Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1895-01-25
XI-Continucd.

Sl1fAl E1lL AI-SOlUlAuCus
"Not quarreled, only Differed" an
swcrcd he, laughing. "And 1 suppose
all people do differ, and yet love IL
another to the end. You love me still?"
"Yes"-with IL sudden gravity-"be-
cause l respect you. / think there is
one only thing which could kill my
lovc-if l ceased to respect you. 1
should do my duty still, but all love
would so dead ont, like II fire when
one tramples OIL it. And then i think
no power On earth could eve light it
up again."
"God forbid!!' I;oderick said, startled
by II kind of sad sternncss which came
into the gentle face. But it did him
good, after all, to feel that there was
that in his wife which would eve
suffer any nan to make her either into
n plaything or Il slave. The next min
ute she had slipped her hand into his.
Don't let us talk such nonsense, my
Rodcrick; you will always love me and
hold me fast. / can bear anything so
long as you hold me fast"
He did hold fast, and through o
trials than she guessed. To his sensi-
tive nature. the continual dread of
meeting Richerden people-old ac-
qu%aintanccs who might speak to him
or her of painful things-became a per-
feet bugbear. And though Mrs. Grier-
son, with her usual delicate tact, had
managed to let him understand that
his own family had all returned to
town-that is, Richerden-for the Win
ter, still he caught himself looking into
every carriage that passedalOng theonc
beautiful seaside road, every steamer
that stopped at the now half-deserted
quay, with a nervous anxiety lest he
should see some familiar face; familiar
still, but welcome no mor
Suppose he did meet them-he only
said them without individualizing-
what should he do? Would nature and
instinct triumph over reason, so that
he could not ignore them, his own
flesh and blood, look and pass by, as If
they were common strangers? And
once, Silence, who after a time began
ito divine his unspokcn thoughts,
brought him face to face with them by
Ia sudden question, put with a tender
anxiety, but very earnestly.
Frederick, I have often wanted to
lask-what should you do if you were to
meet your mother?"
"If we were to meet her, you mean;
for we are eve apart" In truth lie
took car they never should be apart,
lest somebody or something should
chance to wound her, the defenseless
creature whom every day he felt more
hound to cherish, and concerning whom
his indignation continually higher rose.
A tragedy in q teapot" may be, but
none the less a tragedy that was al
ways coming between them and the
sun; and worse here, after q little.
when the first pleasantness Of the
:chnnge had worn off-worse certainly
than at Blackhall. By and by, he spoke
of going back to Blackhall, but good
Mrs. Grierson %entreNted they would
lstay on q little longer.
at would do your wife good, and me
ltoo," she said. "Remcmber l have no
daughter, and she no mother"
"That is true, poor child." And he
looked sadly across to where, in sweet
unconscious peace, Silence sat, making
with her deft fingers a cap for the old
lady.
why call her 'poor?' Pardon ME,
my dear Roderick, but may 1 ask one
.question-has your mother ever seen
your wife,"
no"
"she ought to see her. Do you not
think so?"
"What do you mean, Mrs. Grierson!
But, excuse me, this is a subject upon
which we had better not speak,"
81 agree with you, and should never
have spoken" said the old lady ner.
.vously, "were it not almost my duty to
tell you that Mrs. Jardine is Mt Fair.
field, close by, come unexpectedly on a
three days. visit. She may not come tc
see me, and she may. If she does
1--WE will leave Immediately" said
Roderick, rising. Indeed, my dear
Mrs. Grierson, it is much better SO
We should grieve to cause you a mo
ment's Inconvenience"
MY DEAR" laying her hand on his
arm, and looking mt him with swee
calm eyes that were so near the Other
world as to have half forgotten the sor.
rows of this. my dear, l knew YOU as
soon as you were born. Forgive an ole
woman who never had n child; bu,
mothers are mothcrs-don't you thinli
that instead of going away. you should
rather stay, on the chance Of seeing
your mother?"
See my mother? what, She But
indeed, I cannot talk over these things
which. 1 suppose, you know all about
Everybody does know everybody else's
affairs in Richerden."
"Yes, l know"
"Then it is kind not to have spoken te
me before. Let us continue that whole
some silence. Let me take my wife
and go"
Suppose your wife and 1 were tt
settle that question. She is the dear
est little woman in the world. I only
wish I had her for my daughter. Won
EN- understand women best" she addet
with q gentle smile. 81 think, my dea,