Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-10-25

ened race with wide-open eyes of as.
WAS she not at home
las night then" she asked.
Would / be here asking for her had
she been al homer cried Genna fierce
Ivy. Il tell you / have not seen her
since noon yesterday
A clamor of voices and EXPLANATIONS
rose at these words. Where could She
De! whittier had she gomez" No one
couid suggest anything. though all were
reauy Z" wonder and conjecture. Gen
ia alone stood there quiet, motionless,
ana pale, a great terror in her heart.
an agonized dread in her eyes.
III Is very strange" said old Coco,
out l always said Nita would come TO
harm with her idle ways and her vanity
Il fOOlishness."
ID not reproach her" said Genna, in
a strange, wistful voice. II cannot
bear It."
Let me come with you to see IL she
Is with any other Of our neighbors,"
said Teresina, rising from her place at
the table. Maybe she is only pass
ing a day with a friend, though it is
d she should never have said So"
Genna looked at her gratefully. Yes,
let us 60" she said.
But when they were without in the
quiet dusky streets, Teresina suddenly
paused. "Genna." she said, "have you
seen aught Of Rufo, the painter, to-
day."
The girl trembled in every limb.
why do you ask Z" she faltered. You
do not suppose
II suppose nothing. Only 1t is odd
that he and Nita who were always so
much together, should have disappear
ed at the same time. Rufo left here
this morning with all his chattels. Did
you not known
Genna looked at her. The light Of the
new-risen o shone on her face,
which was CHASTITY as death-her great
pathetic eyes had in them a look Of
agony, Of appeal, that touched even the
careless, vain nature Of the girl who
had been Nita's friend-it was like the
look Of coming death IN the eyes of a
dumb animal. "Oh, no, 1t cannot be!
1t cannot be-" she moaned.
I'VE will hope not. Let us hasten
and inquire Of the neighbors."
Genna did not speak. She moved
mechanically from house to house,
from street to street. while Teresina
made all the necessary inquiries, and
to all Of them received but n answer.
Let us go to his house." said Genna,
at last. In a hoarse, cold voice, that
startled her companion.
1T will be useless" the girl answer
ed; but, nevertheless, they went.
NH -ag-%Ary~ 49, x,nn u &ntnl Inrty
ness. The woman who let 1t, brought
them a light and answered Teresina's
questions volubly enough. Yes, 1t was
true-the signore had left that morning
very early. Mono N had come
there before or since his departure.
He had given no explanation; he had
paid her generously, and had said sud-
den business called him back to Rome"
'TO Rome!!' Genna starteC-here
was a clew at all events.
Then a sickening, weary feeling stole
into her heart; she remembered Nita's
words a few days before-her longing
to see cities, her WEAKNESS Of the dull,
monotonous home life. But yet she
streve to Danish these doubts bravely,
stanchly. Nita was pure, good honest.
She would not surely listen to any
tempting that would bring ruin, shame
misery on her own head and on those
who loved her.
She stood there in the silent, empty
room that for her had so terrible an
eloquence. Was he, too, false? she
wondered.
Teresina's voice reused her at last.
Come" she said, I'VE can do no good
now. She must have gone with him."
The words reused Genna.
She flashed one burning, indignant
glance at the girl. You are her friend.
yet you are the first to speak Ill Of
her" she said: and then, waiting for no
reply, turned swiftly away, and took
herself homeward with blind, miser.
able eyes that saw nothing. and steps
that found their way by sheer instinct
to the deserted lonely home.
"She has gone with him! She has
gone with him!"-those words alone
choer and re-echoed In her brain and
her great. brown eyes grew black and
heavy with wrath and desperate fear.
They have deceived me-both," she
thought. in her agony. and no longer
could any belief in her sisters limo
cence bring comfort or ease to the pain
which racked and tortured her.
And ! can do nothing!" she moaned,
as she crossed the threshold and looked
round the familiar place. Nothing
only wait" Her eyes fell on the picture
on the wall-the picture Of the bright,
laughing loneliness that had been to her
so beloved and cherished a thing.
A strange laugh fell from her lips
a laugh more terrible than any sob Of
anguish, than any tears Of pain. rs
this my recompense-after ALP she
said.
Then she fell down on the cold. brick
floor. like a felled log. For a space all
vas darkness; she remembered nothing
more