The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-02-05

that she was winding herselt more
closely about his heart. He praised
her constantly when he and | were
alone, and fused to sit more and more
by myself-it was such torture to hear
his praises. As for Sinclair, he idol
lied her. Ihad never in my most ro-
mantle dreams imagined such a love
as he gave to her.
Everything she did or said, every
garment she wore, was perfect IN his
ewes; and he could not refrain from
talking of her wonderful virtues to
me.
Ihadt O listen and endure it, although
it was slow torture.
Tfelt a perfect helm my breast often
as | listened.
And yet in my W heart had to
confess that MilliCent-that was her
name-deserved the praise she re-
ceived.
She was constantly thoughtful for
every one about her, and seemed to
live only to make others happy. |
never saw so unseltish a nature as hers.
At first she used to make me her con-
fdante, and tell me of her happiness
in Sinclair's love, and dwell upon his
virtues and goodness. But after d
time she ceased that, too. ! think she
intuitively felt that | did not enjoy her
confidence, and she drew more within
herself.
AS for myself | used to hope and
pray for some unhappiness to come
between their hearts. | believe now
that | did admit an evil spirit in my
breast, which constantly whispered
devilish ideas in my ear.
Finally Sinclair began to build. Mil
liCent was radiant with delight, and
they were constantly making plans
and talking Of the new home. Sinclair
would ask me every To- and then for
a suggestion, but | always had some
excuse to take me away.
1t fairly maddened me to see and
hear her planning the house that ever
since my twelfth year | had believed
would be my own.
One day we stood before a tall mir
rOr together-quite by accident. We
were just Of an age, but my selfish,
merCenary, Jealous and enviOus feel
ing had married my face, until Hooked
almost ten years her senior. Nature
had made me muchthe handsomer Of
the two and yet Icould see that she pos
sessed tenfOld the attractions Ibid at
the time.
This only increased my hatred, and
if | could have marred her features
then and there with some terrible seal
| would have done it. Always in
presence of Sinclair | tried to appear
kind and cordial, for | did not want
him to read my mortified pride and
wounded love, though now mylovefor
him mad turned into dislike. Since he
belonged to her he was hateful in my
sight.
But when 1 was alone with her l
could not refrain sometimes from dis
agreeable and cutting speeches, which [
knew hurt and wounded her. She was
too noble to resent them, or to reply,
but she shrank from me more and
more. They were little, worthless re-
marks; yet a philosopher will feel the
prick of q pin or the bite of a mos
quito, insignificant as the pin and the
mosquito are. In return she had al
ways some pleasant speech o sweet.
word of praise to give me. 1donotre-
member that she ever said an unkind
word to me. Often | hated and de-
spised myself for my feelings toward
her; yet they had gone down so deep
in my soul / could not root them out,
and every day more and more | grew
to think of her as an interloper-one
who had trust herself into the place
which belonged to me. More and
more / brooded over the thought. IF
she were not here-if only all this were
mine,i'
BY and by a new cause of misery to
ne was added. There was to be ere
many months passed another tie to
bind her to Sinclair and Colonel Mon
roe.
When I realized this | felt a madden
ing fury take possession OF me.
Little by little, unconsciously yet
surely by the force of her own worth
and many virtues, she had crowded me
out of fireplace / had grown TO think
was my own.
My stepfather worshiped her;Sinclair
loved her TO ideiatry; and ever the
servants and neighboring people could
talk of nothing but "sweet Lady Mill
cent" / was thrust aside, sighted,
forgotten. Yet it was my own fault,
Nobody can help loving a sweet, smil-
ing, unselfsh and amiable person in
preference to a black-browed, frown-
!, Ing, cold, selfish being. Ihadnot made
myself worthy of love, and Ihated her
because she had; and now she was tc
bestow a last priceless blessing upon
[ the race which I had been denied the
| right of bestowing.
: 1t would be her child, not mine, who
( bore the family name, who inherited
the family estate.
How often / had in fancy seen my
/ children playing on those noble lawns
Such terrible rage filled my soul that
I was almost like one mad.