Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-06-20

love stories simply n with perfect
rapture. love stories untainted by n.y.
pocrisy, unsullied by crime,-diferent,
ali, so very different from the o
stories of selfish humanity! The ex-
auisite poetic idyI OF a birds life and
love, is 1t not a thing 10 put Us inferior
creatures TO shame? For are We ever
as true TO our VOWS as the lark to his
mate? Are we as sincere In our
t~hanksgivings for the sunlight as the
merry robin who sings as blithely in
the winter SHOWS as in the iower-hlled
mornings of spring? Nay-not we!
Our existence is but n long, impo-
tent protest against God, combined
with an insatiate desire TO get the bet
ter of one another in the struggle for
base coin,
Nina listened-and shivered, draw
ing her light scarf more closely about
her shoulders.
Il hate them she said pettishly;
their noise is enough to pierce ones
ears. And he used to be 50 fond of
them; he used to ~sing-what was 1t
I'll salute, RosignuOlo,
Mel tue duolo, il salute!
Sci PANAMA della osa
Che morcndo 81 IA sposar"
Her rich voice rippled out in the air,
rivaling the songs of The nightingales
themselves. She broke Of with a
little laugh
Poor Fabio! there was always a
false note somewhere when he sang.
Come, Guido!"
And they paced on quietly, as though
their cOnsciences were clean-as
though no just retribution logged
their steps-as though no shadow Of a
terrible vengeance doomed in the
heaven OF their pilfered happiness!
/ watched them steadily as they dis
appeared in the distance-I stretched
my hand eagerly out from between
the dark boughs and gazed after their
%retreating figures till the last glim-
mer OF my wife's white robe had "a
ished behind the thick foliage. They
were gone-they would return no more
that night.
I sprang out from my hiding place.
l stood on the spot where they had
stood. Itried to bring home 10 myself
the actual truth Of what l had wit
messed. My brain whirled-circles OF
light swan giddily before me in the
air-the moon looked blood-red. The
solid earth seemed unsteady beneath
my feet. Almost l doubted whether |
was indeed alive, or whether / was
not rather the Wretched ghost Of my
past self, doomed TO return from the
grave to look hopelessly upon the loss
and ruin of all the fair, nee precious
things of bygone days. The splendid
universe around me seemed no more
upheld by the hand Of God, no more a
majestic marvel; it was to me an in
fiated bubble OF emptiness, a mere ball
for devils TO kick and spurn through
space! OF what avail these twinkling
stars. these stately leaf-laden trees,
these cups Of fragrance we know as
flowers, this round wonder of the eyes
called nature; Of what avail was God
himself, / wildly unused, since even he
could not keep n woman true! She
whom I loved-she as delicate Of form
as angel-like in face as the child
bride Of Christ, st. Agnes-she, even
she was-what? A thing lower than
the beasts, a thing as vile as the vilest
wretch in female form that sells her.
self for a gold piece, a thing-great
heaven!-for all men to despise and
make light of-for the finger Of scorn
TO point out-for the foul kissing
NohS uV oA ~ W bIcNn at. III
creature was my wife-the mother Of
my child! She had cast mud on her
soul by her own free will and choice
she had selected evil as her good-she
had crowned herself with shame
willingly, nay, joyfully; she had
preferred II to honor. What should be
done? 1 tortured myself increasingly
with this question. I stared blankly
m tho ~rn,,nl. rrn,rl $1,000 In~a1-
spring from II and give me the answer
/ sought? What should be done with
her? What should be done with him.
my treacherous friend, my smiling be-
trayer? Suddenly my eyes lighted on
the fallen rose leaves-those that had
dropped when Guido's embrace had
crushed the flower she wore. There
they lay on the path, curled softly at
the edges like little crimson shells. /
stopped and picked them up; placed
them all in the hollow Of my hand
and looked at them. They had a
sweet odor; almost l kissed them; nay,
nay, 1 could not; they had too recently
lain OF the breast Of an embodied lie!
Yes, she was that, a lie, a living, love-
ly, but accursed lie. $50 and kill her!"
Stay! where had I heard that? Pain
IuiIy Il COuslueFeuy anu at fdSI ItIltIl-
bered. And then ! thought modify
that the starved and miserable rag
picker was more of a mar than I. He
had taken his revenge at once; while /,
like a fool, had let occasion slip. Yes,
but not forever! There were different
ways Of vengeance; one must decide
the best, the keenest way; and, above
all, the way that shall infict the long
est, the cruelest agony upon those by
and Gained the fever In my blood. I
became perfectly cool and collected.
! INDUCED ne more futile regrets for
tie past-why should l mourn the loss
of a love 1 never possessed? 1t was
not Is II they had waited until my
supposed sudden d~eath-no! within
three months of my marriage they had
fooled me for three whole years they
had INDUCED in their criminal amour,
while l, blind dreamer, had suspected
nothing. Now l knew the extent of
my injury: / was a man bitterly
wronged. vile duped. Justice, reason