Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-06-08

ANNNiNN U wv kl0Ws NllfIinW nrr- |
self for n dreaded task That ground
less jealousy 1T yours j. more appar-
cnt than YOU think. You are accusing
him in your thoughts Of having been
my lover. Aud and suppose he had
been, what thcnP'
"Mignon. don't torture me-"
II want To show YOU how nccdlessly
you torture yourself want-if | can
ind cOurage--to confess
His face changed, with stony change
she would not soon forget. She threw
herself ON her knees and caught his
hands.
Listen Co me. There was man |
who, knowing mo rs La June. asked l
me To be his wife. | soon found him |
to bc villain, but just ut first | was in
fatuatcd."
" Was that man Tcndykc?'
"kodncv, don't look So. No. no" !
IN n burst Of frightened denial. not brave |
enough, after all, to face the storm she /
had raised. 1T was Narickn
lie shook oil her clinging hold. The |
penalty Of his rash marriage was com /
ing homo to him at last She struggled |
To her feet, hcsitatcd. then turned away. |
u would have told YOU IT this before. |
but you would not listen. | wW tell |
You now whether you choose to hear or
not. promised to marry him. and | |
broke the promise when I learned his |
true character. That Is all there was
of it-no worse than YOU did yourself" !
She need not have added that lash 10 !
his guilty conscience.
"All? II j. enough. Do YOU know
that you iied to mr9 How can | ever
believe In you again?'
lie was wounding himself with his |
harsh words a. deeply rs he wounded |
her. and she knew a.
yes. she said. sullcnly. IL did lie |
10 YOU; but | had to choose between
you and the truth. II YOU have loved |
any man before mo YOU can never be
wife ot mine YOU said. and was dcs- |
pcrutely bent upon being your wife. in |
tact ~ well rs name. | was so foolish |
as to believe your love strong enough |
10 overlook that error. rs well ~ To- pro- |
tcct me from the hateful influences To
which was n most unhappy slave. | |
was mistaken; YOU at least have given |
mo n taste Of the better lie for which /
longcdn
Rodney was shaken IIc felt his
wrath melting away rs he looked Mt her. |
One glance. pitcOus anil pleading. of
the tcar-hllcd eyes was enough To- sub
due himi but Mignun was slow To
give II.
never really loved any ono but
you. oh, Rodney. YOU know that-you
must know itl breaking suddenly into
passion Of weeping.
And Narick Is u thousand miles
nway.' cried Rodney. lie could stand
u mo- longer; another moment and she
was In his arms. "My darling my
darling. he shall not part US. No shad-
ow Of the past shall do that when YOU
are all mine now"
She struggled To free herself.
"Oh. | am afraid am afrnidr' She
cried. Rodney. he never urallv con
sentcd to give mo up. II is me fear of
my life that he will appear some day To
have his revenge. What thenP"
This, then;" exclaimed Rodney.
holding her close; still. not 50 close but
that she could see what threatening
gloom Ovcrsprcad his face "No man
shall oller insult or injury to you. and
live. II | would not stand between YOU
and al III, Mignon. would be- some
thing less than a man"
"And he meant It," thought Mignon,
drspairingly. Conc word of the truth.
and he would shoot Varick down like n
mad dog"
There was no telling him after that.
She waited for days. wondering that
Varick sent her mo- message. tortured
with fears every hour when Rodney was
out IT her sight. In her fcvcrish dreams
she often saw Rodney foully murdered;
stretched ON his back. sometimes. with
blood flowing from his throat; some
times shut up In the bank vault, dead
from suilocation.
She tried to warn him against Ten
dyke. but having laid that one dread Of
past rivalry to rcst. his frank nature
would not take the alarm.
''What nervous mortal YOU are
growing tn BE-. Mignonv' he said one
day. "lOu make me anxious for your
health. I wonder II ann keeping YOU
shut up too closcP n IL wasn't for that
absurd prejudice you have taken against
Tcndykc. I'll bring him around To tea
with me. You've no idea what an
amusing fellow he can be when he
tries
''Do, II you like" she answered.
without any show of interest, but when
he had gone. she started up Co walk the
room, half Wild with the dread which
weighed so heavily upon her.
She could stand Il no longer. Better
10 know the worst. II the worst must
come; but there was another struggle
going on In Mignon's breast. People
had called her Gree when she had hated
her own charms and disdained 90 use
them; but now, Wild thoughts Of hefool-
ing Varick lloatcd through her brain. |
m she could make him think she was
hositating. yielding If she could make
him waii surely. surely. there were
episodes In that dark life Of his which
might be turned TO account To rid her
OF this implacable foe.
Yet when she stood face to face with
him that day. her heart sank; one lash
OF his mastcrful eyes. and IL seemed TO
her that he must read her himsy pur-
pose through and through. She had
not n smile 10 offer toward the consum-
nation OF that purpose. and no thought
OF jealousy stirred in Rodney's mind.
He thought she was bored by his part
uer's presence. and took the burden OF
the conversation upon himself. IL
turned. a. Il generally does turn between
men. into business channels. They
wcro discussing the advisability OF
taking M some heavy warrants which
had been offered them.
eve would have 10 call In all our
temporary loan" sail Tendyke' an