Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-11-26

| GIN AOohCs4 CIV AIN COtlLeuCS dS he SAT
beside her bed. She placed her hand
upon the book and hestarted up with
1 y ny. ~.
= didn't mean to scare you," she
said, whats in that book? I'veseen
you look atit before to-day, when you
thought father and were asleep.
/ "Old mementoes-Oh, no, l am not
scared; but I am not well-my heart
is not all right"
/ Il know it," she said hotly. "Man
| both OF US are dying in this atmos
pierre"
'Oh, no." he returned, "You are
not. Do you know the nature of the
ague here? Rum! AS for me while
have been nursing you have planned
to go away, to 90 home at last
"You'regoing away! And you think
amt sick!''
| II know you are, and I can guess
what is the matter with you. poo,
lass"
She buried her face in the pillow
For moment there was silence in
the room.
"Go to the door!'' she said. HI
obeyed her. Then ne heard his name
called, and re-entering found her u1
ana dressed at the table, the lamp
lighted, for the window had been dark.
ened, a tin-box at her right hand.
"Geordie,' she said, "you know
that have slammed the ague. But
you know that great feeling in my
soul made me sick. And who is the
man am thinking Of" She grasped
his arm, smiling.
II feared they would find out" he
responded, land so let them think
you had the local ague. And the man,
the thought OF whom has made YOU
Ill, you left him somewhere when you
came here"
She flung his arm from her. "Man,"
she cried, cit is you! Don't say word,
but hear me out! I don't know why it
IA you, but it is, and Pm helpless.
Take me away from here, to your old
home where you say you are goine
soon: I've got money, II I choose to
take it. See herer'
She opened the tin box and showed
hum the great store there "Don't
ask me about it" she went on, ssfor
I'm reckless. Pm like spear ofgrass
IN a prairie fire alongside of the feel.
ing that's in my soul. Pm not q hap
Ply woman" she continued, t'Pm one
ofthose women who are always expect
ing and never have; act my part and
people think me happy because Imake
them so. But l can be happy; it's in
me to be the happiest OF the happy
Love can make me So" He stood
there trembling and white. snake me
q kind woman" she broke out pit
eously, "a true and faithful wife,
and"
There was that in his face which ar.
rested her.
| refuse me?"
"Don't say it in that way" he an
swered huskily. "But indeed you do
not mean it; you are i'll, feverish. l.
l have nothing to offer you; / am heart
Coor, soul poor, dead in everything in
this new world" "Do you mean to
say that you cannot care for me?"
| He was silent for moment.
chow do you know I am not a
thief, as you would make yourself for
me?' he demanded. "My crimes may
have made me escape from my own
country, till I am here vagrant, and
outcast."
~ should still be unable to say that
l do not love you"
"stop! suppose there is q woman
far from here of whom I am fonda
woman WAC never saw me O. cripple,
as am now through accident and ILL.,
usage in these wild and'-
There is one OF two things" she
interrupted, land you are only
saying all this TO &ry me. III
make you q true, pure wife. I'll
help you in more ways than
you know, and you won't know me us
the reckless creature you've seen me
here; but go to that door and leave
me.--and do not know what will hap
pen. Oh! Crooks! Crooks! l want to
be a good, gentle woman, and you're
different from the men I know, and
you've called me from the first. 1t is
me or worse?"
She took handful of the bank notes
from the box. "You think that |
mean to steal these" she said. ''As
though a theft could be pure, good
wife. Take ME with you and this
money remains here; 1fyou go without
me~--She shrugged her shoulders.
He realized her frenzy. her unrea-
soning; she would listen to nothing
but one answer to her pleading. He
looked at her and her magnificent face
and form. What was he that he
| should let so mnch strength slip
away-what was he but suffering
lonely man! Yet there was recollec-
ton OF long ago; there was tender
English eyes looking into his, a soft
voic. blessing him and his faithfulness,
while gentle hands forced him away
from this living fiery woman. Those
hands unseen forced him backward
to the door. He looked at the
woman at the table. She stood
like g. statue, her hand filled with
bank note. Backward he went, back
ward, forced by those unseen hands,
every step he took away causing the
bank notes to 60 a little closer to the
lamp. Backward, backward, until he
had crossed the threshold, hesitated,
ran back to her to stay her in her
wild act; then hinging her arms above
| his head he dashed from the cabin
and her love.
| In the evening when Brule and the
men came up she was crouching out
sido the door, her apron over her
head. They went inside and found up
on the table the empty tin box.
"Sissy!" exclaimed her father.
"Tell him about the vigilant COM
mittee," she replied. She pointed to
the empty money-box.
''Crcoks!" she said. @E