The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-02-05
She was tai and dnk-eyed and como
y and she looked keenly at the stranger

- ASSsAAJ ~ bAo " 0lRCl
as he stood in the twilight.
Miss Alice Graves has never mar
RED" she said. 81 suppose you must
somehow have heard the old story
which got about of her running away
with Mr.. Curtis on the evening she was
to have married another. 1t was all a
mistake, q false report. She merely
rode a short distance with him in his
gig, to take leave of an old lady of
whom she was fond. But the horse
was young and skittish, and taking
fright at something, ran away, throwing
them both out. People believed it told
an elopement. until when, some hours
after, they were found on tho old mill
road, Alice badly bruised and Joe with
his leg broken. The man she was to
have married believed it, and left her
without a word. Joe Curtis is my hus-
band now,' she added with a smile,
and Alice Graves, though she has not
lacked offers, has never married. She
could not easily get over a disappoint-
ment like that"
But why was not he-why was not
Mr.. Warner informedp" inquired the
stranger, in a voice of such suppressed
vehemence that the boy turned and
looked at him wonderingly.
"Alice would not allow it. She was
as proud as he; and when she heard that
ne had gone, she said:
eft he could believe such a thing of
me. it is as we'll tat we should part.
Let him GOT
But it Eel to her heart, and, for
my part l think she has never forgotten
him."
The stranger made no reply, only
pulled his felt hat lower over his brow,
and Mrs. Curtis added:
IF you would like to inquire about
the place you will find Miss Graves at
home. saw her upon the porch a few
minutes ago"
She watched him as he went slowly
down the street.
"He thinks that l did no recognize
him. AS if l would have said what l
did about Alice to any one but Gilbert
Warner! And can see that he has not
forgotten her, either. All, 1 hope it
may all come right nowr
When Gilbert Warner knocked at the
door of the old Graves house, it was
opened by a fair, graceful, sweet look
in n woman ~, ,yk,,, la lol -. I.a.--1
ty in recognizing his old love, Alice.
But it was not until he stood in the full
light of the parlor lamp that she knew
him; and then she involuntarily drew
back a step or two, and looked at him
with a white face, as though she had
seen a ghost.
"Alice-don't you know me?" he
said, holding out his hand.
81 know you; but why do you come
here?" she answered, as though striv-
ing to be cold and proud. while her
voice faltered and her ayes filled with
tears.
Il came to ask forgiveness" he re-
piled. Until to-day ! thought thatyou
had wronged me-and you did, Alice,
in not letting me know of my wretchcd
mistake. So many years of happiness
lost to us both! Oh, Alice, is it too
late! May we not yet be as happy as
we once expected to be?n
1t took some time, some pleading,
some humiliation, on his W part, for
high minded Alice had been deeply
wounded4sy his too ready belief in her
desertion of him. : But still her heart
had eve really skerved from its first
real love, no more than had his own
and when Gilbert Warner left the little
town. it was as he had hoped to do iif-
teen years previous-with Alice Graves
as his bride.