The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-11-16

And you'll manage 1t II yeu possibly
CAM"
eyes, of course; now do 90, dear, I've
been here quite long enough
Nonsense! Come here, Madge; l
want you particularly"
ooh, don't, Rex!'-the last excla.
nation having rather a smothered
sound.
#
"Alice, do shut that door; those peo.
pie seem to think that every one must
be as impervious to draughts as they are'
And as her younger niece rose to obey
Miss Owen said, sharply, "And why on
earth does she call him Rex" instead of
his own name?"
"Some love.nonsense, suppose,
said Alice, with yawn; "they are silly
enough for anything"
And she went back to her book, while
her aunt went on with her knitting, and
thought of Alice's words.
Some love nonsense" All! she
could remember the time when she had
stood by that very hall-door where
Madge and her lover were now quite as
happy, quite as thoughtless and quite as
contented.
What long time it used to take Har.
ry to say good night, and how she used
to watch until he was quite out of sight
under the dark trees of the avenue! 1t
was all pure happiness until Rosamond
came. Somehow, things never seemed
the same afterward. Harry used to wait
longer and longer to hear some favorite
piece of music-and Rosamond PLAYED
90 I,1ly-on fhn ,,s- ,,1
grew shorter every day; yet how could
one grumble when Harry enjoyed good
music so much?
Rosamond was very pretty-every one
could see that; so it was no wonder that
Harry should admire her fair complex
ion and lovely hair and eyes, only it
was rather dreadful to feel how plain
and unattractive one must lo.k beside
her, she seemed able tn do everything,
TOO; and every one praised her unatfac-
ted manner.
I remember the knitting was dropped
here, ana the face above it grew hard,
I remember, Harry telling me he
wished could try to imita e her
ally liked. l suppose l must have made
some answer, but II don't remember it,
can only remember blind, helpless
feeling of misery and wounded pride
and love.
| could not have changed SO much in
a few daysand Harry had always till now
declared that | was the dearest and best
'Cfall to him, and he wondered every one
didn't fall in love with me. knew that
was nonsense, but what was this?
| went away soon after, and cried as
though nay heart would break, and l
remember saving, over, and over, ''Oh,
not Harry-not Harry" 1t seemed as
if could give up everything else if l
might keep his love.
was dull and stupid that evening;
and though he kissed me when ne said
goodnight, it did not comfort me ,nuch,
seeing tnat it was accompanied by ii
wish dear, you; wouldn't make Yourself
misersble about nothing, and would try
to take advice instead of sulling over
it,"
They were hard words, l thought,
but l tried to do as he said, though ev-
cry day felt more and more sure that
the love which had been mine was Civ,
en- to Rosamond, and at last our engage
ment was broken off.
IT is curious that the remembrance of
that day should make me shiver now
after so many years; but suffered very
keenlv.
Rosamond went away, and soon after
we heard that she and Harry were en-
gagged.
l remember hearing that people did
not think l could have cared for Harry
very much. | took everything so quiet
ly. l was glad they thought so. Why
should they have any idea of the Bitter
heartache seemed always now to fell?
1t was little comfort that they should
blame me instead of Harry.
Then, one day, letter came, telling
OF Rosamond's has.y marriage to man
many years older than herself, but very
rich.
There was no word of Harry; and I
think grieved more for him than I
had ever done for myself loved him
'still--how dearly no one guessed-and
tornented myself day by day with
thoughts of him and his disappoint.
ment.
am 80 thankful that saw him again!
My mother came to me one morning
10 tell me woman was waiting to see
me who would give no name or any
message, but begged ! would come to
her directly.
| ran down, for something seemed tc
tell me the message con cerned the one
l loved SO well, and knew it was sc
the moment saw Mrs. Lewis, Harry's
old nurse and housek eeper.
She came to me and taking both nv
hands, she said
"Miss Ruth, | am come to give you
fresh pain. do not know how to soft
en- my message. Perhaps the shortest
way is the best. Master Harry is diving
Miss Ruth, and he begs if you can SO far
forgive him, that you'll let him see your
face once more"
For one moment I felt as though my
senses had deserted, and then L felt
how precious the moments were, and
that the time for grief would come af-
terward.
1t al! seems like dream. My mother
went with me. l remember hearing her
say 70 Mrs. Lewis, at will kill herr"
and reckless hope that it might prung
up in my heart, and helped me to keep
calm and brave
heard my mother asking how the
accident had happened; but the old
woman could only tell her that three
days before her master had gone for
ride in the morRing, and in few hours
had been brought home unconscious,
with dark purple bruise upon his FORE
head; that the doctor had given.no hope
OF his life from the first; and that as
soon as he recovered his senses he had
sent to me, that he might see me before
he died.
We reached the end of our journey at
last, and to Mrs. Lewis eager question
the man replied:
."Just as you left him. The doctor is
with him now"
Mrs. Lewis went up stairs. returning
in few minutes with the docter, whom
she left with my mother. saying to me:
iss Ruth, will you Gomez"
trembled so that could scarcely fol.
low her till she said:
He has asked to see you alone, my
dear. Can you bear it, or shall you be
afraid?'
NO." said steadily; ~ would much i,
rather ha aionen