The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-04

you that I was not at all to blame in
the matter. though you may think SO
from what she said. l saw you, and
liked your face, and said something
about liking to paint It,, if l were an
artist. and l asked If your eyes were
not Blue. You are not offended at
that, are your" l asked, holding out
my hand.
"No," she said, after looking at me
for a moment, with frank, clear eyes,
as if to make sure of my sincerity. II
am not offended at that, but l was Of
Tended at what Miss Grayle said, and
the way she said it. However, that
need not hinder our being friends. If
you wish it," she added, and put her
hand in mine, with all the confidence
of a child.
81 do wish it," ! answered.
had a good opportunity to study
her face that afternoon, as we walked
and talked together. 1t was not a face
that many would call beautiful, and
yet it was a lovely n The checks
had, now and then. a wild-rose color
in them, and the pretty lips had a
charming way of curving owe the white
teeth behind them. half hiding, half
disclosing them. Her pale brown hair
was as changeful in color as her eyes,
bright gold in sunshine, and full of
bronze tints in tho shade. A rarer,
fresher, sweeter face, 1 had not seer
for many a day. More beautiful women
might have seen, Thought, as | walk
ed back to the bouse, but none moro
charming.
After that l saw a great deal of
Faith Farley. l learned something of
her past life from her own lips, but
that little / learned without her being
aware of the fact. She evidently
meant to let no hint fall about the life
she was living, but now and then a
stray word would find utterance, that
gave me some insight into it. Ifound
out that she was not happy. Mr..
Grayle VAS her friend. She loved
and trusted him. But there was no
friendship between her and Miss
Grayle.
II would like to teach," she said.
''But Mr.. Grayle will not listen to me
when | talk OF 1t. l would like to go
away from this place. l am in the
way-an intruder" Then she re-
membered. l suppose, that l was al
most a stranger, and she said no more
about her plans or wishes.
1t was not long before l learned to
love Faith Farley.
Alice Grayle saw the truth before /
did. l knew that l had offended her
in some way, because she was distant,
and cold, and made little haunting
speeches, for which l cared nothing.
One morning some of the visitors sat
on the veranda. and the conversation
a on, for - time, about some mar
yelous faith cure that had been re-
ported in the newspapers. All at once
Miss Grayle turned to me and asked
me, with a smile that seemed to have
an angry flame behind, as the cloud
which is ominou> Of storm gives a
lurid look TO the skv ut sunset, what l
had to say about faith. knew then.
all in q moment. by her look and tone,
that she was angry with me, on
Faiths account. She was jealous of
the girls influence. Ana l knew. too,
all In q moment. that the interest l
felt in Faith Farley was because |
loved her.
That afternoon l was summoned to
the city. l vas gone u week. On my
return I was told that Faith Farley
had gone away. They did no. know
where. She had said hat she could
not tell them where she was gong.
because she did not know what she
was going to do, and till she found out
what to do she could not tell where
she would stop.
"Sle had some queer notions Of in
dependence in her head Miss Grayle
said. ave could not find out much
about her plans. Probably she hadn't
any. She will doubtless be glad to
come back before long"
Miss Grayle tried her Establishments
on me in vain, aud finally gave up in
disgust. had no love to give her or any
ether | had given it all tc
Faith.
l believed that she had driven Faitl
away. But she was careful to let nc
hint fall that would convict her of sc
cowardly an act. But l could sec thai
she was glad to know that l felt hcl
loss more than lever confessed to hel
or anyone else. She considered it 6
proper punishment for me, for caring
more for the poor girl than l did fol
the proud heiress.
At first, l was sure that I should soo1
find some trace of Faith. She hat
gone to the city. That was all knew
about her flight into the world. Be
yond this | was in entire ignorance o
her movements. Inquiry and searcl
revealed nothing. She seemed, all u
once, to have disappeared utterly from
our knowledge. BY and by l began
to get discouraged. After Il year hat
gone by, and not II word OF tidings ha,
come from her, | felt that she must b,
dead. My heart made a grave for it
sweet, perished hope, and set up
white stone there, and on it vas tn
one word Faith"
Then the war broke out. | enlisted
/ was in many battles, and escape,
without u wound until it came to tn
long siege before Petersburg. Their