Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-12-29

looks. Their pale, pinched faces were
heginnino TO get rosy and plump,
ths;r ewes were brighter, and as theit
health increased their hopes and spiri.s
csc also. Mrs. Osborne was tlreiessln
her efforts to make them happy ana
comfortable. and although much an.
nS,ved at her sons behavior she dld not
Iat II mar their pleasures nor upset her
plans in their behalf. .,L
Rut the time had come when frank
Osborne could not escape meeting enis
feminine ogre, aud it happened III thiS
wise.
Mrs. Osborne, az usual, was about TO
take her guests for their morning.
drive. when Mrs. Durand PLEADED a
distressing headache and begged NAV
thew would go without her. MRS. Us
borne reluctantly consented, out not DC
fore she had ensconced Mrs. Durand IN
a corner of the porch, hiddcn by 'he
luxuriant vines.
Frank had always visited the house
during these drives, and on this par
ticular day. seeing them all drive on
"a he Thought, hai started on his mis-
SON. He was soon striding up the
garden path, and then, bounding up the
porch steps, met, face to face, his moth,
er's guest. One look and he recolled
as if hit with a bullet.
INV God!" he gasped. "Can 1t be
possible? Alice Wyndham you
here!"
MIS-. Durand had arisen and now
| stood facing him, speeches. ana
trembling in every limb. Her lace
was ashy pale, aud her eyes dropped,
as She behe!d 49, the man she had
wrynged in days gone by. But there
as no esrt g To- her and sinking into
her chair she covered her face with her
hands.
Frank stood gazing at her as II she
were an apparition and them mastering
himself with the memory OF his Iie
blighted by this woman crowdinS MS
brain; slowly Missed between his SET
teeth: "How dare you come here'
Was it not enough to ruin my young
life with your treachery, and now yoa
must pursue me in my seclusion!"
His taunt af0tised her, and uncover
ing her face she looked al him unflnch-
in9lv. By an almost superhuman ef-
fort She rose above her distress and
standing before him, lovely in her
helplessness, answered steadily:
Drank Osborne ! do not pursue
YOU. | knew not that this vas. your
home, else | would have died in njy
attic, before coming here"
"You were false once" he exclaimed.
dercely. "How do you expect me to
/ believe you nowp" ,,,
"You must believe me-" she said in
: anguish, "you must believe me. We
will soon part, | hope forever. But be-
fore it is too late, listen to what i have
J 10 say, II cannot hurt you now it will
relieve my bursting heart: Grant me
this boon, | beseech you. Then let US
part forever"
, Frank Osborns +as touched. How
, like the Alice of old she looked. II
I possible even more beautiful. Those
/. ewes. could he refuse? He hardened
his heart and answered, s~cornfully:
i Nothing you can say can palliate
yotjr oftense against my youth, against
e my loye, against my life. Why, then,
: should | HEAR it?"
: "Listen," she murmured, "and then
Q Judge, condemn, and even curse me, II
o YOU will. But listen. was my faith
er's pet. had been his companion for
o years, for had been left motherless al
! an early age. ] strors to please him in
5 every way, he TO grast my every wish
We we're all in all to each other. Their
| met yoti. You erept into my hear
n and filled it. l loved you. You smile
sc~ornfully at this, yet it was true. We
a rere engaged and were happy. But 9
cloud arose. My father was an officia
of the state. He was drawn int.
' speculation and lost all he had. To re
! trieve himself he used money ~intrusteo
to him by the state. Oh, bitter day
He lost again. He was 81 embezzler
r In his despair he turned to fde. "
d did not know of our engagement. HI
asked me to marry a man who wa
wealthy, who had sued for my han,
before l knew you. He knew m,
father had lost everything, but he wa
ignorant of the terrible secret. Nha
10 could 7 dor DO you think l gave yol
Up without a struggled? For many day
ir | wrestled with my love for you aut
nv duty to my dear father. 1t alTios
killed me, but at last driven by N
fathers baggard face, who would glad
" have died, il he could have done $
with honor, / yielded. / broke on
engagement. l married the other an
10 saved my father. Shortly after, ~
father, for whose life / had sold m
:" own, was killed in a railroad acciden,
Is NV husband for a few years treate
n me kindly. Then he took to drink
10 s~quandered his fortune, sunk lowe
70 and lower, and finally was killed in
III saloon brawl. Since then | have toile
ne day and night to keep life in my CHI
e. dren. But for them | would have SUI,
er cumbed long ago. | am almost a be.
gar to-day. Do you think now that
SO have not suffered as well as you
h? Judge me as you will. / go back t.
id morrow to my living death. ! hoE
never to cross your path again. Far
~ WELT"
i'll The strain which Mrs. Durand Ina
W undergone during this recital was a
1e most too much for her weak condition
M She turned to enter the house, sta,
d, gered and would have fallen had n
Frank sprung forward and caught h
n. in his arms. He carried her in, lai
II, her gently on the couch, shoute
hoarsely to his mother, who had ju
be entered, and rushed away. Scarce
st a moment elapsed before he was ella
nd tering down the road on the back
his swiftest horse after the village do
as tor.
en-
%. For many weeks she lay lowering b
IS, tween life and death, but the carefl
S., and loving nursing of Mrs. Osborne ar
to the hopeful words which Frank his
n spoken, when he said. "Alice, you a
in forgiven. Live now for me-" brougI
a her slowly back to health.
nd A year has passed. On the vim
e. covered porch sits Mrs. Osborne. I'll
ey dog lies at her feet as usual. But WI
ak is this happy pair coming up the gard'
es patha l beg your pardon. Let me j
n. troduce you. "Mr. and Mrs. Frar
nd Osborne" The boys scampering abo'
re- need no introduction, for they will sot
no make themselves known to you.
he The old farmhouse is full of life al
ed happiness now, all unconscious
ed brought about by the dear old mothe
err who a year before had opened her hou
By to a country week"
iiu Country Boys Who Grew Famou
on The two Adamses were citizens OF