The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-09
A WoMAN'S FAITH.

Against the faded rose-colOr OF @ van
ishing sunset, the clear, pure profile of
a fair, young face was sharply outlined.
The hair that blew and clung about
| the low, white forehead was full of
shiny waves, but the smooth satiny
cheeks were perfectly colorless. the
tender but firm lips We're dropping sad
", and the soft, pansy eyes were fixed
far away upon the sea.
"Allegra!" said a wooing voice in her
ear; and strong arm drew her gently
into lovers embrace. ''Allegra, you
can not tell me that again!"
With o sudden movement the girl
turned, and clasping her arms about
the neck of her handsome lover, she hid
her face upon his breast.
"Oh, Julian" she cried; tswhy dc
| you make it so hard for me? ] must
you know must! Father is old and
feeble. You know how fond he is OF
his home. 1t would kill him to take
him away off to Australia"
Nonsense! 1t would do him good.
l. promise you, Allegra, he shall have
every possible care. am not rich
man, you know, dear, but now that the
firm has offered me this position in
Melbourne, l can afford to marry; pro-
vided,' he added, reproachfully, "the
woman I love will consent to leave her
home and follow my fortunes"
sit isn't that, Julian oh, you know
it isn't! How can you be SO cruel? II
it wasn't for father, I would go with
you to the Desert OF Sahara; but I can
not leave him, and he is too old to go
with us"
"Then you positively refuse?" said
her lover, sharply, unclasping her arms
from about his neck, aud putting her
away coldly.
She looked at him moment, with
her eyes full of haunted fear, but she
never wavered.
" Yes, I refuse" she said, turning
away to hide the tears that had begun
to trickle down her cheeks. 81 can not
marry you, Julian"
so be i'll" he answered, roughly, as
he wheeled about. "And this is wo-
mans love and faith!"
He threw back his handsome head
and laughed scornfully.
That laugh stung Allegra's pride.
YES" she said, coldly, ''this is a
woman's faith"
4 You might Mt least have trusted me.
1 never5should have asked you to do
ANYTHING that would heve hurt your
father"
''You are not in position to judge
what is best for him, Julian"
Perhaps not; but I know this Alle-
graf you had loved me you could not
have done it so easily"
EASILY" she echoed, laying one
| hand on her heart. "How little you
know"
He took one step toward her.
"Darlingj" he said, beseechingly,
"Do not be cruel. Can nothing change
your purpose?"
Nothing" she answered, sadly,
| "Please don't ask me any more, Julian.
l can not bear it. You had better go
away"
Yes, 1 will go away" he said, draw
ing back vngrily you shall never
see me again, and if my life is ruined,
Allegra, you will be to blame"
:. Julian, do not part from me in an
| GER she said.
''You never loved me, Allegra," he
answered. "You cannot guess what
this means to me. Good by good by ~
"Julian!" she cried, and held out her
hands to him, craving last kiss, last
word of love; but he turned away and
left her standing there, with the misery
Of lifetime compressed into that mo-
ment of parting.
Goodbye" she sobbed. ooh, if you
knew how l love you, Julian, you would
not be so cruel!"
"She is heartless!" her lover NUT
tered, as he strobe away. "It is not her
father that separates us. She does not
| love me we'll enough to 60"
The long, wretched night that fol-
lowed this parting, foreshadowed an
eventful day. Julian Ware had been
the confidential bookkeeper in firm of
which his uncle was the senior partner.
| When he went to business that morning,
he found the office in terrible state Of
excitement. Simeon Wares name had
been forged to cheque for fifteen hun
dred dollars, and the criminal was still
undetected
For several days Julian interested
himself in the search for the felon, but
a little trifle revealed to him the fact
that he himself was suspected and
watched.
II will not submit to this indignity!" !"
he said to his uncle, when he laid the
matter before him.
My dear boy" said the old man,
heart -brokenly, 81 wish to heaven you
need not"
Good heavens! cried Julian ex-
citedly, "you do not mean to tell me
that this opinion has gained any cre-
dence outsider"
Calm Yourself, Julian! Calm your
self, | beg of you My poor boy, l
have been trying to hide this from you.
It is most unfortunate business, but
the real bulprit may be found. I will
not leave stone unturned."
"But, uncle"
81 do not believe you guilty, Julian
but the world does not know you as I
do. Cheer up, my boy! 1t will come
| right byandby."
"NIerciful heavens!" the poor fellow
cried, burying his face in his hands, Il
cannot bear this, tool"
Fate was cruelty unkind to him. The
weeks passed, and the forgery could not
i. be fixed upon any one. but Julian walk
ed under the shadow of it.
It was about this time that the fol-
lowing statement appeared in one Of
the daily papers: