Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-06-08
...s :aso orrow and exile the MAJ, AZ.

"a eA1vV 6OTGOW ouu oSll0 Lu0 paw WIl
loved; she had listened while honorat
lips told her she wa importing nel
soul; she had given :p her hopa oil
heaven. WHY did she pause ovor hi.
crowni:,g act OF her sin.
She had said to herself that she
would keep what she had at all flsks.
She knew that she would lose her fair
name before men-th;lt she would be
forever cstranged from those she loved
hest; yet she had weighed all that in
her mind. and it seemed to hcras moth
Ing in comparison with what she gained
by her sin Why did she hesitate:: The
red blaze seemed to laugh as it reared
away. She raised he,. hand to thrust
the will far into the saft glow and the.
paused.
She could not do s., ..su tried,
and failed; she IsLld not, she dared not
10 it. Perhaps tho Y .ou angels had
o tho battle-perhaps the evil spirits
had fled. She could not do it, that
browning act of hcrsin was beyond her.
Slowly the arm that held the will
dropped: and presently the roll fell
from the nervcl 80 hand to the floor
and the girl dropped on her KIN .es with
q passionate cry and passionate tears
"Merciful heaven," she called, help
me I'd 10 rlSlG.
Tho trial and struggle were over
she was no longer at war with herself.
the better nature conquered the lower
one, loyalty had beaten down false.
hood, honor had shamed dishonor.
She who had boastcd so proudly that
she would risk all for Crown Leigbt n
The temptation had been q terrible
onc-it was trampled under foot now.
Looking back, Lconie thought she
must have gone mad. She had tried
to be brave and hardy in her wrong
doing; but she had Il nobler nature
than She herself knew of. Whom it
came to the last act in the drama, her
noble heart, her natural goodness, and
her early sense of right, we're all
stronger than temptation, and they
beat it down.
Tho relief was as cooling d~ew-drops
to thirsty flowers; what soft, sweet
showers are to parched trees and arid
grass, such to hcr soul were the tears
that she shed-they seemed to bring
grace and healing with thom.
"llow could / dream of this wicked
decd?" she sobbed aloud. "Never again
shall such an evil spirit hold me in
chains. L will live and die loyal and
true, even though l may not be Coun-
tess of Charnleigh."
She remembered the cd saying.
The woman who hesitates is lost Il
will deliberate no longer" she said; Il
will place myself beyond temptation:
will place this in Paul Flemyng's hand.
and then cannot go back. Left to
myself, 1 might fall again; if l do there
can be NJ retractiOn."
When the passion of her tears had
been exhausted, she rose from the
floor: then she stopped and carefully
picked up the will.
II will not stop to look around me, g
she thought; ii will MT linger over
the magnificence of Crown Leighton: l
will go at once, before the temptation
returns eve stronger than before
And without one glance at the stump.
tuous chamber, without one look at
tho splendor she had loved SO vol, shc
put on her travelling cloak and went
down stairs.
Mrs. Fcaron," she said, "will Won
order the carriage. l want to go at
once to Weldon. l have not q moment
to spare"
Wondering a little at what she
thought her lady's caprices, the house
keeper fastened to comply with her
request.
ITo BE CoNTINUED.I