Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-11-01

Q(atQ
CHAPTER vr-1Continueds

NHsS
The straw fell from Genna's hands.
She surned fercely on the woman
VIII yoa neyer be silent on that sub
jectT' she said. Il have told you I
never wish TO hear her Rame-most %
all from lips to whom her shame is =
Jest and a by-werd."
Very well." said Teresina., offended
at this rough reception Of her news, Il
will tell you no more, though the best
or the tale remains Perhaps Nita is
no shame 10 you after all: perhaps she
has done bettep for herself thar we all
believed. and rs safely married. and
a great lady to boot But then you do
not care. Why do / trouble TO tell you
anything Of herr
Nay, dear Teresina." cried Geuna.
implorinGly, forgive me! l was rough
and rude. but indeed II hurts me that
tongues should speak lightly OF Nita-
my little Nita whom l nursed from her
oabyhood, and loved as l never loved
another earthly thing. oh, my dear.
If your news be good. tell me-tell ME.
My heart is hungry for a word of the
child, the child whom for three long,
weary years / have never SEEN"
The intense anguish and longing OF
her voice sOftened the offended wom-
an. She took her seat once more.
Well" she said. of course il is for
your sake / tried to learn as much as
| could. and from what l hear it is the
wife OF a rich noble who is making
such a sensation by her beauty. and
the description Of her is very like
Nita."
"Wel?" said Gennn, hurriedly.
Does not that please your" asked the
woman ia wonder. Fancy Nita a
great lady. with wealth and honor and
Jewels and fine dresses-Nita, who used
to run bare-headed through the fields,
and was the widest and sauciest girl
sn the whole country-side!'
"Nita, who was your friend" inter
:upted Genna haughtily, and whom
you were the first TO speak Ill Of"
1T looked SO bad" said Teresina, n
Htde shame-faced At the rebuke. Bat
! should be heartily glad II this were
true. Dear me; why, i should ike TO
60 TO Rome OIL purpose 10 see her. II
would be SO fine! Would she speak
10 a., think your"
But Gonna was silent. Her thoughts
were busy, and full OF 4 great wonder.
IN intense ~thankfulnsss Nita's faith
leSSness was stil al unalterable fact,
but still. 70 know that she was safe,
happy, honored-that was indeed COM
fort.
Seeing how quiet and absorbed she
was. TereSina oOn roSe and took leave
Of her. Genna was eyer a dull COM
paniOn-that she knew Of oh-so she
went away to her own home, and re-
Hered her mind by ~inceSsaut chatter
to her patient husband IS she gave
him his supper.
Meanwhile Genna sat on by the fire.
light, her straw Plating forgotten, her
busy hands idle for once. 1T is TO
better after ALL" she said At last. Poor
or forsaken, she would have come back
10 me; great, rich, honored, she will
forget II Is a. II she were dead!'
Yet those few words OF Tereslna's
haunted her the long night through.
TO 20 to ROme-to see her-to know
II this were tTueT"
With bent head. with dght-clasped
fingers, with bated breath-so b sat
and thought-thought, while her pa
tent ayes grew dim with the slow
! tears that filed them, and rolled down
her worn, thin cheeks
As the hours passed. and the night
! deepened, so did a resolve that those
careless words had first awakened in
her mind. She looked at the old, IA
miliar. quiet place around which the
| fbres Of her heart had twined them
selves, making every homely article
from the wooden settle where her
mother had been wont TO SIT. to the
conner pan whose brightness was
so dear TO her housewifely eyes-aJl
precious and dear alike.
II must go to Rome" she said. and
! sighed unconsciOusly as she said it
| The idea was terrible, yet 10 so ter
/ rible as II had seemed once. Her Of
fpctions were rooted in the h9me OF
her birth, but yet A great longing TO
Caze once more upon her sisters face
. took possession Of her. She must tear
herself away, and then
Il will not stay. | viii return She
| said. half aloud. as though in eXplana-
ton of her resolve. as her gaze dwelt
yp~arn!nCly, tenderly, on every one OF
the familiar and inanimate objects
around: and yet, even while she made
the promise, a dim forebOding crept
into her heart-a fear that a could
not and dared not analyze.
In the morning she gave the place
| into the charge OF the peasant who
| worked on the farm now, and bade
him bring his wife. and stay in the
bolae during her absence. Then, with
out q word TO any one else, she set
out for Rome.