Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-05-11

0AV HeV A0tuly AOOhou az tu0 t0Il8s
now that 1t was brought before. her she
Stood asi it were, face to face with her
own soul, with lis dark stain Of crime.
and she, turned, shuddering, from IT.
In the whirl OF dissipation she had
kept such thoughts at bay: in this
sweet, solemn time, when tho Sabbath
bells were Ginning, she could not
evade them. The conscience she had
so long deadened cried loudly at last.
Leonic drew her veil tightly over her
face and entered the church: it was not
Likely, she though to herself, that any
one here would recognize her: she
was only a visitor, and might never see
the place again. After morning d. ay-
ers the congregation sang a sweet old
hymn. aid then a white-haired minis
ter stood up to preach. He was not
%e,oluent. he was no grand orator, but
hi, lips had been touched by divine
fire. He spoke from the depths of his
heart, and his words touched the hearts
of others. He spoke on a common
theme; he told his simple hearers that
no n who persisted in sin could ever
go to heaven. Such plain, earnest
words. so true. so strong, no one who
heard could ever forget.
Long before he had finished, the
fair, stately head was bent, and tears
flowed like rain from the wearied eyes.
No hope, no heaven. Was an earthly
crown to be Weighed in the balance
with an eternal one? What mattered
1t that a diadem should shine on her
brow here If her face was never to DO
c among the angels in heaven?
Could it be possible that the punish
mont nf Nor Gin would Ho ca <cw;b1o ~
great? She did not fear punishment
in this world. Here she could keep
her ill-gotten goods, here she could en-
JOY the wealth for which she had given
SO much; but tho justice of that other
world was ineXorable. She wept. and
the tears Of pain caused by an awak-
ened conscience yer rs the cooling
dew to the thirsty flowers.
Suddenly she raised her head and
saw that most of the people had left
the church, and that the white-haired
minister stood in the vestry alone.
lmpulsive as she, had ever been,
lie mic rose and went to him. AS one
in q dream she saw q little square room
with tho branches of a laburnum-tree
waving against the window. She
turned to the minister-neither then
nor afterward did she learn his name.
~You are o truthful, earnest man."
She said, and / want to ask you about
a soul that is in ~trouble-will you an
swer MOP"
"To the best of my power" he re-
piled.
Thus it was-where it happened
matters not" she began. Some time
since there were two claimants for a
large property-One q man, the other a
girl. The girl, by the chief judges in
the land, was pronounced next Of kin,
itance. When she had enjoyed it
long enough to appreciate It's value.
she found a will, by which the late
owner left all to tho man. What was
she bound to do?"
Give up the inheritance to him,
most certainly" replied the minister.
But she could not-she could not go
back to poverty and privation-she
could not give up the wealth and lux
ury. She kept the will and determined
to marry the man whom she had de-
frauded-did not that meet the diff
culties of the case?:" she continued,
eagerly. WAS not that restitution
sutficient?: She would give him all in
that way. Speak to me-tell me, was
not that enough"
No" he said, that was not enough
either to satisfy the law of man or
tho law of heaven"
She c.asped her hands with passion
ate eagerness and drew nearer.
But do you not eet that by marrying
him she gives him the property Just as
though sne had put the will into his
hands,"
NO" he objected: sit would be but
left.handed justice after all-not pure
and perfect. The sin of theft and
fraud-of injustice and dishonor-
would still be upon that girls soul"
would there be hope Of heaven for
such a soul?:" she asked.
~ cannot-I dare net say; I should
not like to die with the same stain upon
my conscience"
you ale a good man," she said,
turning away, pray for a soul in
Before he could answer her she had
gone; but all day and all night those
words rang in his ears-"pray for q
soul in pain"
ITO DE coNrINUED.i