The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-04

! chaos. She had lost the power to think of
! reason.
What have to do with changing the
seasons2" she stammesed, at last, with a
little, embarrassed laugh.
Ethel, do not tritle! Must I put in
words the story of my love? Must I tell
the wonderful fascination you have exer-
| cised over me from the first moment OF our
meeting? Come, is the road to your heart
| SO long, SO hard a one, that, after all my
struggle, have missed my way?"
| How subtly sweet we're his words! One
moment, she was tempted to uplift the
| lovely eyes and let him read his answer;
| the next she steeled herself against it,
He had boldly prophesied this way-not
thus should his prophecy be fulfilled.
Were he earnest, the future would tell it;
were be jesting, the jest should not be at
| her expense. 1850.
| Has the play grown monotonons, that
| you would ring the curtain down so soon?"
| she SAID.
| What do you meant he asked
Ii have enjoyed it so much that al
most hate to have it end" she answered.
You are capital actor, MIR. Raymond"
His grasp tightened on her arm--his
| face grew very white.
| Dare you tell me you have been only
| acting Ethel? Unsay these words love
you darling! Have you no return for
| me?"
| Again she hesitated. Could it be love
that was tugging at her heart strings
love which tempted her to lay down her
weapons. ana declare defeat sweeter than
any victory? Not yet not yet!
She looked up in his face; she fancied
she detected little g,immer in his eyes.
stern and dark though they were.
DO You know what wished?" she said,
in answer to his question, and, pointing to
their way from Paris, might be success
! Worth is SO apt to make blundels, nova
days. Let us go in, Mr.. Raymond 1t Is
almost tea time, and l am growing hun
cry
Certainly he answered haughtily, and
in silence they returned 10 the house.
But that evening Ethel looked for her
friend in vain. On going to her room, she
found on her table a note. Hastily tearing
it open. she read these lines:
Tits right that you should have the palm
of victory. Freely accord it to you. l
staked all, and lost You staked nothing,
and won! l loved you, henrtless, soulless
though you are-I loved you in the first
hour we met. God knows / would have
stliven to prove it to you, even as ] shall
now strive to wrench it from my heart.
| Were you at my feet, as / few hours ago
were at yours, would turn your prayer t.
mockery, as you turned mine. My ono
earnest wish for your future happiness is
that your Partisan toilets may always prove
| a success
This and the signature were all. Once,
twice, thrice, Ethel read and reread the
cold, cutting words.
Were you at my feet. 1 would turn your
PRAYER to mockery, as you TUNED mine!'
So soon, then, he had ceased to love her.
md Ehe-ah, in this moment her punish
ment had commenced!
She had but meant to try little longer.
She had forgotten n mans dignity, man s
love, are not always to be valued alta wo-
mans weak caprice.
She had thrust her bare, unprotected
hands into the fame, and willed that it
should not burn. Now that it had eaten its
cruel way into the flesh, she could but
wiring them in impotent anguish, knowing
that she herself had thrust aside the cool
healing balm e which is: would have brought
All night she lay with wide open eyes,
fully dressed as she had thrown herself
upon her couch, and the letter-the first
and only letter Jack had ever written her
tightly clasped IN her little, cold
fingers.
Now and then a sob forced it way up
ward through the quivering frame. But
no tears came; her eyes were dry and burn
ing.
| Strange! strange! In all her life she
had known no want, no void. Now the
future seemed filled but with emptiness.
Where were her weapons? Shattered
and useless! Whele her armor? Rent
asunder, so that look where she would
she saw but her naked, pain tossed soul
She realized now the depth and earnestness
of words which she lad already answered
by a mocking lie. All, already his wounds
were healing. but hers He bal sat
rightly she wonld wear no scar, only be.
cause hers wonld not heal.
at last,the day dawned. She watched i
break, wondering if any other heart in al
the wide world was as leaden- weighted u
her own. How should she meet him
Pride must now be her reliance. What b,
had thought of her, lot him think to tn,
end. Had he not spurned the unspokeI
, prayer for pardon2 He had anticipated, in
deed! She and her soul could keep thei
secret-aye, and would! But for the pres
ent a meeting was spared her.
Mr.. Raymond has gene out ut daybreal
with the fishermen" some one volunteered
. Its bad day, too, gray and squally."
+ She felt q sudden fear oppress her, a!
they added this; but nonsense! no acciden
I had happened all the summer on the coast
, By ~ o'clock he surely would Live re
7 tnrned.
She took seat on the piazza, where sh
could watch his approach; but the long
slow hours wore on, and she watched i
! vain.
: At o'clock some one came to her an
said:
~ There has been an accident, Miss Mar
Gus. Have you heard? One of the tishir
q smacks are overturned, and two fsherne
' and . gentleman drowned. We fear it ma
be MIR. Raymond"
A momentary blackness swept over he,
r but she conquered it.
"GQd could not beso cruel!" she said br
4 she did not know that she had spoken.
q She heard about her the buzz Of inquir
: the hustle Of excitement, but she sat stl
d and white, as though carven from marble
It This--this was the end! Oh, God, IN
O I'll this moment when hope had died, sh
y had not known all that had lived and pc,
= lsned with 1t!
!. The day wore on. The night fell. SG
she sat motionless, watching the sea. H
i. end ofthe piazza was deserted. A gloo
hung over the hotel. The young mot
a shed its rays upen her as though it alol
a guessed her secret and gave her its pit,
a 4Alone-alone, forever more! o.
!. my lovemy Lowell"
!. Had her cry conjured upon his wratl
From whence had he sprung2 An instal
er before 20. enc was in sight-now he stot
close beside her. She did not pause
W think. She rose, and with one wild sc
threw herself upon his breast.
~ Jack! Jack! Forgive mel she cried.
Butt, vas no ghost which wiped aw;
D. her tears. and hushed her sobs with ]
re kisses.
D. When they we're calmer, he told her
=, his escape. One poor fellow. indeed'l'
been droXnad: hut lie WITH iha other