The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-08-28


Gus nature of the young man what had
Just taken place meant a great deal;
and as he went forth into the night,
through the falling snow, her fair face
went w before him between the lut-
tering flakes. with the joy upon it that
had trarsfigured it "at the touching Of
the lips. That and the rose kept him
company all the way.
But to Erminie, taking down her
lustrous braids before her mirror, and
mentally living it all over again, it was
not so satisfactory, for with o woman's
intuitive wisdom in affairs Of the heart,
she knew that what had passed might
mean nothing at all. The memory of
it vas sweet-so sweet that it brought
the blood to her cheek again and
thrilled her with exquisite delight,
but she also remembered that
though his eyes had looked volumes of
ardent affection his lips had not uttered
o single word, and as she fell asleep she
asked herself the uneasy question:
What if he is only amusing himself?"
But words of love were plenty ~ the
roses are in June at their next meeting,
and for many meetings thereafter. In
q worldly sense. there was no tie be-
tween them. and often this struck her
with o sense of kecnest psin, but there
was the strongest affection, and she
ceased eve to remember the doubt of
his sincerity that had SO troubled her at
first. But when her doubts ceased, his
began. He fell to wondering if she
really loved him with a love that would
never swerve from its object or il hers
was that lighter love which like the ivy
twines itself around the first thing with
in its reach, bs it stunted cedar or
spreading oak. Was it the lovesof a
life, or a girls first fancy, sometime to
be transferred to another?
Many a night. after hours spent in
her presence would he lie awake and tor
ment himself with this question, and to
his jealous nature it was m%addcning.
He dwclt upon it until he became sullen
and morose and unlike his usual
sunny self, and finally he could bear
the uncertainty no longer, and resolved
to test her love.
Better to know the truth now than
live on in q fools Paradise" he thought.
He had q bosom friend as do most
young men, Arthur Weldon, a studlous
youth, a year his senior, and to HIM he
oontided his doubts and the plan he had
formed and obtained the promise Of his
corporation. Then with his head full
of the love-test he went to see Erminie
for the last time ere it was put in ex-
ecution.
1t was a dismal Sunday evening. The
leaden clouds hung heavJ with snow
and q bitter wind moaned through the
l~eafless branches. Erminle herself
opened the door to him. She wore q
fayorite dress Of his, one in which he
called her "his little Quakeress," a
silyer-gray silk with q white kerchief
neatly folded and tied upon her bosom.
But though she welcomed him with the
accustomed kiss, the delicate bloom had
deserted her cheek and she was strange
~ silent. Ere the evening had passed
she confided to him the cause of her
altered manner:
II have felt all day as if something
dreadful was about to happen, she said,
and even now when you are with me-
with n fond look, sat times q strange
foreboding chills my blood
He .strove to laugh away her fears,
calling them "superstitiops" and "a
woman's nerves" but he guiltily remem.
bered the test which was to mai he,
peace Of mind. Having once deter
mined upon it however, he had nc
thought of abandoning it, and she
chung to him ut parting and was very
10th to let him. go, and this filled him
with a proud hope that she would stand
the love test nobly and come out of il
~unscathed to be his own for evernlore.
II will see you Thursday night. rain,
or hail, or snow; SO goodbye, sweet
heart, until then" were his parting
words.
But Thursday brought not his famil-
lar face, nor yet Sunday, and he had
never before broken a promise to her;
nor did his usual letters come to cheer
her, so her heart grew heavy with sor-
row and her eyes dim with weeping.
And so afortnight passed, bringing no
word of him.
1t was we'll into the third week and a
bitter cold night; the snow crust lay
glittering as if strewn with diamonds in
the frosty light of the white moon, as
Erminie parted the crimson curtains
before her window and looked out,
wondering If under that wide heaven of
sparkling stars her lover anywhere
walked, yet gave no thoughtto her. It
was long past the hour for any visitor,
and she had loosened her long hair and
let it fall upon her shoulders, and was
partly disrobed. AS she stood thus,
looking out upon the snowy fields
and starry sky, the servant put her
head in at the door md informed
her that q strange young gentleman
was in the parlor and wished to see her.
She knew of nothing that would bring
o stranger there ut that late hour, and
on such q bitter night, save news of her
lover, and she steeled her heart to hear
of his death as she bound up her hair
and hastily donned the first dress at
hand, which CHANGED to be a most be-
coming silk Of changing hues of green
and gold.
She entered the parlor with q steady
step, but a trembling heart. A slender
and dignified young man arose at her
entrance and introduced himself as Mr..
Weldon, the friend of her friend, from
whom he came with the message that he
was i'll. Having learned that he was in
no danger, but now rapidly recovering,
she turned her attention to this bosom
friend of his. Of whom she had heard
much that was calculated to win her re-
gard and awaken her interest.
He was o o trihe taller than the Gov
ernor's son, with a studious air that lent
a gentle dignity to his manner. His
features were classic, his countenance
delicate and refned-almost too much
SO for one of the sterner sex-his eyes
were large and bright, with long lashes
and dropping lids that hid them almost