this, Martha" explained Reu
ben soberly: "Verda 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 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 bewitching 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 heydet Of her beautiful
youth. Do you want to shut her up
like a prisoner in nunnery?"
Il don't" dissented Reuben, but
owe duty to her father to see that
she doesn't fall in love with some poor
shiftless 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. Hail. land don't go. 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 INDECENT, gosSiping
group making their headquarters there
should be discussing a new legal meas
ure. 1.-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 way out
of his troubles.
Search and seizure" he meditated,
on his way home. THAT strikes me
right. 1t must mean that when a per-
son, say a relative or guardian,
wishes to protect person under his
care and responsibility the law says
search and seize for the benefit of the
relative or ward. My duty is plain.
won't tell Martha; she'd only encour-
age Verda under all circumstances.
owe it to my brother and to my con-
science to keep a close eve on the
girl. and I'm going to do it "
Verda went away with some girl ac-
Quaintances the next day and Mrs.
Hall had occasion to visit the 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 Verda.
II like the girl" he soliloquized,
''and I'm no prying 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 it's
top drawer. There was ring with a
dainty bit of ribbon tied around it, and
a faded rose and little packet Of let
tiers. The first of these began with,
"Dear Miss Hail. the next three orr
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 ar" #
"Who is RI" ruminated Reuben.
"and wonder what Martha would say
to all that gushy trash? Why, the fell
low writes as if he owned Verda En-
gagged? Oh, l must advise her father,
or get the girl back home at once"
Reuben sat down under tree in the
garden and cogitated deeply over the
subject in hand. Then the hayrack
wagon came up and Verda went up to
her room, but came down again almost
Immediately and, with an expression
Of palpable anxiety and excitement
clouding her face, discovered Reuben
and ran up to him. &s
"Oh, Uncle Reuben y she exclaimed
breathlessly, "some one has been ram
sacking my bureau and. they have
taken some-sOme things I wouldn't
lose for the world. Maybe some bur
glar has visited the house." #
"Was it some letters you have
mssedy' questioned her uncle. .
"Why, yes. uncle-how did you
know?" ~ 0
sit down, Verda.E have something
to say to you,' and forthwith he ex-
plAned the merits of the case, while
his niece, open-eyed and astonished,
stared at him as though he were q
professional rObber.
"Oh, uncle How could your she ut
tered poignantly. .
"And who is R,T" he challenged
HE is the only man I shall ever