The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-07-05

No suspicion of the truth came to me;
indeed nothing was farther from my
thoughts.
"How can 1 know" was my impatient
answer. II have never heard any one
mention your name."
He was silent for a few minutes, and
then continued slowly:
II know not which part of my story
is the hardest to tell. 1t was in the be-
ginning of the third year of my absence
from England that a strange event hap
| pened. 1t was so unexpected, so be-
wildering, that for some time l seemed
to lose my senses; and you know, Nell
lie, l was in many respects what my
father called me-merely a lad. | was
so dazzled and bewildered that I forgot
all | ought to have remembered. My
first thought was of yon, and | ought
to have written to you; but l lac let
two or three mails go without writing,
and l intended to surprise you. | had
to go to England at once. and / knew
that | should reach you as soon as my
thing; / left no address, forgetting that
you would probably go on writing. l
thought should see you. Nellie, do
you follow me? Do not look at me with
such sorrowful eyes. You see that up
to this time, the third year of my alb
sence, l had done nothing specially
worthy of blame. / had been Shy and
self-conscious about my love, when 1
ought to have been holder and more
courageous. | had allowed my time
and thoughts to become engrossed in
my profession, at the expense of my
love: still l was true at heart, Nellie. I
had no other love; and l set sail from
India, still thinking more of your sur
prise and delight than of anything else.
But, Nellie, l have not told you what
the strange event a Can you not
help me. Nellie? Can you not guess
what called me back to England and to
your"
How should l? You may tell me
safely; nothing can hurt me now, Mark.
| have realized the fact that you are
married; nothing more remains"
81 hate myself for having to tell it."
he said, his face flushing; "but. Nellie,
[ was only a lad, and the news COM
pletely bewildered me. DO you remem-
Der that ono when we We're together l
asked you about. your friends and rela-
..n lou replied that you were al
most alone in the world; and I told you
that, while | had some very wealthy
but little of either. There had never
| ptSlA GIlS Soh ISOIollNSlSCs VI ONCll lIlC
slightest acknowledgment of any kind.
My father was a most peculiar man;
he did not like his poor relations. His
dislike was not caused by their poverty,
but because they had offended him
many years before, and he had never
forgiven them. AS to the rich members
of the family, he was too proud to seek
to know them; o would he allow me
to speak of them; they took no notice
of us, nor we of them. Lord S%everne--
Baron Severne is the proper title-of
Severne Court and my father were Sec
ond cousins"
In one moment I saw it all.
You are Lord Severne, Mark!" l
cried.
Eyes, it is so, Nellie; I am Lord Sc
verne,n he said, gravely.
And Lu%rline-your wife is named
Lurline," l said.
Yes, my wife is named Lurline," he
answered. Now you understand. I
did not know that you were here, Mel
lie. | never dreamed of seeing you
when | came out this morning. l am
here as Lady Yorke's friend and guest;
Lurline is with me-"
lie stopped, thinking perhaps that 1
should speak; but what had [ to say?
Words were useless.
Now you know what happened,
Nellie" he continued I'm the third
year of my absence this news came
from England-Lord Severne of Sc
verne Court was dead: the brother who
should have succeeded him was drown
ed in returning from Italy, and the two
sons of his brother, the heir, died from
fever at school-two generations swept
away. My father, had he lived, would
have been Lord Seyerne; he was the
next heir, and both title and estates are
entailed. AS my father was dead, l
was the next heir. My father had new
er given me to understand that there
was the most remote possibility of our
succession. | do not believe he ever
thought of it himself; he was only Sec
ond cousin, and at that time Lord Sc
verne was a strong, healthy man, his
brother the same, and the boys at
Schoo gave every promise of a long
life.
"Now all was changed; they were
dead; and, as | was the nearest of kin,
became master of Severne Court, and
Baron Severne. Nellie, as truly as
There IS a Heaven above us, my first
thought when l heard this news was of
yon. What will my Nellie sayY' 1 cried
alond; and I felt proud to think that /
could make my fair and beautiful love
Lady Severne.
"lf | had written one line to YOU
then, all would have been ditferent-my
life and yours; but | was restless and
excited. l had so much to think of, so
much to do. l was pleased, proud. agi-
tated, but not untrue to you then, Mel
lie-l swear it, not untrue.
The letters sent by Mcssrs. Norton
y Son were most peremptory in their
summons. l must return at once
Fortunately there was a young English
man who could without difficulty take
my, place, and l was free. My friends
and comrades were honestly pleased
with my good fortune, and we parted
on excellent terms. Nellie. when I
started in the Queen of the Seas. bound
from Bombay to London, my thoughts
were all of you. Oh, my true love, my
lost love, how shall l tell you what hap
pened then?
II deserve to be shot as a traitor, as
a coward" he continued. with passion
ate bitterness. "When I look back. T
cannot think what folly, what madness
possessed me. l am sure that my good
fortune had in some measure turned
my brain.
"On the second day that ! was on
board l began to take an interest in my
lelloW My romantic story
was known amongst them-how from 4
simple engineer, glad to earn an income
of a few hundreds, / had suddenly and
quite Unexpectedly come into possession
of a title and estates worth sixty thou
sand per annum. On the second day of
the voyage l walked about the deck
amusing myself with the novel sights
and sounds, when, Nellie, I saw one of
the most beautiful women l had ever
beheld in my l~ife-beautiful as a dream
or a vision, but, ah, Nellie, not half SO
fair and winsome as you!
II had seen but little of women. I
had never been thrown much into their
society. | hardly remembered my own
mother; sisters and cousins 1 had none;
you and your mother were the only two
with whom | had been on friendly or
intimate terms. Iloved you. I under
stood your simple, noble nature; I knew
your true earnest character; but | was
perfectly ignorant of the arts of women,
[ thought they were all like you; their
caprices, destinations, charms, arts,
and intrigues were all unknown to me.
Never was prey more easily caught. 1
hate myself when l think of my own
folly.
''Tlle beautiful woman was walking