Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-10-11

CHAPTER II-CContinued,

quest' i cannot tell" she said dubi.
trsly. IF Genna permits"
And who Is Cenna?" he asked.
My sister"
Why should she not permit? There
Is no harm Ia IT. Your friend here
has often sat TO me-"
Yes, hut Mia is watched like a cat.
tortured mouse" laughed the opp
smiths daughter, insolently. What is
auoWed TO Inc as a right will not be
granted her as a privilege"
indeed you are wrong said Mia.
earnestly. "Genna is very, very good
linen try and persuade her-wlll you
not: SAID Rufo in his most caressing
tones. III she loves you, she will do
whenever you wish. Who could help
lt! he added, in a lower voice, and
with a glance that brought the hot,
bright color to the girls lovely face.
You are foolish TO ask her about IL
at all, Mia said her friend, ontemptu-
ously. DO what / do. Invent an
errand Oh excuse to the town, or roam
over to the ruined monastery yonder.
No n need know"
Mia looked doubtful. ut might not
be right. Besides, | might be seen"
The painter smiled under his thick,
dark mustache. How the sex repeats
itself" he said to himself. 1T is the
fear Of discovery, not the fear Of
wrCng-doing. that keeps nine out Of ten
women straight"
But he spoke more softly and per
suasively than ever II will III let you
wherever you wiSl,," he saiG. Il would
take any trouble, only to have that
beautiful face of yours on canvas"
And the subtle f1attery stole into the
girls heart. She hCsitated. will the
world see 1.-THE picture, / meani" she
asked.
"Assuredly," he answered her. 1T
will be u fnd talked Of and adtutred
everywhere throughout the great cit
les"
She flushed with pleasure and graft
fed vanity. '"Then l will come"
He thanked her, simply and cordially,
and as II Ii were a mere act Of our
teSy which he had e~ntreated, instead
OF a deception he had assisted to cloak.
Then, with a few more words, he left
them, as her home was in sight.
Genna greeted her sisters friend
more cordially even than her won't.
She was so pleased to see Nita that
no other company, for she had dread
ed to find her escorted by the gay
youths and idle, careless maidens,
associates. The copper smiths
daughter refused all offers OF
rest and refreshment, declaring she
must hasten home or darkness would
overtake her; but the truth was, she
knew Rufo would wait for her on the
road. and she was In haste to join him.
And have you enjoyed your holi-
day. dear Nita?" asked Genna tenderly
as she set a draught Of milk and some
bread ald tomatoes before her sister,
waiting on her with a tenderness and
pride at once motherly and unselflsh.
The girl sighed and moved restlessly
away from the caressinS touch. 1t
was well enough" she said. THE pup
pet-show was beautiful. There was a
king and queen, and the queen had a
a lover. and then they were discovered
and he was murdered-just like life!'
"Oh, Nita!'
You are so folish. Genna,' pouted
the pretty child. why, there was
nothing wrong In that-was there! The
very mention Of lovers seems to fright
en- you. l suppose you neve had one?
mo. dear. it Is not that l mind your
talking about them, but you treat them
so unkindly, and you make them SO
Jealous. Only last week Bruno ana
Tista fought about you with knives,
and Tista is Ill, dying they say, now;
and It is not right, Nita to make sport
Of such things"
But Nita only laughed. "Why not
If they are so foolish? l did not want
them to fight
But you were the cause, Mia, and
Tista loves you so dearly; he would
make you a good husband, too"
The girl laughed merrily. .! have no
fancy for marrying she SAID. LOOK
Mt the women around the househola
drudges, with not a thought peyohu
their potato pot and their cabbages ana
their straw-plaiting, and the brown ba-
bies rolling about In their washing
baskets-all the dull, hard, coarse life,
that is lust eating, working, sleeping.
II way like another, as the beasts:
.Why-Nita? exclaimed Genna, In
open-eyed establishment:
"Oh. yes! 1t is very well TO say, why,
Nita.' repeated the girl angrlly: i
do not care to spend a nuns life here
oreyer. ] should like to go into the
world and see the great cities, n all
the wonderful things that we girls new
or hear of. buried as we are here. iou
do not care: you are content, feeiihs
nothing. seeing nothing, caring Tor no
%eot only %grubbing among your
cabbages and forcing me 10 10 tue
same" o
.Nito-Nita! Who has put these
things into your head? Do you kho"
what o are sayingT
The agony and entreaty OF her SISTER
voice touched the girl to a feeling Oh
momentary regret for her rash impa-
t;ant words. Wen enough she kno"
what n dull, dreary, unioVely lie uen'
na's had been and was; yet no ON
nloint ever left the patient hpsmhon lui
mnr against the constant uphill strug,
Gle with poverty and labor ever nau
entered her heart. She had a nature
whose sunny content made her haPpy
with very little; a nature SO Pa.iena
and enduring that it showed her no
brighter lot which she cared TO cove...
/. no hardship against when sne cou'
rebel. L.u ,re,t.
Har sisters words shocked her great,
liz an IlAUI