The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-06-07

Ils'5it'iNt. W NaA l. aNEoIIlDO tllO
vague feeling Of happiness. OF new
born delight, of pleasure that was al
most pain when he approached? | re-
member how VT We're half afraid to
look at each other: then one. stealing a
glance, would meet the others eyes,
and dire confusion would result. | re-
me!nber that while we both examined
the lilacs our hands met-and that first
touch of his hand was Il new revelation
to me. Presently the figure of my gem
tie. silent mother. who was Knitting
busily at the window, disappeared, and
we were alone - two Young, loving,
passionate hearts alone with the glamor
of FIRST love over us.
had thought of nothing but ;he
dark handsome face since | had seen it
first under the lilac-boughs. dreamed
of it; wherever | looked, there ii "a
shadowy river, in the blue of the sky.
in the gold Of the sunlight; glance
where | would, it was t~here-ulways
there.
Iwas a romantic girl. fun of poetry
and dreams. lie was the first hand
some young man | had seen. and fate
had brought us together. When | awoke
to the reality of the present, my mother
was saving
Nellie, show Mr.. Upton our trees.
think they are the finest in Grace
dicu."
Presently we We're standing in the
glory of the golden sunshine, but | did
not see it. did not see the ripple of
the foliage, the dark woods, the lilac
trees, or the garden. l saw nothing but
the face that was more beautiful to me
than all the world beside.
fIl,,,,n ,,,,, =, gl,nI,, n,l,n,, ,,,,Jn,, fl.n
great lilacs, and We We're sitting there.
his position, and his future.
81 shall always thank Heaven" he
said, that l made my way TO Grace
dieu woods on the tenth of May"
| dared not ask why. | knew.
"Wliat small events rule IL livcs!"
he went on. "lf ! had been one hour
later or sooner, | should not have seen
you, and then" He stopped.
And then?n l interrogated.
"Therc could be no then, he said,
hastily. 1.-The world would be quite
different if l had never seen you. l
shall love May; l shall love the lilacs as
long as | live"
The weight of happiness seemed al
most more than | could bear. 1t SEEM
ed to Inc as if the birds singing around
us llau guessed our secret.
1t was evening when | recovered my
composure. | was sitting with some
work in my land. My mother began
alarmed-alarmed at the tumult of hap
piness in my heart, wondering what
that same gentle mother would say if
she knew that all the world was changed
for me.
Mark was at the cottage again the
next morning, with the excuse of Il
message from his father. / see him
now as | saw him then, with the MAY
sunlight all about him, q smile lighting
up his dark, handsome face, standing
near the lilac-bushes. crying out in his
CHEEKY voice. May l come in and see
how You are this morning, Mrs. Ches-
ter?"
On that same afternoon | went for
my usual stroll through the woods and
down by the river. My heart and
thoughts were full of him. 1t was
hardly a surprise when / s;sN him cross
ing the little rustic bridge that spanned
the river Way to JOIN me. ! was sitting
in Il nest of Violets and forget-me-nots
that grew down TO The edge of the
water.
All, me, it all comes back to me-the
song of the birds, the sound OF the
wind i'll the great trees, the odor of the
lilacs, and my lovers dark, handsome
face bending over me, his warm, strong
hand clasping mine. 1t would have
been well. | sometimes think. had
died then and there with that full sun
light OF happiness upon me For, when
/ realized what WAS passing. when,
above the music OF the birds and the
wind and the rush OF the river, ! heard
every word, Mark Upton was telling
me that he loved me, and asking me to
be his Wife vino one short week before
was only 4 child Oh, happy time of
the lilac-bloom, which had brought me
a lover so good and so true. | dared
not look nj him. | glanced at the river
and the trees-anything rather than
meet his dark, loving eyes.
viii You say that you are not angry,
Miss Chester? Nellie your mother
calls you, and it is the prettiest name
in the whole world-Ncllic, will you try
to love me?''
! faltered ont that l had known linn
only one week. lie cried, "What does
that matter?n A week in such a case
was like an age. There was no such
thing as time in love.
You know there is not. Nellie" he
said. IL tell the simple truth when /
say that at seven O'Clock on the morn.
ing of the tenth of May L was heart
whole and %fancy-frce; l had never
thought of love or marriage; and it is
equally true that by ten O'Clock [ had
sworn to myself that Nellie Chester
should be my wife or no one. Nellie,
you do not know what you looked like
when first saw you. Your hair was
pqrest gold as the sunlight fell full up
omlt your face was fresh and fair as Il
flower; your sleeve had fallen back, and
half your beautiful arm was bare. as
you tried to reach the lilac. and could
not. can only say that that moment
you made your way to my heart, and
that YOU will never leave it again. You
have become part of my life. Now let
me look INTO your eyes. | can read my
answer there"
lie raised my face in his hands and
looked into it rs though lie would read
my very soul.
You do care for me, Neliie,n he
cried; "thc loNe-light is in your eyes!
Say you love me. What does it matter
that we l;aye known each other only
one week? Why, my darling, if you
had been my dearest friend for twenty
years, | could not love you more. You
KNOW me as well now as You will in iif.
" years time. [ do not hide one
thought OF my Heart from you.n
What could say-l. who loved him
with all my girls heart, and to whom
his love was as sunlight and dew are tc
the flowers? said something as to be-
ing very young.
My hair is not gray, Nellie,''h said,
laughing. You are seventeen; l am
twenty. know my love is but a las.
sic yet:' It's for that l love her"
Then he plighted his troth to me.
taking me in his arms and kissing me
as he said
81 love you, Nellie: and while I live ]
shall love no other woman. If you will
lie my wife will live and die for you,
if you will not, | will call no Other
woman wife,
The laughing river and the Singing
birds seemed to repeat the words. !
was da2ed with happiness as | sat with
my head on my lover S breast, wonder.
ing why such perfect bliss should be
mine. content with knowing that | be,
longed to him. that NY life and my love
were his, that i'll the future we should
always be together, glad to know that
the dark, handsome face would Eevel
smile ON another woman, glad to tbinh
that no other woman's hand would ca
reSS the clusters of dark hair, no other
Wonaan's lips kiss the face that was
minn MI nina