The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-04-17

cious bee. Frank must bandape
the white, swollen arm, and then,
Ibid he realize what he was doing. do
you think p cover the smarting wound
with kisses, saying, with an audacious
look into the h~alf-ayerted eyes, that he
knsw as we'll as the bees where sweets
were to be found. Annie Carter seemed
to be forgotten, or, if 1 remembered, 70
be held IN secondary consideration to
his guest. With growing pain 1 wit
messed their evident liking for each 9TH
er's soc%iety--their intimacy, ripenine
every day into something more deep and
tender. l could not interfere or warn
them-them matter was too delicate for
my skill to manage, and yet who could
fail to know what the result would be?
One heart must bleed, whether Alice's
or that of the tickle Franks betrothed
1could not say. My selfish love would
have chosen the latter.
One night we sat together, Alice and
l, by our chamber window. Her chair
was drawn up close to mine, and she
half leaned against me, her head lying
on my bosom, her arms clasped loosely
across my shoulders. We had been
very silent, neither of us speaking for
nearly an hour, and I was wondering
what had brought such a pensive shade
to Alice's face, when she spoke abruptly.
Her question gave me the clew to the
long reverie she had been indulging
in.
"You saw Miss Carter yesterday did
you not, Catherine?"
Yes" I replied.
Am 1 as pretty as she is?" she
asked.
"a thousand times prettier, my dar-
ling, said /. "Why, her face is no
more to be compared with our than a
wax flower is to those roses in your
~hair-fresll, dewy, and sweet with per-
fume.
"Do you think 500" said Alice. at am
glad, though l don't know that I ever
cared much for being pretty until lately.
l suppose Frank hkes-loves her very
much-don't you?"
There was something more than a
careless curiosity to hear my opinion in
that question. Had I answered her
frankly, l should have given a decided
negative. But, with a nature like hers,
L dared run no unnecessary risk. |
would not encourage the latent hope
that | saw ~slumbering in her heart.
"Of course" 1 answered.
She sighed-a long, dismal sigh, that
smote my heartto the quick. Just then
we heard voices underneath the window.
Her ear was quicker than mine, for she
lifted herself up eagerly, bent her head
a moment, as if to listen, and then / saw
q quick color like the flush of
a rose, ripple into her cheek. We
leaned together out of the window.
Beneath us were Frank Russell and
Annie Garter, pacing backward and for
ward on the grassy lawn, her hand on
his arm-his handsome face bent down,
till his dark locks almost brushed her
forehead.
I saw Alice's eyelids droop to crush
back the tears she would not have me
see, and instinctively I put my arm
about her and drew her away from the
window. I could feel her heart beat
ing stormily under her bodice, and when,
with q long, low, sobbing cry, she
threw herself into my arms and buried
her face convulsively in my bosom. 1
knew she was conscious hat her secret
had passed into my possession.
The next day and the next passed
dismally enough. but I saw, with q sem
sation Of relief, that Alice stunned
Franks attentions. Once reused to a
sense of her danger, the evil was half
remediei I thought.
On the afternoon of the third day +
went out for the solitary ramble 1 was
accustomed to take after dinner. I
walked down to the river, and, to my
surprise, as I neared my favorlte seat
o little clearing among the willows thai
thickly skirted the bank-I saw AIly's
white sun-bonnet lying on the grass,
and a little further on, herself thrown
down on the ground, her arms crossed
on the cool grass, and her face buried
in them. Her very attitude was one Of
hopeless passionate grief, and 1 should
have known she was weeping, even If L
had not heard her stiRed sobs.
While I stood ~hesitating, undecided,
whether to gosforward and speak with
her, or leave her to conquer her sorrow
alone, Frank Russell came out from
among the willows opposite me. He,
too, noticed the weeping girl, and,
springing quickly forward, knelt by
her side. Evidently he did not
know what to say to comfort her, for he
only smoothed her harr silently, appar-
ently..unconscious of my close proximity.
For once, Alleys heart misled her. She
thought the intruder was myself.
do not blame me, Catherine" she
said, II cannot help it-indeed I can
not. He was SO good-so handsome
so kind to me, that 1 was loving him
before [ thought of the consequences.
We will go away from here tomorrow.
will we not, dear, good Catharine?-
where l shall never see Frank again.
Oh, my heart will break! !" she sobbed
out, in broken accents, without lifting
her head.
My heart leaped to my throat with o
%suffocating bound. I would have died
rather than that my beautiful, sensitive
darling should so unconsciously have
opened her heart TO the man who, of all
persons, ought to be blinded to its Sc
crets. 1t would killer when she knew
what she had done.
But ] was unprepared for the %revela-
ton of the next few minutes. Not till
1 AoolCtu lie sud0eA StaiG tudt IThuk
Russell gave. the flush that came over
his face, the tenderness that leaped in
to his hazel eyes; not till 1 saw him
gather her up in his arms, with passion
ate caresses. pouringa vehement story of
love into her ears-love that had not
dared to hope, and that, but for that un
expected revelation, would never have
found utterance-did ] realize that Ally,
after all, was to be happier than I had
dared to wish she might be.
But I was startled when I saw her
struggle from his embrace with a
frightened cry. looking alternately from
him to me, us if irving to comprehend