Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-07-13
M-aa.afzazz1sz gs=~=G
e RvE.BS IELL}
Na&XAcc@SyJNYNaaA AzyM xanSg./

SNCI Sutl a iiisiiiiiEiithS ~
Edna's hand rested c~onsolingly on
her lovers arm. as his face clouded.
"Oh. it is not quite desperate" she
| spoke cheerily. Let us go over the
real facts of the case, Raymond, and
be patient. Here 1 am, IA nobody, a
| girl from nowhere. / seem to have
been placed at the seminary here at
ten years of age, without a memory
of early childhood. Miss Chandler says
n mysterious gentleman brought me
here, paid ten years tuition and board
in advance for me, and-that's all"
Not a letter since-not q visit since
Not even Il hint. Here l was left.
Was / an orphan, was / abandoned
| here, or was the mysterious gentleman
my father, who, for lack of a dead
mothers care, placed me here for safe
! keeping, and going out into the world
TO forget his sorrows or win a fortune,
died with the secret of my identity
locked in his bosom?"
"And nowT" murmured Raymond, his
loyal heart beating with renewed SYM
pathy for the friendless girl who
seemed to deserve all the love and care
| he had vowed to her.
Now, Miss Chandler says we must
wait. 1 am virtually her ward. She
dare not sanction u union. Any day
my father, or whoever my mysterious
relative may be, might appear to claim
me. What would he say if he found
me married to a painter who won't
paint, an artist who talks more love
than art?'
Wait" CALCULATED Raymond, impa-
tiently. For how long? The ten years
have two to III yet"
Yes, but l am eighteen to-day-of
legal age. Miss Chandler says she YER
lily believes that some word or direction
| will come soon"
1t was an old story gone over now for
the hundredth time, but there was new
interest in discussing it. They talked
of their plans, of their hopes, of the
golden future life seemed to pressage.
Il must go now" spoke Edna ut last.
) Why! / have been here nearly half
an hour. / wanted to tell you about
the reception tomorrow evening. Mr..
Brinsley is to take me. He is Miss
Chambers cousin, and / want to please
her"
Raymond's eyes showed a rising
token of jealousy, but he was prudent
ly silent.
IF he does not go / shall write you.
and you must be my knight-errant. /
hope he does not. Goodbye. No!
Beatrice is looking this way. Be pa
tent, Raymond, and above all, do make
some progress on that tiresome, ever
to-be-finished picture"
She was gone as she had come, like
a flashing, dainty sprite. Raymond
Marshall followed her with his eyes
until the bushes shut out the remotest
view of her pretty, nodding cap.
"Picture." he murmured, with a sigh.
as he packed up stool and easel. Who
could paint with such a face haunting
every glance and thought? And she
bids me wait! Wait to be tortured
every time l see her in the company
OF that fellow Brinsley, or making a
confidante of Beatrice Mercer. How
L distrust her."
Yes, Miss Beatrice Mercer was n
thorn in the artists side. Why. he
could scarcely explain. She was pretty,
young, apparently devoted to his fan
Gee. but more than once he had caught
her eyes fixed on Edna with a latent,
baleful light, upon himself with a pas
sionate, pleading expression that mys-
tilted, repulsed him, he knew not why.
But all this would soon end; alb. yes,
1T nus soon end. The mystery of his
fancee must some time cease to be q
mystery. 1t was not an unusual case.
1t would probably have a very prosaic
conclusion, with the long-lost father
returning, and explaining that he had
placed his daughter in Miss Chambers
charge because she was motherless.
Then they would marry, and life
would be worth living, and all the dis
t~ressing trifles Of the present would
vanish. 1t must be so. Edna had pre-
dicted that word must soon come from
her mysterious relative.
Her faith as hopeful as his own.
Edna locked her arm through that of
her companion, and did most of the
chattering the way back to the semi
nary.
Miss Mercer went straight to her own
room. If Edna had seer her as she
threw herself on her bed and lay con-
vulsed in n paroxysm Of tears of rage.
and emotion for over an hour, she
might not vainly have guessed at the
cause of the varying moods of this
strange creature.
AS to Edna, she studied for an hour
and started to find her friend again,
thinking of Raymond's handsome face
despite herself, and Raymond's anxious
wish that the obstacles to their union
We're removed-that "word would
come and the suspense of waiting be
alleviated.
"Oh, Edna! Miss Chandler wishes to
see you at once" spoke a FELLOWSHIP
dent, as Edna crossed the hall.
Particularly murmured Edna. with
a smile.
Very much so. She sent me for You.
and seemed greatly excited. Some
thing has happened; l don't know what,
but she acted very much agitated.'
Yes, something had happened, and
Edna Deane knew what, a few min
| utes later.
Something had happened in a way
directly in accordance with her
thoughts and Raymond MarshalPs i'm
| patient desires.
Word" had come!
CHAPTER III.
FROM THE PAST.