The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-30


he, the new husband, was Il drunkard,
and after several months of misery,
the woman who was once Jack Browns
wife, was laid to rcst-aud few mourn
ed for her
That was all of the past that Miss
Olney reviewed to-day, as she sat in
her lonely room, but oh, how it filled
her heart, till her eyes overlooked in
tears. The day that had been so
bright in the morning grew overcast
as the afternoon wore on, and ere night
snow and sleet filled the air. Miss
olney lighted her lamp. but she did
o close the shutters. Better let the
light shine out she thought; it might
cheer some lonely passer-by, and guide
them on their way.
So she set out her supper, with
"snowy damask" and dainty china
and the silver that had been in the
family for more than a generation. 1t
was her choisest treasure, her only in
herited wealth, and as she laid the
solid knife and fork beside her plate
and placed the other pieces to her sat
lsfaction, she stood back to note the
effect, as she often did, and then she
sighed to think no one was with her to
sympathize with her in any of her feel
ings.
Just the she was rather startled by
a heavy rap at the door. .'Only some
neighbor,' she thought as she stepped
to admit the applicant.
The wind blew in with its attendant
slcet and snow, and the stranger at
the threshold stepped in with it, neither
waiting for m invitation. A gentle
man by his dress, but Miss Oiney,
though not given to fear, felt Il sudden
chill rs she saw that he was Il stran-
ger. He might be a robbcr despite his
gentlemanly guisc, and her silver, her
precious silver. How imprudent to set
it u before her unshuttered win
dows.
The stranger did not wait for her to
speak; he was shaking as if with an
aguc chill.
Excuse me, madam he said, in a
voice tremulous and hoarse. II be-
lieve am chilled through. If you'll
allow me-
But before the words were fairly
spoken Miss Olney had drawn her own
easy chair to the fire, and the stranger
dropped into it evidently entirely ex-
haustcd. Ida forgot her fears in
compassion for the stranger, and when
his trembling fingers tried in vain to
u~nloose his nutller she offered her as
sistance in tones she found trembled
too.
The next moment she fairly plushcd
at her act, as the face, clear of ifs
wrapplngs looked up mt her. The
pale face with the mustache and hair
tlnged with gray, and the eyes! He
looked but said no word: his lips
worked as if he fain would speak, but
no sound came. Only the tears welled
up and fell over the pallid cheek. Ida
stood mute, transtixed by that look.
"What does it mean?' she said, at
last, i'll an awe-struck whisper.
Then the stranger stretched forth
his hand. He had no strength for fur
ther gesture, his agitation was so ex-
trcmc.
Ida he whispered. "Lida, don't
you know me. Don't you know
JackP'
Was the world reccding from her?
Had the grave given up its dead? She
felt no fear even in that first moment.
Spirit. or mortal, it was Jack. But
Tor a few moments her senses seemed
to fan her, and ther with = whispered
Jack, she clasped him close only
for n moment though, for she must
look at him.
is it really you, Jack:?" she said at
last. Are you quite sure it's you?"
eyes anita Sprn ~ ha ,,c,ar,l
with i laugh that. if he had been a
woman, would have been hystcrical.
But | thought you were dead,
Jack"
"And vas you sorry ?'
Such Il look as she gave him. GLOW
a you ask! But tell me how it
was.h
Aud then he told her of the long OBJ
livion, from which he woke to find
himself reported as dead. The terri
BILE prison life had driven him mad.
He was taken and cared for by rood
Samaritans for three long years, and
then when he was himself again, he
found that every one supposed him
dead. and he said, '.knowing my
wife had REMARKED and my other
friends given me up, | thought it best
not to break the silence. But hearing,
long ago, that she was dead, l could
no longer resist the longing to find out
if l was entirely forgotten. | arrived
here but 4 little while ago, and found
on inquiry that you were still Miss Oh
ney. and lived alone, or at least had an
establishment of your own
"Ah, Jack, do you know what day
it is? You are my valentine sir"
Audaciou' wasn't it. for little Miss
Olney to so forget the proprietics.
The old people in the other part of the
house came home; but whether it was
hour or minutes after Jack came.
neither of the young" people could
have told.
Aud so the wonderful news of Jacks
return became an old story in Lorraine,
and Mrs. Brown. once little Miss Oh
ney. tells her children the story of her
valentine. y Sinsiide p. Forbes.