The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-01-17

FAILING IN LOVE AND Dury

FAILING IN LOVE AND DUTY.
Philip st. John did not 90 to London
to see his brother, but sent him a letter
and a cheque instead, for he did not
care to leave Erica alone at Grayle
House. She seemed not at all her usual
self, sometimes sitting for hours, silent
and musing, grave and sad. he thought:
at other times bright with a sort of
fcverish excitement of manner that was
scarcely natural.
Was it his fancy, too. that she seemed
now and then to shrink from him,
while leaning upon him more than she
used to? She had, indeed, been the
cause of his remaining at Grayle instead
of going to town, for she had seemed to
dislike the idea of being left alone, and
asked him If it was necessary for him
to 60, and yet had disclaimed any exact
wish to keep him from his brother. In
truth, she dreaded with a wild fear that
Walter should tell Philip the name of
this friend of his who was mot of
Philips sort"
Her mind wa on the rack as long as
Arnold was at Rington-distant about
lived in these days Oh suspense. tortured
by a thousand fears, and more than all
by the necessity of this miserable s.
lence she deemed herself bound to mail.-
tain to her husband, and which was a
tacit deception.
One evening late in September the
girl wandered down to the beach where
Poynter's boats lay.
1t was quite dark, and a fresh breeze
was blowing in from the sea and lifting
the loose tresses that fell on her Shout
d,rs.
Philip had ridden over to a village
some miles away to see a friend. who
was staying there, and he would not be
back until late; so, weary and sad of
heart, Erica had put on her hat and
thrown a shawl round her and come
down to commune with the sea, as she
used to do when a child.
The sea was as sorrowful as herself,
she thought, and muttering softly to
her as the waves came rolling in almost
to her feet.
There was something in the desola-
ton Of the eel that exactly chimed in
with her mood. The dark mass of wa
ter stretching away, it seemed. into in
tinitude; the bleak rocks rising up to
right and left; only here and there a
light cleaning from some house up on
the hills; the perfect stiffness that was
intensified by the sullen wash {" the
ocean.
Erica stood, her fingers lightly inter
laced, her hands hanging down loosely
before her, the large, mournful eyes
looking out with Affixed, changeless gaze
into the darkness.
Did it cross her then that she was
keeping her vow at a tremendous cost.
a cost that outweighed the sanctity of
an oath made even to the dying?
1t might have done so, but the very
words so burned into her brain to her
were justification: "at whatever cost to
yourself or to others.'' They shut up
any loophole of escape. She could not
see n ray of light in all her darkness.
no end to the misery that had fallen on
her.
She was so absorbed in her own
thoughts that a step crushing the
shingles did not rouse her. II she heard
it at all she probably deemed it that of
some fisherman going, home, and she
started and sprang back almost a pace
at the voice that fell on her ear. as she
saw the man who stopped before her.
"Arnold," she said. under her breath,
"why have you Gomez
"To see you, dear coz Arnold re-
piled, coolly. II went up to the house,
and the observation-disclosures, j sup
pose by her venerable looks-told me
yon were down on the beach, SO l came
after YOU"
"What made you go to the house?'
said the girl, quickly and sternly.
Because l knew st. John wasn't
there" answered Arnold. laughing. 81
saw him over at WILDWOOD, and took care
to ascertain from Poynter that he
wouldn't be back till late. Poynter is c
treasure. He knows everything
How long are you going to stay al
Rington?" asked Erica, without reply,
ing to his remarks.
1.-THE races come off in a week or two
Ishall leave after that; if my horse
that is, Fenton. you know-Wins / shal
be the richer by several hundreds; il
he loses l shall have to make myself
scarce"
You, and such as you" she said
slowly, "are enigmas to me. Can yor
choose a life that literally hangs on thu
chance of one horse distancing another
i'll a given spaceY Can you Ike a life
that IS u agony OF susrense?,
ging his shoulders, sand. besides. 70:
make SO much out of nothing. VIVA
you call IAN agony of suspense, is
sort of p%leasurable excitement. 1 sup
pose you can't understand it. There.
something eNhilarating in the though
that you may be rich or Il beggar TO
morrow, as tho turn Of the dice or tn,
running of a horse may decide"
MOL don't understand it. I ONLY
know. Arnold, that this life of suspens,
is killing me-"
He started. and a look of shocked
wonder amt into his face; then he lait
his hand on her shoulder.
WHAT life of suspense?" he said
eEay do you make yonrsAf 20 uniiap
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