The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-01-10
Cn.NpTEa III.
gn!. WEST CLOUD Rtsfa.

The dusk ug the short September even
Ing was falling fast. tt.. Shadows were
gathering ever i:,e sea, and turning liIo
litaSilig waters tnto SlAte-grei: ami Il
thin aut"mnal Nlist htd clepl up aid
lay like 4 enssa.ner web oSar cyery OBJ
.lect eailiil.. the air which lad lately
becil s.; bright and warm.
i.lica SAT ly the winaowof The library
at tisalle House. l3er hands lying ialy
on he lay. her dark eyes. grave and
eva. al II, re}a,se, gang out oyer the
~rAl$etSeut vGc!;-girt SCI. She Was mus
~; nve, m!any things oS er tie glimpse
iti!t! H.liiip had given iey of his ualoyed
i"2E' OF ;ald carly man:iopd, grieying
lag i.latr.eyablo havoc created in 4
Iiatlrc still SO noble, so capabl; of
commanding love: uneonsciuusly almost
comparing him with Arnold. who had
been loved and petted from his birth.
And What WAS he? Weakness was
the least Of his faults. for he was both
selisl. and headstrong. and incon-
tTolled. Shallow of nature. Yet possess
ing a certain brightness and loyableness
of temperament. which blinded many
to hs faillngs, he bad just passed
through college, without much credit to
himself, and deeply in debt. and lie was
now abroad as far as Erica knew.
The bitter sting that poisoned all
Erlca,s happiness was the knowledge
that Arnold Murray was no honor TO
his name or hers. This was what she
shrank from telling Philip. Phi,ip.
whose notions of honor We're so sterrly.
fastidiously strict, who counted an n
tringenent of honor the blacklist sin.
and made but little allowance. perhaps.
for temptations; and who. if he knew
Arnold's career. would have at once
parted her from him, nor have suffered
his wife to hold any communication
with a nan who has no high reputation
for spotless honor. Not In his own
loved brother even would he have for
given any fall from noJteSSe. He had
said to him, not Sternly, but with a
Walter had understood, when the
younger brother was going up to OK
ford.
You are very dear 10 me Walter. but
on the day that you forget that you are
a gentleman and a st. John, I shall for
get that | have a brother
How then could Erica fulfil the oath
she had made that day marked out in
her life as in letters of fire? Was she
not to guard Arnold, to protect him?
Had not already her duties clashed? To
her the sacrednesS of that oath was alb
solute: she could conceive of nothing
which should justify her in breaking ii.
She had brayely suffered in silence.
tac!tly decelving her husband, deeming
such deception the lesserof two wrongs.
So the girl unused sadly enough this
chill September evening. dimly con-
sclouS OF the moliotonouS mutter of the
waves on the rocks. and the swift
scratching of Philips pen AS il flew
over the paper. lie sat writing at the
cable, but not 50 absorbed in his work
that he did not observe her silence and
abstraction. Perhaps, after adj. ii was
Il II life he had bound liey TO. welded
TO a man ten years older than herself,
he thonght-iay Scarcels thought, for
one vague suggestion Of winch ne was
SIMPLY conscious never framed itself 10
anything so tangible even as thought.
lie threw down the pen at last. aud
rose up, coming over to where She sal.
1T is too dark to see. he said, and |
am but q dull companion for YOU.
Erica. You are very silent and frisis
tonight
She started from her reverie, and col,
orilg q little pushed her bands through
the way hair that fell about her.
y thought you were busy. she said,
half apologeticaliy. Shall | ring For
lights"
"No, not just yet. unless son want
them: it is pleasant resting thus an
swered Philip, leaning against the win
dow-frame. That manuscript can go
out tomorrow morning: I can posi- it
myself tonight. i am getting restless
Erica, to go back to work and life.
You are a true I.ondonep.' said
Erica, laughing, 'you cannot be happy