The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-02-07

like one who gropes in darkness, moved
to the door. But Nat sprang forward
and stood between it and her, and she
drew back with a naughty defiant flash
in the large eyes.
"You-dare not stand between me and
my husband" she said. LET me pass,
l am not afraid Of the night; let me 90.
and | will plead with him-he will see
HE won't see you, Miss Erica" said
the man, earnestly. I'm afraid to let
mustn't, indeed.''
"Let me CO. she cried out, frantical-
ly, with a passion of entreaty in her
II must, I must,'-she choked
back the agony that well-nigh mastered
herr must kneel to him, and he will
fOrgive-belieye. l am his wife; he
will not refuse me. You do not know
him: you think him cold and stern-not
to me, never to me.o
Nat caught her hands and held them
In his own.
I'm just afraid for your very life,
Miss Erica; that's the downright TRUTH"
he said. You sl,an't go, not if l stand
here all night. It's no use your looking
so wild-like at me; there's quite enough
misery without any 0 bloodshed. I
must tell ye, after all, what he said;
and he meant it all-every word; you
ought to know him, missy; he's Just
flint. He says to me, quite passionate,
for all he was quiet enough; If you
value her life and your own, keep her
from my path.' There!"
For a moment, as those awful words
on whom sentence of death has fallen.
Only then at last did she seem to fully
comprehend all that had fallen on her
banned and cast out, dishonored. lostl
"He-said-thatr' fell from her stiff
fened lips. keep her from my path"
She tottered forward a step, dizzy and
blind. and fell like one dead ut his feet.
1t was bright early morning before
the girl once more opened her eyes on
her world of woe-opened them to meet
the anxious, concerned gaze of her pro-
tector, and she started half up from the
rude settle on which he had laid her.
Lie still, my dear. lie still" he said,
putting her back; .''you mustn't stir; I'll
take care of you.'
but ,tf looking m"s du q" y v sf6 w vide; %ssa% sGty.
II must go to him-home."
Hes gone away. missy said the
man, soothingly. "You mustn't try to
see him."
She drew in her breath with a quick
gasp, and pressed her hands over her
forehead, as, like a flash of lightning,
came back to her the memory Of the
night before.
"Ah, l know-I remember" she said,
with such despairing bitterness that the
tears started to his eyes. II remember
now where I am and-what I am. Have
l really done so awful a wrong, am l the
guilty thing he thinks mc?"
No, no, my dear" %interposed Nat,
earnestly. You amt well now. but
you mustn't talk like that. Look.
missy, you can write to him and tell
him.
II cannot tell him the IL thing that
will clear me-" she said, shaking her
head, YEARLY closing the burning eye
lids. "I-I-will see him."
Listen now, Miss Erica. What could
you say if you saw the master? You
say he would have his life. lie wouldn't
never spare him. and you're right, I'm
thinking. You can't say a thing he'd
listen to, cause, you see, It's all true
like"
She lay silent for some time, and then
rose up. putting him aside.
II will write" she said, quietly. She
seemed utterly spent and worn out, the
mere wreck of the bright, bold-spirited
Erica of old: Give me paper; you have
some2 He is really gomez
II see him go to the station, Miss
Erica. l can see right over the village
from here. The trains gone this half
hour.''
Very well. Give me paper"
She sat; leaning her head on her hand,
while he brought her a sheet of paper,
and then he went out and sat down a
little way out of her sight. She drew
out the little gold pencil-case-his gift
with wistful sadness, then bent down
and wrote these lines of despairing sup
plication of such useless pleading.
Surely they might have touched him to
some softer answer!
II have nothing to say-no excuse, no
reason to offer, no explanation to give
Of my absence. deny nothing that you
have been told, it is all true-all but
that l am guilty, that / have brought
%trust-yoa loved me once. Philip-for
trust that shall cover my fault. Am !
asking nor than your love can give?
Oh, think. for the love of God think
of the love | tried to give you! Remem-
Der your lips have pressed mine-have
called me your wife, your darling! lam
that still, Phi]ip-loyal true, though
may seem to have broken my faith.
What shall plead, what more shall
say? ! have no words, Philip. my
thoughts fail me in my despair. Have
mercy! have pity! and forgive"
She broke off abruptly, adding nc
more, and the pencil dropped from her
fingers.
1t had been agony to her to write
those words. They came from the
depths Of her despair, and she knew
they were empty words, they would fall
dead to the ground.
And so they went forth, and the days
passed slowly, all too slowly. She was
told that the house was shut up, only
Mrs. Robertson remained to take care
of it. 1t was said in the village that il
was to be sold, and all the village knew
her story now, and in the great houses
round they spoke of it too, and some
pitied and condemned, and more con.
demned and had no pity. Well, she
was not worthy of pity if it were al
true.
And one day there came an answer
for her. It had come under cover to the
postOflice at Rington, whence she had
dated.
II ask neither reason, explanation, OF
excuse from you" Philip wrote, "as you
say you deny nothing but one thing;
that denial l pass over, You ask more
faith than lies in me to give. For dis.
honor l have neither forgiveness, OF
mercy, or pity. Justice you may claim
and justice l give you. You are my
wife yet in name, as Heavens law made
you, and that l cannot break. but from
henceforth you are nothing more: there
lies a gulf between you and me that not
a lifelong p%enltence can bridge. Yor
have chosen your path-see that it never
crosses mine. for never will | look or
your face again. You are dead to me
II have made arrangements with Mr.
Garth, my solicitor. by which you arr
provided for. You are at liberty to ap
ply to him by letter whenever you will
That was all--those cold, hard lines
no s%oftening apparent in them, not on,
word of farewell.
And as Erica read the last lines he
features grew rigid and stony, and sh
rose up and laid the paper On the fir
and watched it consume.
HE gives me iustice!!" she murmured
q world of bitterness in the low tones
And l will die before these hands shal
take hold of the life his Justice render
me. And SO. farewell, hope, love, life!
All was over now.
Henceforth her life would be a blank
IN oSictapoo IN u,l,iob do.po;r uo,,lI h