The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-03

and looked at it's contents as he sat
beside her bed. She placed her hand
upon the book and hestarted up with
acry.
~ didn't mean to scare YOU" she
said, whats in that bookl I've seen
you look att before to- day, when you
thought father and were asleep.
"Old mementoes-Oh, no, amnot
scared; but l am not well-my heart
is not all right"
~ know it, !" she said hotly. "Man,
both OF us are dying in this atmos-
phere."
ooh, no." he returned, "You are
not. Do you know the nature of the
ague here? Rum! AS for me while 1
have been nursing you l have planned
to 60 away, to GO home at last"
"4ou'regoing away! And you think
| amt sick!"
81 know you are, and l can guess
what is the matter with you, poor
lass"
She buried her face in the pillow.
For II moment there was silence in
the room
60 to the door" she said. He
obeyed her. Then he heard his name
called and re-entering found her up
and dressed at the table, the lamp
lighted, ior the window had been dark
ened, q tin-box at her right hand.
"Geordie," she said, "you know
that | have slammed the ague. But
you know that a great feeling in nv
soul made me sick And who is the
man am thinking of" She grasped
his arm, smiling.
| al faaro5 fbo,, would E,,l L
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,"
shecrled, "it isyou! Don't say word,
but hear me out! | don't know why it
is you, but it is, and Pm helpless.
Take me away from here, to your old
home where you say you are going
soon. I've got money, If choose to
take it. See heren'
She opened the tin box and showed
HIM the great store there "Don't
ask me about it, she went on, "for
I'm reckless. Pm like a spear ofgrass
IN prairie fire alongside OF the feel
ing that's i'll my soul. Pm not hap
Ply woman" she continued, "Tm one
ofthose women who are always expect
ingand never have; act my part and
people think me happy because lmake
them so. But | 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 "Mlake me
a 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 ill, feverish. /
have nothing to offer you; l am heart
poor, soul poor, dead in everything in
this new world" "Do you mean to
say that you cannot care for me?''
He was silent for a moment.
| "How do you know | am not a
| thief, as you would makeyourself for
me?'' he demanded. My crimes may
have made me escape from my own
country, till l am here a vagrant, and
| outcast."
81 should still be unable to say that
DO not love YOU"
Stop suppose there is a woman
far from here of whom / am fonda
woman who never saw me a cripple,
as am now through accident and i'll
usage in these wild and'-
There is one OF two things" she
interrupted, "and you are only
saying all this to try me. iii
make you true, pure wife. I'll
help you in more ways than
you know, and you won't know me as
the reckless creature you've seen me
here; but 60 to that door and leave
me.--and do not know what will hap
pen. OH Crooks, Crooks! I want to
be a good, gentle woman, and you're
different from the men l 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 a pure, good
wife. Take ME with you and this
money remains here; lfyoueo 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 a suffering
lonely mani Yet there was a recollec-
ton of long ago; there was tender
English eyes looking into his, q soft
while gentle hands forced him away
/ !,
hands unseen forced him backward
woman at the table. She stood
like 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 go q 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 tlinging 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.
! There was a gleam in their eyes
which she understood. She left them
and they heard her in the shed back
of the house. She came in again coil
ing up long rope. Don't bring that
back without moose in it" she said