Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-08-31
CHAPTER xv-fContinued,

all that had transpired had come to
pass. The one glaring fact confronted
and appalled, her-she had arrived at
lIopctIalc TO see her lover vel another.
No excuse of time, CT absence could
condonc such speedy transfer OF anec-
lion. He was sliallow-hearted. disloyal,
i~nsincere. and she, Beatrice, a schem-
ing siren.
Mercy. child how white and fright.
ened you look. But, never mind.
Thank heaven! you have come back.
John has been SO lonesome for another
sight OF youc bonnie face, that he
hasn't cat, slept or smiled since you
went away"
That Was Mrs. Blake's CHEEKY wei
come, and it warmed and comfortld
the homeless wanderec.
They asked no questions, but the
keen motherly eye of the farmers wife
seemed to intuitivcly take in a true
conception or a shre,vd guess of the
true STATE OF a~ffiirs. and without ac-
tually intruding on Ednas grief, she
spoke many q quiet, effective word of
consolation, tried 20 lead her guest
thoughts to other themes, as the days
went by.
Thus ii was that in less than a week
Edna had settled Town into q life
peaceful, happy, indescribably so. only
with that dark shadow of the past
haunted her like n pail
Her new friends mad talked plainly
10 her. They liked her; she filled a
dead daughters place I'm their hearts.
she was welcome TO remain with them
as a guest or adopted chill as hong as
she chose.
The little household duties she en-
gagged In busted her thoughts. She saw
a new mission in life in making the
declining years Of these W. friends
happy with her presence, ner aid and
her smiles.
Indulgsnt Fla sme- John brought her
new dresses, trained his best pony for
her use in riding and driving, and in
sisted that she try to zoo back the
roses TO her wan checks by a scanper
over the mcors and down the river
path every day.
Tie first fierce snow Of autumn had
melted beneath the warm SIN, and No
,vrmlWr seemed ike May. only for the
red fallen leaves and the crisp, Drac-
Ing air.
One afternoon Edna set forth in the
little phacton for a drive over the hills.
The gentle pony answered to the light.
est direction OF the lines; the carriage
dog, Bruno, trotted placidly behind.
She could think in these peaceful
drives, and there was a somber salts
faction in brooding once In a while over
the past.
This especial day Edna prolonged her
drive beyond its usual limits. She
drove clear to and beyond the next vii
lage, and only realized hat she would
have difficulty I'm reaching home again
before dusk, when she looked UP from
a sad reverie to find that the short
afternoon was waning fast.
The sight of a flaining bush of q va
ricty quite rare in the vicinity OF the
Blake farm attracted her attention,
however, and she alighted from the
phaeton.
Mrs. Blake had n hobby OF pressing
pretty leaves, and Edna remembered
that she particularly treasured this va
riety. Here they seemed to grow in
~profusion, and she decided 10 gather
quite an armful of them.
She kept wandering through the lit
tie wooded stretch where they grew,
allured by the distant sight of a still
prettier clump of bushes, until, fairly
loaded, she looked up. intent ON re-
tracing her way to the phaeton.
.Deari!" she uttered with Il little start.
where Is the roady'
She penetrated the brambly jungle
I'm two directions with no success. not
ing with a slight thrill OF dismay that
dusk was fast approaching.
Where was the road, the phneton
and Bruno? Once she called the name
of the latter, but she decided she must
be quite a distance from the spot she
had started from, for the usual prompt
appearance OF the faithful animal In
response to such a call was lacking.
Throwing down her leaves she ran
through the bushes straight ahead.
came to a high stone wall, and catch
ing sight OF the towers of a preteatious
structure beyond Ii, lined the moss
covered barrier until she came TO a
broken gate set In the wall.
All was silent and forbidding about
the old structure, but there was evil
dence of occupancy III the cUrtained
windows, and she fancied she caught
the glimmer of a dress on the lawn
some distance away.
II will find some one about the house
and inquire my way to the road, re-
fiected Edna, timoronsly.
She picked her way across an uneven,
i'll kept garden, once so nearly falling
into a trap with great extending jaws,
evidently set for tramps or thieves,
that she shook with a~pprehensive ter
ror.
.'Oh! there is a lady. i see her now.
I will ask her. Mercy!
On the verge Of some pit or excava-
tion is the garden, Edna wavered,
tried to draw back. and then. losing
her balance. plunged forward.
She fell fully fifteen feet. Her head
rrazed the board ride Of the pit. and
half stunned her. Dimly realizing that
the hole, covered over with branches,
was a trap for intruders. she looked
bianlly up at the top with o shudder,
comprehendnig that she could never
scalc the steep.
Help. help! help
Thrice the cry rams q with al the
strength OF her bell-like voice.
Hopefully Edna looked up as the
branches overhead were parted.
who Is tbere?' spoke a woman's
voice.
4 have fallen here" cried Edna;