The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-04-13

cheerfulness exceedingly well. He of
fered a hand at parting, but she shook
her head. He bent toward her then,
laying something in a whisper that made
her face whiten.
CHANGING into the parlor as | passed,
after seeing Dunkirk out, I saw Miss
hRonarge standing as he had left her,
hands clasped behind her. and her beau
tifnl face expressive of a ~hopelessriess
and despair that smote mesto the soul.
The look gave impetus to q half
formed. altogether wild scheme / had i'm
my brain. In my chamber i FASTENED
to lock the door and change my light
clothes for dark ones. j adjusted O
plain mask TO my face selected from
several old hats the most battered, took
d tolernbiy stout walking stick In my
hand, and, swinging myself down from
my window outside that the household
might not discover my absence, set forth.
BY taking a short cut, which was
sure could not be known to Richard
lDunkfrk, Esq. 1 reached a certain lonely
spot, as ! hoped, before him. He came
IN sight presently, sauntering along in
the moonlight; / waited and wondered
IL Richard 'Dnnkirk. Esq. was the cow
ard took him to be.
just as he came opposite me / leveled
my walking stick, resting it as | would
q musket across a convenient stump,
while / called in as deep a voice as |
could muster:
Halt for your life!"
MIR. Dunkirk muttered an oath. but he
stopped stock still in the path, with q
What is it you want, fellow?
"Step there into that strip OF moon
light. Be SO good as to deposit the pm
tents of your pockets upon the ground"
He hesitated, but | shifted my walk
ing stick slightly, intimated that | was
in no humor for trifiing, and he pro-
ceeded to obey me.
There were a knife, u watch case, asil-
yer toothpick, a few loose coins, a
shrunken pocketbook and a collapsed
purse, and there he stopped.
THAT is not all" | said sharply.
With a groan he took out a small par
eel.
IAN, upon my honor, but this, which
cannot possibly be of any value to any
one but me; they are merely letters"
ALLOW me to be the judge of that"
answered. "Put them down."
He laid them down upon the ground
with the rest.
pass on" was my next order, and he
marched off past my wooden gun in
safety.
| did not wait for him to get more
than beyond view before | had the con-
tents of his pockets in my hat and was
steering for home by the short cut.
/ waited a week in ONE %trepidition
to see what would chance. Mich
CHANGED in that time, but no Richard
Dunkirk, Esq.
Possibly he felt unequal to meeting
Miss Bonange's clear, penetrating glance
under the circumstances, or he might
have suspected her of some connection
with the robbery, especially as every
thing excepting the letters (the cudgel
included) l had caused to be expressed
to him from a distant city.
Miss Bonange evinced a little wonder
ing anxiety at his disappearance, and
looked incredulous when ! announced
his departure from that vicinity.
She was sitting in the old place, hall
reclining among the cushions she liked,
when / came softly beside her and laid
the avails of my highway robbery in her
silken lap.
She slipped the cover that bound them;
her beautiful lips quivered, her face
whitened.
did he give them to you, the bastard
But better you than her she flashed.
For answer | told her all.
"And do you know the contents?'
Nor wish to-"
She began to tremble; her eyes filed
with tears.
PLEASE to read them, Steve" giving
them back to me.
do you want to preserve thems"
asked, taking out a match. Shall | de
stroy themw
"Not if-Ihave fallen in your good re
spect, Steve"
my good respect is nothing to you
| said coldly. IF it were | would prove
to You that You had it by telling yor
over again the tale you laughed at MOI
SO long ago." And / touched the letters
with flame.
II should not laugh now" she saii
humbly and looking down, while q fainI
color fickered on her cheek.
What would You dor | demanded.
She shrank a little. then lifted tn,
beautiful eyes to mine and said:
II should say il you were of the sam
mind two years from now
you would be my wife,
EYES,"
She is my wife now, and / have never
regretted my r~obbery.-C. G. in New
York News.
Snails as an Article Of Diet.