Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-04-25
did not tell her the cause Of his change.

her loving impulses; and as Mark Per.
cival's visits had suddenly grown less
frequent, Gerald thought Ste was griev-
ing v e this. Gerald, who was not q
rich man, and an artist by profession,
worked by night as we'll as by day
worked to keep himself from thinking.
And so some months went by, He was
looking miserable, at last, and Ste, de-
claring he was really i'll, begged him to
take rest Her anxiety chasing away
seeing a physician, but he steadily re-
send for Mark Percival.
When she sad that looked at Gerald
Ia look that spoke volumes. She just
wanted an excuse to have him again
near her, I thought, and my glance told
that and more.
Then there came into Gerald's blue
eyes an expression that defied my un-
derstanding. 1 could not tell if it was
q defiance of me or curious sort of res
ignation to the will of a woman whom
he worshipped with all his soul.
yes" he said, languidly, .'send for
Percival, if it will relieve, your mind"
The next day Mark Percival came,
and for a long while he and Gerald
were closeted together, while Ste and
my sister and myself were told not to
go near the room, but when Mark Per
cival came out into the hall Ste spied
him from the lawn, and in a moment
she was by his side, speaking ~intently
so ~intently that she never saw my
eyes watching from a bay window in
the morning room that iutted out, Civ
ing a view Of the rest of the building.
BY and by they went down the steps,
side by side, into the garden, and
heard him say, in rather a low voice.
"He must stop work and rest a little,
Mrs. Fame. Hecomplains of a pricking
sensation in his right side and shoulde:.
Still, with our united care, and with
rest, I think we shall bring him round"
And Ste answered him with q smile.
| could not see that, and believe that
she was. young and sanguine, and that
she never realized her husbands dan
ger. How could give her credit for
this when 1 suspected her-suspected
as foully as I could-that it was not
Gerald whom she loved, but-Mark
P%ercival..
Gerald was resolved to work on in
SP4uS VI CtCIN UliuS. VIC WclO uOU klCu,
he said, and work was necessary then
for several weeks. Ste, instead of pass
ing the hours, in his studio, as she used
to do, would remain in her own room,
with her door locked-sulking, l told
my sister.
At last one day a blow fell on us all
a dreadful blow and harder to me since
| believed l had helped to bring it
that perhaps l was really the. instru-
ment that had dealt it. Had { not
made my brother unhappy? Perhaps
he would not have worked so.incessant-
ly in the vain hope of banishing
thought.
Ste found him one bright summers
day apparently ~lifeless beside his easel.
and for weeks he fingered, lowering, as
it were; between us and eternity.
And his wife, remorseful of her treach-
cry and want Of faith, seemed to have
no thought but him. She v left
him for a moment, and if she slept il
was by snatches only, with her head
against his pillow, when his slightest
movement would awaken her.
After what seemed an age Of anxiety
to us the doctor said he would live, but
never more to work, for Gerald's right
arm was paralyzed. l had been grow
ing less bitter in my feelings towards
Ste during my brothers. illness-she
seemed to. be really so devoted to. him.
But when they said he was not to work
any more with his brush a look of tri-
umph came into her eyes which puzzled
me, and again l began to doubt her,
and the doubt grew stronger when I saw
her meet Mark Percival in the porch,
and stand for many a minute in earnest
whispered conversation. Once-from
behind a laurentinus bush-I saw her
place her hand OF his arm, and look up
into his face, her great, wild, dark eyes
full OF gllttering tears; while she said,
with quivering lips:
elbow much longer? Oh, these last
weeks have been centuries to me. And
if-oh, If you have not :been deceiving
mel may hope''-
"Everything!" he answered, inter.
rupting her, and taking the mite of a
hand in his. 81 tell you that you have
not many more days to wait, and then
we shall both be very happy"
Upon this Ste smiled APP into his hand
some eyes with astrange, wistful yearn-
ing look that drove me almost wild
with the bitterest anger and suspicion.
Now I dared not even look back to the
horrible feeling that filled nay heart
with regard to the m whom my
brother had made his wife, and in
whom he had placed his happiness, his
infinite faith. and, more than all, his
honor. But Gerald was in a weak and
critical state, and l did not dare to warn
him of what l feared. He was very low
ing and tender to her, and l could see
his eyes follow her slight figure
wherever she moved with an expression
of mingled affection and doubt tt at was
sad to look upon.
When one day she heard Mark Perci-
walls voice at the door she darted out
of tho room to meet him, forgetful of a
mass of roses on her lap with which she
was making a boauet, and needless Of
the lovely fragile flowers in her haste
and evident agitation, she trod out their
beauty with her feet.
Then l heard Gerald murmur to him
self:
poor little one! She is so young! l
hOned to make her hanDv. hnt am so