The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-04-23
FOR TIE old LOVES SAKE.

II feel. Mary, I shall be jealous Of
this cousin of yours. Already she
seems to occupy all your thoughts, and
when she arrives, dare say she will
engross all your attention. But, there,
I will not scold ;ou. Good night, my
dearest" and Phillip Gilbert, my be-
trothed, pressed his first kiss upon my
lips.
In the fullness of an almost perfect
happiness, tears came into my eyes as
turned to the house and asked myself,
have l lived the last few moments,
in dream, or is it reality-has the
love so long yearned for been given to
me at last? l had known Philip Gil
bert for many years, and looking back
ward then, could recall to memory a
time when 1 did not love him. Tall
and fair and blue-eyed and with the
symmetrical form of an Apollo, Philip
Gilbert would attract attention among
a crowd of handsome men. / was
some years older than he, and had
never been regarded as beauty. Yet
he had asked me to be his wife. And
yet in the solitude of my own room that
night more than once this thought oc-
CURED to me: viii our UNION secure
my future happiness after all? He was
man of quick and generous impulses,
but with no stability of purpose and lit
tie strength of character. Those who
believe that girl is blind to the faults
or weakness of her lover, know very
little of my sex. / had formed. per-
haps, a truer estimate of Philip Gilbert's
character than any one of his most init
mate friends. Still loved him with all
my heart and soul, and for no better
than woman's reason--because l
could not help it.
My cousin, Gertrude Harland, arrived
on the morrow. Her father, lawyer
of some prominence in Boston, had but
recently died, and when we learned of
her bereavement, my own dear father
insisted that the orphan child of his only
sister should make her home beneath
his roof. had not seen her since she
was child of 10, and she was now 49,
As l held her hand in mine and bade
her welcome to our country home,
thought / never beheld being so ra-
diantly beautiful. She was brunette,
with an almost perfectly Greek profile,
and the pure olive complexion, with
just a touch of color to give it warmth
SO rarely to be seen by American wo-
men. The old farmhouse where | had
lived since my father, Mr.. Maxwell, had
retired from the active practice Of his
profession, overlooked the Hudson.
town which had not reached the i'm
portance it has since attained. Ger
trude was delighted with her new home,
and was never weary of dilating on the
scenic beauties of the noble river she
had seen for the first time. She was a
week with us before she and Philip met.
He was away in the northern part of
the state. negotiating, l believe, the
sale of some property which he owned
there. How well / remember the even
ing that meeting took place. l briefly
introduced them, and with marked en-
barrassment Philip stammered forth the
usual conventional phrases. But his
glance was fastened on her face as she
then stood before him with downcasi
eyes and demurc smile on the full rec
lips.
Philips whole attention was given tc
Gertrude, and whatever powers he pos
sessed as a conversationalist were
exerted. 1t was evident he desired tt
make favorable impression on m,
beautiful cousin. When he had bidder
us good night l went up to my owl
room, and, with an aching throbbin!
Of my heart, l sat beside the open win
dow and tried to recall the incidents o
the past two hours. Was jealous o
Philip Gilbert? Had he only beer
courteous to stranger, and that stran
ger my own cousin? Was this M,
loyalty to a lover, to nurture within m,
breast woman's mean and pitiful sus
picion of his fealty to plighted troth
And while thinking thus Gertrude Har
land entered the room. She seate,
herself on a low stool at my feet, and
crossing her hands on my knees, sh
looked up in my face. [ thought it wa
in tone of railery she laughed:
''He is rather good-looking youn
man, your friend, Mr.. Gilbert; or sha
l call him by dearer name?n
'Most people think Mr.. Gilbert
very handsome man" said quietly.
''But you have not told me. Mary
Perhaps, as those odious politician
would say, he is still astride the fenst
Less than lover and more than
friend. The line is very suggestiy
under certain circumstances"
"Mr. Gilbert is my betrothed lover
1 answered most detiantly.
"Why, guessed as much. Yes, F:
you say, he is very handsome, but yo
mustn't make a hero of your lover fc
all that. 1t is not good form, Mar,
ind men are so intoleraoly vain. Wei
, It is sweet hallucination that lasts I'll
lover until he emerges into the hui
band No man is hero to his valet
1t is said, nor is any man, my Mary,
hero to his wife. Did you ever he:
. this story about Sir Walter Scot? TT
guide Teddy of Scotch laird once visi
J, ed the great novelist's wife, and snitlt
contemptuously at the shabby carp
that covered the sitting-room, and Il