The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-04-26

"' NHdU Is ~. uCIldHQCU BOD,
sitting up in bed.
"Why-whY," stammered Maiden.
when l reached the studio this
morning, the very first thing | saw
as went in was your Hero"
''Yes?"
"Smdshed-smashed into atoms"
Bob gave a long, low whistle.
"Well," he said, speaking slowly
and thoughtfully, "perhaps, after all,
JUS tie very best thing that could
have happened to it,"
What" shouted Maiden, ''are you
dreaming? Are you mad?"
"No daresay I've been dream
ing said Bob quietly. What |
mean is, this-this accident puts us
on our old footing again. The break
ing OF the Hero as it were, restores
what was broken, or beginning to
break, Of our old friendship. I'd
rather the Hero broke than our old
friendship, Alf."
Maiden looked at him earnestly for
a moment
Look here, Bob, he said hoarsely,
II know what is in your thoughts.
You think did it, and YOU are max
ing excuses for me-"
mo, no, ALI
But you are. You know how jeal-
Gus and near l was last night-what
a brute 1 was-a selfish, unmanly
brute. And you think 1 did it. 1t
is only natural that you should. But,
on my word OF honor, l ( did not do it
i did rot do tips cried Maiden
eagerly, and with tears in his eyes.
II know you didn't do it," said
Bob positively.
"HOw can you know? Who should
you suspect but me, after all 1 said
last night. I-who should have been
the very first to congratulate you, to
be glad with you and proud of YOU
to meet you with nothing but miser-
able envy and u%nfriendly, selfish re-
grcts! oh, Bob. l lay awake last
night thinking about it; l couldn't
sleep, | was so ashamed of myself.
Believe me, old fellow. all my envy
was only a passing feeling springing
out OF my own bad luck. I didn't
really in my heart feel what / said.
1t was only that your good luck, by
contrast, made me more fully aware
of my own had luck"
81 knew it. | felt sure of it," cried
Bob.
And ! got up this morning only
anxious to apologize for my miserable
conduct, and assure you how truly
glad | was that you had made a lucky
hit at last: and here-when l get to
the Studio-the first thing that l see
is the Hero shattered to Fragments"
said Maiden. "And yet you don't
seem TO feel it half so much as l do"
Well said Bob. sit is a relief to
me To think that there is no longer
anything to separate us, to make me
t 0 proud to be your friend. or t.
hum:.iate your
".\h! you haven't forgotten my
Words" cried Maiden. You think /
eve rest until l find out tn villain
who did it, so that | may remove
from your mind every shadow of sus-
picion against me.
''My dear fellow. l know you did
MT do it. And l think l know the
villain who did" said Bob shrewdly.
"You do? Who was it? | shall
never feel comfortable till l find
out"
Don't let's say any more about it.
l know perfectly we'll who did it
"How do you know? Who was it?
You won't tell me? No. Because
you think | am the man, Though you
won't own it"
Nothing of the sort, tell you |
know who did it," cried Bob. THE
fact is, as | walked home last night
| felt the justice of what you had
been saying. and whaU a brute | was
to take a pride in what so Inundated
you. After ali these years our old
friendship was breaking up, and all
through me, as you may say. Hadn't
you and l been happy together ali ouI
lives? Should 1 ever be so happy iD
any circumstances without youi
friendship? With the knowledge,
too, that l had Inundated you and
estranged YOU from me. Well, that's
how ! thought t all over as l came
home, and L couldn't stand it. | wa:
paining you, and myself, too. Sue
cess wasn't worth such a price.
felt it so strongly that l suddenly
made up my mind Toto show you
that l wasn't such a selfish, cold
hearted, ambitious wretch as .
seemed. l turned and went straight
back to the studio, and
What. You don't mean TO say
eyes, l do" said Bob ch%eerfully.
II fell upon the Hero with a couple
of hammers, and smote him hip and
thigh, and smashed him up myself"
Yankee Blade.
--.Keepi ng Her Wrath Warm.
tgDopa mamma vapfS Won tn rom.