The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-04-10

they were the same persons we had In
mind. She made light of her daughters
disappearance, saying, with a shrug of
her fat shoulders, that, "she would be
back soon enough" and seeming to
think that liz any case we were well rid
of her.
But we missed her and we mourned
her, and / did not try to fill her place.
Every latest" as Jack still called
her, seemed to have proved a sad fail
ure.
Twas lingering in my rose garden in
the twilight of a warm September day,
hanging fondly over a bed of pet hy-
brids-latest and sweetest of roses
when / suddenly missed little Ned from
my side, and, looking around for him, |
spied him swinging on the front gate.
/ started to go toward him, and at that
moment the figure of a woman sprang
up, as it were, out of the ground near
him, and at the same time / heard q
cry from Ned:
"Helenore! Helenorei"
1t Is our Helenore. She caught him
to her breast and few swift as the wind
across the lawn to meet me, and, drop
ping on her knees, with one arm still
around the ~bewildered child, she chung
to me desperately, sobbing and groan-
ing, but not one word did she speak.
[ begged her to rise, but she would
not; SO / sat down there on the damp
grass, and, taking her head in my lap,
soothed her with the old touch Of the
hand she loved SO well.
At last she heaved a long, tremulous
sigh and lifted her face to mine.
II cannot ask you TO forgeev," she
murmured, humbly "that would be too
good for Helenore; but / cone b see
you once more and tell you what is 80
heavy here"-rressing her hand on her
heart-"and then to die"
/ led her into the house and drew
from her the history of her experience
since she left us in the Spring.
"Were the people with whom you
went away kind to you?"I asked.
Kind" she cried, fiercely, "oh, they
we're indeed most cruell True, they
did never hurt me like mine moder, but
they have made me 81 to suffer That [
wish not to live any more"
"But you liked 1T at first, did you not
the fields and the woods and the
music?"
eyes, and I liked well to wander and
to be free; but / learned soon that only
children and birds and squirrels are
truly free-not woman with their heart
there and here"-touching her forehead
and laying her hand on her heart.
I wondered at her words, but I un-
derstood them later.
"For few days we had a happy time,
and they were good to me, but then
trouble came. I could not dance when
/ was tired, and / could not learn to
sing their songs, and they laughed at
my W poor songs, so they began to
speak only bad words to me and cared
not if I starved and suffered.
"We were far away-I know not
where-when we came to a large woods,
where many men chopped the trees and
som wives and children we're there too,
and / begged the music man and woman
that L might stay and work for them
and leev in a little hut; and I stayed.
Iley LOO Cdlu0 DdCh hItSI WaIO tkiO
worked"
"And we're you happy there?"
She clasped her hands tightly v
her bosom, and a lew and strange ex-
preston swept over her face that / did
not understand.
"Happyl happy" she murmured.
ooh, yes; listen-I will tell you. One
chopper was kind to me; he said he
loved me-loved mel" she repeated,
solemnly, with a tender thrill in her
voice that explained all. "And he was
so kind to me, as If / had been q queen!
1t was he, too, madam, that did teach
me to speak so we'll; for he is a Yankee
man." she added, proudly. Sand you
see ] do speak ruch better?"
I assented. where is he now?" I
asked.
"Oh, I know notl" she cried, rocking
herself back and forth and wringing her
hands. "That wicked man and woman
took me away one night. They said he,
my Eloi, had sent for me to go to meet
him far, far off; and when we found
him not they Knocked and laughed at my
pain. Oh, / could kill them! liarsl
beestsl"
The last words we're only q hiss of
rage, and she stopped short, choked
with passion.
"Helenore." said /, "why did they de-
ceive you so? What had you done to
them?"
"What had I done to them? Noting.
noting. But they hate mo Like my mod
or do, and would not that / should be
happy"
Here she paused, and sudden revul-
sion Of feeling seemed to sweep over
her.
"None are ever kind to Helenore,"
she said, sadly, 1none but you and him. "
Then lifting my hand to her lips, she
kissed it reverently and made again that