Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1890-01-04
THE LOVERS LEAP.

among the green banks and rocky
cliffs of one of ourNew England states;
it empties into the broader river, which
in turn hurries on to the sea.
There is a spot on the shore of this
stream high. rocky cliff which is
called The Lovers Leap"
Years ago a young Indian maiden
took this fearful leap to a watery grave
with her lover, because she was denied
the husband of her choice.
Laura Cheney knows the story well.
She has passed all her life on the
shore of this beautiful stream.
Her father is a lumberman, and Laura
keeps house for him in the little brown
cabin which they call home.
Laura is a pretty girl in spite of the
fact that she is brown with the suns
kisses, and her dresses are of coarse
material, and her shoes rough and
heavy.
All the young lumbermen know this,
and one, Ben Herder, has paid in
cessant court to her for two years.
But Laura has never loved any one
besides her father and the big mastiff,
Bruno-her young mother died at her
birth.
Ben is a brawny giant, with moody
black eyes and a long black beard, and
Lanra is half afraid of him.
An excursion party from a distant
city has been spending some days in the
vicinity.
There is one young gentleman of
whom Laura sees a good deal.
He is not so large a man as Herder,
but is tall, erect, and graceful, with
keen. gray eyes, fair hair, closely curl
ing about a fine head, and a long, fair
mustache.
His hands are whittier and dainter
than Laura's but they have muscles
like steel. and he is anything but the
'milk-sop" that Ben Herder calls him.
This Godfrey Duston is so well
pleased with the country that he allows
the excursion party to depart without
him, while he invests in a tent and a gun,
and settles down to camp life near Abel
Cheney's little brown cabin and de-
clares his intention of staying through
the very last of the golden autumn
DAYS.
Ben Herder scowls ominously when
he hears this.
He hates this newcomer, who treats
Laura with such gentle courtesy as she
has never known before.
As Duston becomes better acquaint-
ed with her his gun is neglected, and
they take long walks and sails to-
gether.
He tells Laura wonderful stories Of
the great world from whence he came;
and she, in turn, reveals to him the
secrets of the woods and relates among
other things the legend OF Lovers
Leap.
Godfrey, weary of the restraints OF
society. of the frivolous women
OF his world, sore at heart because OF
one who has cruelty deceived him,
draws a new and delightful magnetism
from this pure and healthy child of the
forest.
She has just enough knowledge Of
books TO make her eager for more, and
he becomes her teacher.
As the days 60 by he begins to ask
himself If this is not a better life than
the other-would he not be happier to
win this child-woman for a wife and
make a home there, close % the great
heart of nature?
/ think that this companionship with
Laura is like a tonic to his l~istless.
world-wearS spirit-all the nobility of
his nature m to the surface in his
intercourse with her.
He has not thought of the possible
effect upon Laura, but she loves him,
although she does not know il.
She lives in a happy dream.
She ha only one fear-the fear OF
Ben Herder, who makes fierce love to
her at every opportunity.
"Do you think that Duston will
marry youp" he queries one day, when
he has surprised her as she waved her
hand from the cliff to the young man
who is padding along the stream. He
has a wife or sweetheart at home-he
is only amusing himself with YOU"
Laura gazes at him in shame and dis
may.
II don't know what you meanP' she
stammers at last.
Ben grasps her roughly by the arm.
Don't / know that he's bewitched
ye-like a snake charms a bird before
he kills itp IF he SEE es he loves yer
it's a lie; he couldn't love ye as / do,
Laurie"
/. He never said such o thing" says
Laura, with flashing eyes and crimson
checks. Let me 60. Ben Herder. you
hurt my arm"
we've hurt my heart, Laurie. Ye
was kind ter me fore that swell came.
IF yen be my wife I'll never DO rough
ter yer again, gal. It's because I'm
skeered of losing you makes me SO.
Laurie, can't yer Ike md = little? l
love We So"
They r frightfully near the edge
Of the clif-so near that Laura shrinks
back and tries to pull her arm from
Ben's grasp.
'.Let me 60, Ben. do not care for
you. ! never, never. viii be your
wifeW
All the brutal passion in the mans
heart flames up.