The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-02-01

tuaCeu Tlvdlsne knew. dlS nTSL mpul6
was to challenge Gust, shoot him, and
SO make to himself a clear road. On
sober second thought he determined
that discretion was naturally the bet
ter part of valor. How did he know
that Gust did not shoot as we'll as he
pitched; and if he should challenge
him. how did he know that his deman /;
for satisfaction would not be treates
with contempt, and that if he should
then publish Gust as a coward,
how did he know but that gentleman
-or s'that fellow" as he called
him-would repeat his insult by this
time pitching him into the river?
scarcely distinguish a man from a
lamp post at thirty PAGES, while bis
rival evidently had most excellent
eyes. On the whole he decided not to
venture on that expedient for getting
rid of his rival. He was a thousand
miles from home, and he could allay
any suspicion among his friends there
that he had not the courage to defend
his honor oy alleging that Gust was
no a gentleman, but an unknown up.
start without lineage or standing
among men of honor, and so beneath
the honor of a challege. But he was
badly wounded, if not in his s'honor,' -
then at least in his own self esteem.
1t was several days before he was
sufficiently recovered to recommend
his suit for the hand of his beautiful
cousin. And when he did
the siege he proceeded by cautious
ana very gradual approaches.
Vivette was endowed with enough
Of her father shrewdness to fully un-
derstand her cousins tactics. She re.
solved to treat him with devoted
kindness, which she really felt toward
her cousin, and to avoid wounding his
self love, while at the same time
avoiding any expression of decision as
to his suit. He had never actually
asked her hand, but on her
fathers assurance had treated her
much the same as if their
marriage at some time was rather 9
matter of course
One day, during a steamboat excur-
sion, after admiring Vivette flushed
with the breeze on the steamers deck.
and her wonderful hair curling to
catch the rather vigorous zephyrs, un-
TIL he could control himself no longer,
he said as they walked the deck to-
gether:
"Do you know that you are very
beautiful, Vivette??" (She really ap-
peared not to know that s~elf-evident
fact.)
"You are very kind, Cousin Adolf"
she replied, without any expression of
emotion whatever-much to the sur
prise of Adolf.
II ought not to know it," she con-
tinued; "but l am not so d~isingenuous
as to pretend that l am of
what partial friends have claimed for
me-
1.-The of New Orleans are
many of them very beautiful" con-
tinued Adolf.
81 have heard So"
81 have associated with the most
lovely; but no beauty has ever i'm
pressed me like yours"
"Well, my very partial cousin, you
are very kind. l ought to thank you,
and l do"
"But do not see you through the
partial eye of a cousin"
with whose eyes do you see me then,
Cousin Adolf? Is there something be-
hind those shining glasses with rims
of gold which l do not see?"
Il see you with the eyes of a devoted
lover, Vivette."
How thankful we should be, Mr..
Molier, that we cousins who have
v met before, can appreciate the
ties Of blood and kindred" said Wv
cite.
II never called you Miss Molier.
How could you say Mr.. Molier?"
cousin Adolf, forgive me. 1 would
not hurt your feelings for the world Z"
but you refuse to understand me.
| love you with a devotion compared
with which the ties of blood are as
nothing. Without you I can never be
happy
II am confused, my dear cousin.
Please tell me what you mean"
Vivette said these words in a man
ner so wholly devoid of guile that
Adolf was COMPOUNDED: and for the
present he retired from the assault.
This conversation between Adolf
and Vivette had taken place out of the
throng- Dear the stern of the boat, on
the hurricane deck; and the partici-
pants now walked forward.
AMONG the numerous assanrare