Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-26

INhS ~ my heau, as though ii lspoke
1 should swoon | said nothing. made
no resistance. but lay on the sofa as he
placed me and closed my eyes.
he uttered q thousand endearino
words, to which I made no sort of re.
spone; and yet my heart thrilled in
answer to them; shame smote me that T
loved him.
"What made you i'll, my darling9:n ho
asked; andthen, with a sudden instinct.
l unclosed my eyes and looked tixedly at
nm. 1t was his turn to vince and red
den; he had to avert his face. Then nv
heart hardened.
"some news 1 had upset me- I said
in a measured voice; and he did not dare
TO ask me any further questions.
,"Will you be well enough to drive
this afternoon?" he inquired presently.
1.-The air would do you good" And [
assented.
After this he seemed to have lost his
tongue. Every now and then he looked
ut me in an humble, half-fr1ghtened sort
OF way, and as he grew weak I grew
strong, and a desire to be cruel to him
came over me.
He drove me in his phaeton through
lovely hedge-bound lanes, under ave-
nues OF trees, across breezy hills. Very
few words were exchanged between us;
now and then / cast a sidelong glance at
his handsome face, which looked so
careworn and miserable. MY heart
melted toward him; but then I would
recall my wrongs, and it grew cold and
bitter again. How careful he was of
my comfort! There was such love and
tenderness in every line of his face when
he looked at me, Icould not but believe,
in spite of what had happened, that his
heart vas mine.
All through dinner I scarcely spoke,
and I remarked that he, who had usual
ly such a fine healthy appetite, ate
scarcely anything. Afterward, he light
ed a cigar and went out, and I could
hear his footsteps c%runching the gravel
as he paced up and down. The inHu-
ence of the narcotic was still upon me,
and 1 dozed off. When 1 awoke he was
sitting beside me.
''Whattime is it?" 1 asked, affecting
to yawn.
.Half-past nine" he answered. "You
are tired. are you not, my love?"
eyes, | said. rising. Il will 90 to
bed. Good night!''
"Not good night!!' he uttered, in low
voice.
"Good night" I repeated resolutely.
Then, looking up at him, and speaking
with a GOODNESS that astonished me, I
added: ''Will you make arrangements
to take ME home tomorrow"
StTn1yo yop hon,oIi1 Go ooLool L;e ESQ.,
growing deathly white. "What do you
mean?"
II mean that I wish to go home," I
answered, in the same cool, cruel tone.
"And-and what is to become ofme?''
he said.
81 dare say your sick friend still
needs your care" I replied, and with
that | left him like one stunned.
l awoke perfectly we'll next morning.
What would happen to-day? wonder
ed. loved him. I did not mean to
leave him, but still I had a desire to pun
ish him-a cruel cagerness to exercise
my new-found power. When I went in
to breakfast I saw that he looked hag-
gard and pale. I greeted him cheerful
ly, ate an excellent breakfast, and made
a iii " III
'Have you found out about the
trains?" I inquired when l had finished.
"How cruel you aren he cried, rising
and coming toward me. 81 can not
stand this any longer. What in Gods
name do you mean?"
I rose, too, evading his touch, and
raising myself to my full height.
81 mean that I do not choose to share
you with Minna Vane or any other
woman" 1 answered. CATER the out
rage you have put upon me, l intend to
return to my people,
"Minna Vane!" he stammered, look
ing at me with mortified eyes.
l went to my desk, unlocked it, took
out the telegram and handed it to him.
"My God!' he uttered, then walked
to the window.
My heart beat furiously. What an
swer would he have to make me. Pres
emily he turned.
..Come and let mo tell you the truth"
and he took my hand, led me to the
sofa and sat down beside me.
'.Fivc years ago I was in love with
this m She got a good deal Of
lllllUcuCC OsC1 liz. L d ~ INC VI
almost a sla7e to her. In a moment of
madness she made me swear that if I
ever married 1 would spend the first
evening of my marriage with her. Boy
and fool that l was, feeling certain then
that l sho1ld never marry any other
woman, | swore it. You may wonder,
perhaps, that I thought such an oath
binding. 1 had forgotten it, as 1 had
long and completely forgotten her,
when, a week before our marriage, I
had a letter from her reminding me Of
my oath and the terms of it. 1t was a
horrible one. I am ashamed when [
think Of it. I am not usually supersti-
tious, but I had vowed that if l broke
my word 1 hoped my wife would die be-
fore the week was out. Oh, darling!'
and his voice trembled and there were
even tears in his cyes-''if you knew
how l love you; if you knew how awful
the thought of anything happening to
you is to me, you would understand and
forgive me! And if you knew the hell
1 have gone through the last three
nights you would pity instead of being
angry with me. She may have had her
revenge. but l do not think" with Il
bitter laugh, sit can have been very