Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-04-05
LIZ OF HI PINES.

hS"'yt NiS"NhAhb i1ih WAS idllIug
d~rearily.
l stood at the open door Of the rude,
tumble-down shanty which Llz-.Liz
Of the Pines" / called her-had mp.
pointed as our place of rendezvous;
and as | watched the threatening as
pect OF the night, my mind caught
something Of its gloom.
And that was quito unnecessary.
was unsettled, and dissatisfied, and
miserable enough without any such ex-
ternal influence. Here had Ned
Gray, 4 bachelor Of leisure. aud edu-
cation, and wealth, q man OF thirty,
who ought TO have been superior 10
such nonsense-here had I come, steal
ing through the lonely pine woods long
after | was supposed to DO asleep, 10
keep an extremely risky appointment,
with m ignorant, half-wild beautiful
creature. who bore among her relatives
and familiar associates the elegant APP
pellation of ''Backwoods LIZ
As / waited-and particularly as !
speculated upon the possibility of her
making a still more egregious fool oil
me by not coming at ALL alternately
cursed the feminine within and love OF
power which had induced her TO sum
mon me hither, and my own mad, fool.
ish i~nfatuation for her beauty which
had compelled me, rs it were, to obey.
Her beauty! While waiting for hel
living, breathing presence 10 gladden.
my bodily eyes | ~conjured before my
mental vision n fair picture OF hel
matchless charms. Matehlessp Yes.
Nature unaided had done her best, and
Liz was altogether beautiful.
l despair of describing her. The
slight, 1.-the, graceful, exquisitely
rounded figure, whose every movement
and attitude was fun of unconsciou;
and unstudied grace. The darkly bril-
liant and expressive face, s~un-kissed
10 softest rose or vivid crimson on the
lips and cheeks; the large grey eyes,
with their long ebon lashes; and the
wealth of splendid hair-these were
but physical charms. knew that the
fair casket held ! worthy gem,-that
the ignorant girl, who could not read
nor write, possessed a mind OF more
than common intelligence, and q pure
and lovely SOUL
And | was in love with he~r-rcally
love-with a serious passion that was
more than half made up of pain, and
which ! experienced for the first time
In my life. 1t was a strange madness;
alternately / yielded 10 IL or struggled
against It, we'll knowing that only mis-
cry could como of it all the time.
She had told me that. Shc was sim
pie and straightforward as truth itself,
and knew nothing of double-dealing.
What use is love between you and
mep" she said. sorrowfully. II am
no mate for such as YOU"
Personally she might have mated
with a king. Surely King Cophetua's
beggar-maid was never fairer. But
she had relatives-low-lived ruflians oil
the coarsest mould. Could | ally my.
self-my family-with them?
''And if you could and would, you
should not" she said. resolutc!y.
You must go-for my sake and your
own-go, and forget metz
And | had promised TO comply
mans love is SO much moro selfish than
woman's. Although in my anxiety
and pain / scarcely realized the humil,
iating fact, / know now that 1t was less
OF her interest or happiness / thought
than of my own.
| had left England some three months
before this present stormy night, on {
hunting expedition in the Willis of Can,
ada. An enthusiast in the sport, nc
woman, until | met LIZ Of the Pines
had ever proved a rival TO my gun,
But 1t was different now.
/ started as the sound of hcrss light,
swift footsteps fell upon my car a
last; and rs ] drew her into the for.
saken hut, aud touched her for q nom
ent as took the dripping cloak from
her head and shoulders, my pulse:
thrilled with q sweet. half-deliriou:
Joy, and the heretofore gloomy, desc
late place seemed changed TO an earth.
ly heaven.
She was trembling, and very pale.
She had kept me at n terrible distance
always, this backwoods beauty. who
now summoned me to a rendezvous nj
night; but when l saw her shaking sc
that she seemed likely TO fall, / sud-
denly threw my arms around her.
What was my surprise when, instead
of gravely repulsing me, she clung al
most convulsively to me for an in
slant, and burst into n passion of tears.
For q moment only. Almost immed-
lately she had recovered her self-con-
troll, and drew a little away from me.
though not quito out of my arms, look.
ing up earnestly into my face.
.I've come at the risk of my life,'
she whispered, ito warn you that
yours Is in danger"
We were standing in the doorway 81
the hut. The rain had ceased. and the
wind had lulled, and n pale sickly
moon stole out timidly. By its faint
light l could see the sweet, pale face.
and the gray eyes, full of love and fear,
uplifted TO my owr. Suddenly, and
before she knew, l stopped and kissed
her--for the first time. She sprane
away with a faint, low cry; but flung
pride and prudence TO the winds nj the
touch of those velvet lips.
Heaven bless the danger that
brings you to my side!" l cried. 'Oh,
Liz--sweet Liz!-I love you'll"
She stood at a little distance, watch
ing me with startled eyes, rs If uncer'
tain whether to stay or fly. Her indie
cision was very brief, however.
II know" she said, putting up hel
hand with a ~deprecating gesture, as ii
to keep me Off know you do. And
I, too-no. don't touch me, pleased
/ didn't care for you more than all thu
world. should / be here to-nightP"
Oh. LIZ! but it was hard 10 hear you
say those words and yet stand quiet
and obey.
..My cousin came homo to-day" she
went on. hurriedly; ''tho man ! have
told you of. What do l know il hc's
nv cousin or not? What TO | know
whose child I am? But that's no mat
ter. All of you-gentlc and simple
call me a beauty; and Jim swear tina
I shall be his wife"
A quick shudder ran visibly through
all her frame as she spoke those words
aud l uttered a cry of rage.
F.lfe's heard OF you." she added
quickly. Fathers been telling him
you fancied me, and they sat this even
Ing drinking and plotting together, anS
though l couldn't hear half they said