The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-04-10

doP Oh, my heart must break if he
dies!"
"Margaretm
A faint call, but heard instantly.
In a moment the despairing woman is
changed to a tender nurse, and with
quick steps moves into the next room,
where, upon tho bed, lies a man sick
unto death.
"Margaret," he repeated,
81 am here" Margaret replied, in a
hoarse voice, evidently used with pain
and difficulty.
"My poor child,' he whispered.
In a moment she is kneeling beside
him, weeping bitterly, her whole
frame shaken by sobs.
pleaded. "After all that you have
done for me | have failed you at last!
Say you forgive me-"
my poor child" he repeated,
"what have I to forgive? You must
not grieve so, Margaret"
"But l have disappointed you"
sin n thing only. Will it comfort
you to know, when l leave you, that
for five years you have been the very
sunlight of my life? When l took you
from your country home to train you
for Il great singer, l did not know that
l was taking Il loving daughter into
my heart. When | gave you advan.
tages for %cultivating your voice ]
grudged the time your studies stole
from me. | was jealous of your piano,
your violin, your voice, but l did not
let you guess that"
"Never! l would have given them
all up if you had asked me-"
"But l would not do that. Even
after | became the paralyzed cripple |
have been for three long years. would
not let your studies cease. Your
triumphs in concerts were very pre-
cious to me, and you must not think
my illness last night"
II caused it! Icaused i'll" she cried.
"But you forgive me When l left
you | was so proud, so glad! At last
| was to sing in opera. Aunt Hilda
told me my dress was perfect, and you
smiled when l babe you goodnight, as
if you, too, were proud of the girl you
had taken from o5scurity to make one
of the queens of song. Can you fol-
low me to the oyera-housep Can you
see me waiting for the signal tc go for
ward? Can you hear the storm of APP
plauSe that greeted me? Then! then!
All, if l had died then! When / open
ed my lips to sing, no sound came. In
vain | strained every nerve and mus
Gle. In my throat came a gurgle.
hoarse and faint! That was all. l
staggered back and tainted. All, pity
me, forgive me l would not have
disappointed you, wasted all you law
ished upon me if could have helped
it. When | reached home and found
you had had a second stroke, l felt
like your murderer, for l knew l was
the cause
"Margaret! Let me speak. My child,
this second stroke came on before you
could have reached the opera-house,
when l thought of you as proud and
glad. successful in your art, a queen
of song"
You sly that only to comfort me-"
she said, wistfully.
81 did not know of your failure un-
til an hour ago, when your Aunt
Hilda told me-
There was a long silence, broker
only by the sobs of Margaret Carroll
who was weeping softly now, all the
passionate despair gone from hel
heart. Her failure was not the cause
!. of Hilman Brent's illness, and she
; could bear it,
Presently the faint voice spoke
again.
margaret. would you be glad if I tolt
you your failure was not a sorrow t.
me? | see things more clearly now
than l did when | took you from YOU
old home. Music was my idol then
F., fame in its world seemed to me thu
highest good to be attained, but nov
-ah, Margaret. l have a confession t.
make. Harry Dinsmore loves you, bu
F; his father eNacted from him a promise
e that he would never marry a publi'
singer. He begged of me to give ul
my ambitious dreams for you, aud lie
t him WOO you for his wife. but l bad
him wait, and when your studies wer
completed let you make your ow
n choice"
$ 'Did he come Yesterday"
Yes"
"And you?"
: 81 told him I could not be so ur
V grateful to you as to throw aside a
il the years of expense you had given me-
l told him when | could repay you
d would be time enough to talk of givin
up my art. But | can never repay yo
: now"
''You w me nothing. Your Low
t and care long ago repaid me for all
t. could do for you. DO you love Harr
Dinsmore?"
"Ah, yes! 1 have always love
a him y
9 "Can Mr.. Dinsmore come in?' aske
s. Aunt Hilda. at the door.
But Harry Dinsmore did not wa
~ for the answer. He vas at the be-
d side, raising the kneeling figure in h
arms, saying. exultingly:
"Now you are mine! My rival W;
your. voice! Now there is nothing b
lie tween your heart and mine. Unc
Hillman, will you give Margaret
mep"
ID with all my heart I"
"But 1 cannot leave yon ~ Margar
It cried.
'.Harry will not ask that. Harry,
10 do not wait long-let me see my CHI
lie dren happy before | die"
,r So in the sick-room, with only a fe
friends as guests, there was a qui
wedding, and Daisy Carroll put asst
her dreams to take up the realities
or life as Harry Dinsmore's wife. and tt
nurse and comforter of his uncle.
r. was still many days before Hilm'
Brent died. leaving his wealth to
lie nephew and his adopted daughte
whose glorious voice had made hi