The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1884-02-14

Ties \ ERs'Ss SEOR Eg. j
ltswas ina luxuriouslyS furhtshed
roomwhere asglowing Crate threw gem
ial lighsand warmth upon Tie occapa
that General Langton, lawyer and MIL.
lionaire, listening with bated breath and
pallid cheeks to "a low and melodious
voice that told the story of life.
The speaker, q beautiful woman Of
about thirty. yet ten yeSxs younger than
Mr.. Langton, reclined I'm low cush-.
ioned chair, her attitude both speaking
of tina ease wealth gives, but her face
wasfull ofsthe deepest :hnguish- as her
lips recounted the story. n ~ /,
q Is You love me, J" che said gently. yet
sadly. nand ! love you as I never loved
any one before, although am q widow.
That you know, but did not know my;
husband 3 name. By my uncle's last re-
quest I dropped it and took. his with the
property he had left me. Do not look
:at;me tenderly. Gerald, do not shake
my voice u my heart, for when you
know who I am you will not repeat the
offer you mad me. and which heaven
isiny witness + tried IL divert, Z, X p.
Il LET your conscience pc at rest there's"
said her listener, in agraye, yet tender
hoy trySxr
hope, Maude. By: what instinct I knew
that you loved ;sme II can never tell.
Something in your eyes some tone of
your voice betrayed you, +, as you say,
something in your tst life does sepa-j
rate us, you have :sbAen no coquette to
torment me, with false hopes. But,
Maude, tell me again, Whateverf stands
between US; you love mePn Al
III love you" she said gravely "and
1 II is because love you, that II will not
let you link your honorable name with
that OF the wretch who was my husband
81 was very young not sixteen-when
he cameit to make q. Yisit,to some friends
living at Grassbank N mole. Richard has
/ q country seat near the village I y first
met Alexande at q picnic, where he was
the very 3lifetof the party; verybody's
cavalier; courteous; to all; full of wit and
animation and service to ALL, L Believe
every girl on the grounds thought she
had captivated him, his attentions we're
sp we'll divided and yet 90 impressive to
each one. He claimed to be no Aore
than a salesman in large wholesale
house with q good salary, but he had tho
manners of a gentleman of education,
and the most perfect beauty, of face and
form that / ever saw in a man. 1t was
not long before it was evident that he
wished 5tot win my love, and he had an
i easy task. Such love as q child of six-
teen can give gave him. He was the
and fiction with whom my limited read-
ing had made ime familiar. School. girl
{ like had made an ideal hero, and fitted
this, my first admirer, with ali his imag-
mary perfections. ssi ~ TN II - +
From the first, Uncle Richard dis
/ liked him, pronouncing him false and
shallow, and assuring me that my per-
ssonal attractions had not won his heart;
but the fact ofmyt being an heiress TO al
large property. had gained me the pro-
testations in which I 30 firmly believed.
It is painful story to me now, Ger
aid. Let it suffice that / have lived in a
world of pleasant dreams while Alexan-,
4 der remained at Grassbank. When he
eftme he carried my promise to be his
wife; at Christmas. ID Fl s-. s..,*5s
Il think if my money had depended
on Uncle Richard my marriage might
have been prevented by his threatening
to- disinheirt me, but both from nv
father and mother Z had inherited
money that made me independent in a
pecuniary sense OF his control or consent.
lost gEudq inglys however, uncle did
conseat, after searching inquiry about
Alexande resulting in no worse report
than that his employers thought him
fast, idle, and inst the man to be q for
tune l hunter. Even then my dear nm
Gle would have protected my fortune by
settling 1T upon myself; but with the
reckless generosity of extreme youth III
refused to have this done, Never. /. was
firmly convinced would my adored al.
exander wrong me In any way. 4:
For a year after the splendid we'd
ding that made me Alexander's wife I
was very happy. was too ignorant Of
value to understand that we were living
lar beyond our income enjoyed to the
utmost the luxuries around me-the
constant gay ETY. that was in such strong
contrast to the school routine from
which I had been released. U 4 q !.
Then began life Of neglect, often 81
8quarTsiing: when objected to nv i,us.
bands course of conduct this drinking:
his extravaganza and his \ late hours.
Still ! found my own pleasures in socie-
sty. 9ssS4 3.ssis y .3. u
1T was four years after my marriage.
when was thunderstruck ny ALEXANDER
asking me to request aloan Of money
from Uncle Richard, with the Informs.
ton added that every penny Of my
property sWas gone sssc NE a ID
Since then I have known that a large
portion of it was lost at the gaming tabie.
- Long before this I had lost ali love
for my husband. Respect had died out
when I knewIthe dIssipsted life he was
lending, and foolish as l was could not
continue to love man whom despised,
refused the errAnd and brought down;
q torrent of such great abuse that I real,
" expected that Alexander would end,
by striking me. tf s5E9
Day after day the request was as, re-
newed, but i would not yield. Upon
my marriage, Uncle Richard had sold
the city residence and taken perma1i-
emit ahodeat Grassbank where. .knowiny
my husband to be an mn welcome guest
F1sneyer: visited him Il j wrote ocessin Zion,
ally, but the love OF years. like that al q
father and child, had been so sadly
strained by my persistence in marrying
! AleEande Ter that even our ;corresD or1..
dence was lang lid and commonplace, KS
would not, therefore, write to him
70 ask q favor that knew would NOT
have been necessary without criminal
recklessness Of jexpend itnre, and gnnh
refusals made my husband more furious.
Then came an overwhelming blow. No
exander forged o check and drew lei. 600
OF Uncle Richards q money from
the bank. IA II 5@ don't think
my uncle would have n prose.
cuted him had he guessed who was the
forger; but be handed the whole mat
ter over to the law AZ s,nnn ~. Il -,ruoz