The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-12-20
beautiful girl whom he had once lovea,
but who had passed forever from his

heart.
He bit his lips until the blood started.
He thought at first to slip out quietly;
but that would be unmanly. He would
breach his discovery as delicately as
possible. and endeavor to say farewell
with as good grace as he could muster.
He thought how others would have
done-how they would have laughed
the whole world to scorn. True love
is invulnerable. But such was not the
case with Rupert Johnson-he was in
deed proud-he could not have with
stood the slightest innuendo of society
it would have had a whitening effect.
As he was turning these cruel
thoughts owe in his mind, and making
them excuses for his forthcoming con-
duet, Marcy entered the room. a pict-
ure of happiness and contentment. She
dew Il cushion beside him and grasped
his reluctant hand with warm affection.
1t lay so limp and ~lifeless in hers that
grasped II galvanic battery.
why. Rupe, what makes you look
30 paleP' she Intercepted, as darts Of
pain sped through her breast. Your
hand is so cold; ne you ailing?n
Then she drew herself partially
around, so that their eyes met. His
cold, unmeaning stare cut her like IA
knife. She Embossed the hand that held
his and raised herself before him, thrust
ing her underlip between herteeth with
an embarrassed. ANNOYED EXPRESSION.
Then, turning her back upon him, she
rushed to Il sofa, and burying her face
in her hands gave way to pitiful lamcn-
tations.
He arose sullenly, made a motion us
if TO fly to her side, but feeling that the
| crisis had been reached checked The I'M
pulse. Drawing himself up with APP
parent distress, he spoke words that
almost chilled the blood of the weeping
girl.
Marcy, | came to tell you tonight
that our acquaintance must cease"
This was said low and deliberately,
without the slightest quaver in his
voice. He had thought ii best to make
of the letter. but his heart failed him.
''Why have come to this conclusion
you will probably know some other
day"
His words seemed drawn from him,
they were so strange, so wild, so mer-
CHESS. Yet he felt it his duty to end it
there and then.
A convulsivc burst of sorrow was all
that broke the emphatic silence that
followed.
lie walked crouchlngly to the other
side of the room. He mechanically
picked up his seal cap and approached
the front door noiselessly. never for a
moment taking his eyes from the soul
racked girl. a look from her might
have changed his purpose. but fate had
decreed differently. He passed out witt,
soundless tread, and clio ing the door
after him with guilty softncss disap.
pcared in the darkness.
When he had gone. Marcy arose. a
prey to the widest fancics. She was
b~ewildered, dumfounded, heart-brokcn.
She moved with uncertain step, and
reeled like an inebriate, ut last sinking
upon the chair he had just vacated.
For some time she allowed her wander.
ing thoughts to absorb her, ever and
amor brushing her tcar-soakcd hair
with Il trembling hand. III was all 50
dreamlike and misty. She closed her
heavy eyelids with a strange thought,
y 'i'th ~ u SI'bitt III vi
TO reconcile herself into the belief that
ii was all Il |distcmperel nightmare.
But his heartless, biting words y
too harshly in her sensitive ears.
As she leaned back in the ample
rocker her eyes came on Il level with
the fatal letter. She pressed forward
eagerly, even as Il half-formed truth
darttd into her brain, and Il conviction,
the purport Of which almost slitled her,
found Il ecurc lodgmcnt. lntuitiyely
she had guessed the reason OF his un
cNampled couduct-hc had read her
fathers letter. Quick as u flash she
was on her feet. She graspcd the en-
relope with impulsive fervor, and kiss,
ing it again and again, wept and
moancd over it with gushing tender.
ness. When the torrent OF her grief
had spent itself, she bolstered her cour