The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-05-20
JUDGE NOT"

American Cultivator.
JUDGE NOT
1t all happened some years ago. but
l mink | remember the points quite
we'll; l am not SO certain, however.
that l shall be able to do the story
justice, for l am not a clever ralon-
teur, and you will probably surmise
the end long ere l have reached it.
My friend-we might call him Smith
my friend Smith was able to be of
some service to a man whom he met
in q foreign land. The man met with
a fatal accident, a few days later, and,
together with the valet, Smith volun-
teered to nurse him. The stranger
feeling he had a claim on Smith be-
cause OF the first favor, burdened him
with the pleasant task of bearing the
news of his death to his wife.
Upon Smiths return to England, he
carried out his mission, and having
gone once, he went again. She was a
very young woman, and very beauti-
full. and Smith was irresistibly at
tracted. Her husband had been a
scoundrel and after a decent lapse of
time, she married Smith. For he
first tour years of their marriage thew
were 60 intensely happy that it is Dos
Hlole they proved rather tiresome to
their friends. About that time, Smith
began to miss money and other arti-
cles OF value, and was finally able to
trace the thefts to the butler. The
man vainly denied the charge, and,
although none of the missing valu-
ables were found in his possession, he
was discharged without a character.
This mid measure was adopted he.
cause CT the intercessionsi of NV
Ariend's wife.
For some weeks Smith entertained
70 doubt that he had fastened the
barglarles on the proper party, but on
returning home one evening he found
his wife in the library. She had
opened his desk by means of a false
key, and/in her hand held a roll of
notes. Guilt was depicted in every
feature; she covered before him-sbe
was abject in her cowardice.
She had no brother nor any near
relative who might need help. The
man, anxious to find some excuse for
her; suggested this; but 1t was for no
relative. 1t was for herself; yet she
had wanted for nothing that money
could buy or love devise. He might
not have conceived her sin to be so
tlagrant had she not permitted the
servant to suffer in her stead. So far
as 1t was possible, Smith made resti-
tuition to the man; but by her silence
she had convicted herself OF the most
heinous of all transgressions in her
husbands eyes. There was one way
only in which he could explain the
matter to himself. He had never be.
lieved in kleptomania until then, but
1t was the one thing upon which his
mind conferred. And she confessed
she had been often impcl!ed to take
valuables for which she could have no
possible need.
He was q proud mar and he was
tortured by his discovery. He had re-
garded his wife. his child, and him.
self as being made OF finer clay than
the rest OF mankind. His disillusion
was complete. The dag after she was
1nmasked she came into a splendid
inheritance, but Smith vigorously re-
fused to permit the expenditure of any
of It in the household. He dared not
leave her for an instant, thinking the
desire might come back to her. He
sacrificed his pride by telling the true
state Of affairs to her maid, a trusted
servant, and together they kept vigil
liant guard Owe her. 1t was The most
insidious cruelty he could contrive-
one that must have wounded her sore
ly. She was never permitted to lose
sight of her sins. He was infexible
in his course. keeping her always un-
der his relentless eyes. My friend
Smith thought himself. in those DAYS,
quite capable Of accusing and ad-
judging his prisoner, and seeing that
the sentence was properly carried out.
When she seemed to forget for an in
slant her past error, Smith ever so
gently turned the thumb-screws. All,
he really devised modes of exquisite
torture that she should properly ex-
plate her crime.
No. she did not rebel: she drearily
accepted the penalty of her misstep.
At first she lived in deadly fear les,
he should send her away from him;
nut when she found it was part of his
plan to be with her constantly, she
seemed content. She could not,
rather would not grow accustomed tc
the thought that she had forfeited
Smiths love. During the first few
days she lowered around him, hoping
to lure some expression of pardon
from him, some word of love. Never
forgetting that she bore his name he
treated her with a cold civility tina
was more frightful to her than would
have been an exhibition oil brute
force. He was disciplinlng himself al
the while in depressing his feelings.
for, as you have perhaps suspected,
he loved her as passionately as aver
She devoted herself exclusively tt
the child. who had become a source
of constant agony to Smith. If he
took a fruit or sweetmeat that hat
been forbidden him. it became tt
Smiths fevered imagination evidence
NIdu liz Ldu 1ullCI1GCO GuS llOluGF
weakness; in other days it would hav,
seemed the child's lovable fault O.
play.
TIE child slept in the mother
apartments, and Smith was about t,
retire night when his wife came il
h%urriedly, bidding him send immedi
ately for.their physician, for the llttl,
one was choking. Smith went bacl
with her. and. after seeing the child
left the room-she thought to send TO
the family physician. She used tn
t simple remedies that had formerl,
proved effectual, but without avail
. She raised her eyes to Smith in ago
. nlzing appeal. but y made no move
ment At length he told her he ha
2 not summoned a physician, believing
1t better that the child should die.
You are astounded at my friend
e action, but he himself did not ques
e ton the wisdom of his courses; perhap
U II did NOR Nro.r 10 him that ho oo,,l