The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-04-30
SANTWOOB.

~~St q
two years. That will benonetoo long
in which to forget this wretched affai4
and accus5om myself to some OF the
stern realities of life. l find that fate
has not decided my pathway to be one
of roses"
The speaker was reclining careEessly
upon a luxurious sofa, amid such ele-
CANT surroundings that one might
naturally wonder what there could be
in his experience to tlncture his
thoughts Of the future with SO much
gloom
A fine-looking man OF middle age,
seated near him, was the person with
whom he was ostensibly conversing,
though q girl sitting at the piano a lit
tie farther off felt that the vein of Bit
terness underlying the words was
meant especially for her.
Her hands We're wandering half-idly
I'VE the keys, playing in softest,
sweetest fashion that rythmical, half
mournful air, Upon the Danube
river" Deep, rich bass chords
dropped now and then into the low
dripping silvery melody, and the
player hummed, as if to her own
thoughts, III low, sympathetic tone,
the refrain:
IN ne'er forget that night in June
Upon the Danube river
She, at least, did not wonder why
the speaker looked upon thedark side
Of life just then, for she knew. She
knew what all the world did, that the
proud name of Santwood had been
dragged in the dust by q brothers
crime. Forgery and suicide had again
furnished the greedy press with sensa-
tional columns and blazing headlines,
whose every glarng, significant letter
cut into the sensitive heart of Philip
like q two-edged sword.
But the listener at the piano knew
that sharper pain than eventhat die
tated the hopeless words. Sheremem-
bered q scene in the library but a few
hours past, when he had told her of
his resolve TO lO2ve his native land,
and, in the weakness of the moment
he had broken down and confessed the
love which he had meant, now since
disgrace had overtaken him, to keep
a secret to the end. For what right
had he, he bitterly asked himself, to
offer his stained name for any woman's
acceptance?
But, if it is true that murder will
out" so viii love when it is thrilling
in every nerve, when every hope and
interest in life is identified with it's
dear object.
yet am not sorry that you know
it all" he had said. "Little fitted
as | am TO offer my love to one so
pure and proud as you, it would have
been hard for me to have borne this
hopeless love in silence. A week ago l
could have told you this without one
thrill of shame or se~Ii.reproach. But
then, not dreaming of any coming
trouble, | was content to wait
until you had seen the world
and learned your own heart
thoroughly. What your answer might
have been then l do not know, but at
least / should have felt myself the
peer OF any other who might sue for
the honor ofyour hand; while now"
He broke off abruptly, with a heavy,
sharp-drawn breath, and paced the
floor withthe air OF some proud, Gag
cd animal, chafng against the bars
that held him.
Suddenly he paused before her as
she stood. white and silent, leaning
against the mantel for support, and
taking her hand in both Of his, said,
with passionate pleading:
aBut after all, it is not my sin,
Marguerite. You are proud, I know;
but will you turn from me for my
brothers fault? If you can love me,
ever so little, will you not tell me so,
and let me take that knowledge with
me to comfort me in my longe exile?
/ will wait-wait until the troublehas
been forgotten; until can do some.
thing to redeem"
do not ask me- she interrupted,
shudderingly and then she turned, and,
looking straight into his anguished,
despairing eyes, in a voice that sound
cd cold and harsh in her effort to re-
press oil feeling, she said: "PhiIlip
Santwood, you spoke truly just now.
] am pfoud-too proud, perhaps; but
O stainless name is everything to me.
\ arm poor myself, but my name is
without blot or blemish, and while ]
am sorry for you, / cannot"
But her voice died away in silence.
TO save her life she could not have
put the sentence which she was to
speak into words, with those sternly
compressed lips and those dry, yearn-
ing eyes before her.
cat least tell me- he pleaded husk-
ily, could you have loved me had it