Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-12-14

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room once, twice, and then stopped OPP
posite her. "You didn't really mean
what you said? Mother-oh, mother"
The appeal was almost like q cry, but
in vain.
II aid mean it. and 1 do"
Then, mother, it is no use our talk
Ing oeether any more. Good by"
"Good-by.'
Rodorick he'd out hi, hand, but she
liz not take it. His voice was tender,
sad-nay, almost hcart.broken; but
hers was cold as a stone.
Roderick stayed aday in London, at
a hotel, the address of which he nal
carefully written out and left ule,n
Mrs. %.'ardines dressing table, waiting
vaguely in the hope of some b.es cd
telegram that might change his mis-
erable journey into u happy one. Then
he startcl; and when no found himself
drifting away from Dover pier under
the cold clear winter stars. he felt as
If lie had cut the cable of his life ior-
ever.
Reaching the hotel after his long
Journey, h tamiliar faces and the
bright Swiss welcome warmeI his
heart. 1t was Sunda IN rning-during
that miserable week he had aim st lost
count OF days-and all the good people
OF Neuchatel we're gone to church;
doubtless also the keynier family.
Still, he co Id not rest. He thought
he would Just go and see the out ,ide of
n house, perhaps hear she was Wei,
and hen hover about for u glimpse OF
her, till he could speak t , The profess
sor, her nominal protector, and ask
permission, after the fashion Of tho
country, formally to oifcr his hand.
For he was determined no respect, no
%decoruln, should be wanting In any
thing he did. down TO the commonest
outside convenances, toward the woman
he adorcd.
HIS hand almost shook as he rang
the bell OF Professor heynier door,
for after all he could not pass it and
his voice tailed, and his disuscd French
seemed to lily away from him when he
faced the it'll. tonne, VINO at once
recognizing him, and breaking into
the most courteous of smiles. showed
him i'll quiet like "un ami de 10
fa,nille."
They were all well-they would re-
turn rom church immediately-mon-
sieur must allow himself to Watcher
master would be charmed to see him.
Would monsieur repose himself in
the salon? No n was there, she TO-
lieved.
And for the first moment he believed
so, too, and sat down, looking tenderly
round on the familiar room-the Para
disc where his Eve hal appeared to
him that first matchmaking ever
afterward the whole world n = The
dear, silent, empty room! Empty? No!
something stirred in u rece So; some
person, sitting there ,eading. rose
with a low, listless air, came for
war;, suddenly stopped.
The slender figure, the black dress,
the fair, clustering curls! Roderick
sudden. SO unexpected, that there was
no time for any DISCUSSES on either
side. . l. esides, both we're SO young;
and it is in later Ii that love learns
~concealment. AS they stood, these
two Young creatures, face to face, and
quite alone, no human power could
have concealed the Joy of both.
Roderick advanced q step. "Me
voici! ie suis %revenu," was all he said.
speaking in French, as seemed most
natural.
"Oui, oui, oui.." and with a glad cry
silence clasped her hands, the first inn
pulsive gesture lie had ever seen her
use: 'oui, il est c emu"
The minute afterward-he knew not
how; in truth, neither ever did know
-he felt her in his arms, gathered
close to his breast. %sheltering and shell
tered there as if it we're her natural
refuge. He did not kiss her-he dared
not-but he touched her soft hair as
it lay on his shoulier-he pressed her,
all shaking with sobs, to his b. east he
called her by namc-iirst ma cousine, "
and then silence" An instant more,
and putting her a little asart from
him, so that he could look down into
her eyes. he breathed. rather than
spoke, another word-a English word
My wife"
Silence shrunk back for one mo-
ment, trembling violently, dropped her
face, all scarlet, and then lifted it up
with q strange pathos of entreaty, al
most appeal, as if she had but him in
the whole world.
Your mother" he whispered; "your
mother knew it ALL"
Roderick drew her back again, close
into his very heart, and pres: ed his
lips upon hers. In that long, silent,
solemn troth-plight the two became
o~ne-forcver.
Immediately on the family's return
from church, Roderick asked for an
interview with NJ. Revnier, and ex-
planned everything, while Silence did
the same to Nine. Revnier and the
girls. There we're due congratulations,
both formal and fearful, from the sim
pie atfectionate Swiss househo d, and
then the thing was an accepted fact
and the young people were fiances and
treated as such, according to the fash
ion of the country. which holds the
bond almost as sacred as that between
husband and wife.
A week went by. and still he heard
nothing, had told her nothing of his
own people, except briefly answering
her innocent questions, that his mother
was quite we'll and his sister married.
This might have gone on still longer,
he shrunk SO from the cruel task OF
giving pain to his innocent darling,
had it not been for a letter which came
one morning, the very morning when
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