The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-07-04
persuaded TO 90 with her sister ana


| BILE visitor on Christmas night, but the
servants at Sjlyerton castle took yer!
| good care 10 close every door carefuily
against it. and there was consequently
no danger of any solitary watcher out
| side the mansion being observed.
Indeed. with so much free handed
hospitality inside the mansion, ana
surh n warm welcome extended alike
| TO rich and Door. il would naturally De
supposed that no man in his senses
would have wandered like an unqulet
spirit around the building when he
could take shelter from the cold white
flakes of snow and from the biting
blast by the side of glowing fire. and
sOlace his inner man with an apuhu-
ance of Christmas cheer.
Despite the folly of such proceed
ing. however. a man, wearing thick
ulster. and. Judging from his appear
ance, we'll in the world. certainly
was lettering outside the castle on
this eventful night
He kept we'll away from the doors,
and he took good care that the prlh-
liant light from the windows did not
fall upon him. go,
And iudring from the outside. Sill
verton castle was unusually fes'l'e 10
night, for there was scarcely WlhdoW
in the great building which was not
lighted up.
But the stranger fingered longest
near the old part of the castle III
which was the great hall.
II you could have looked well AT MS
face you would have seen that he was
young ard handsome. and you would
probably also have observed that he
was nervous and i'll at ease as though
he knew he was doing something OF
which he was more than half ashamed.
He seems doubtful now rs to whether
he will carry out the purpose that
brought him here, or go away without
accomplishing it.
And vet his object in coming Is not
to wrong any one though 1t may IN
crease his own pain by feeding the
flame of perfectly hopeless love.
Yes. it was love that brought Frank
Fairfield to this cheerless spot.
Love that makes the world go
round"
The same passion of which Byron
wrote:
Alas. what is there in this world OF
ours,
Which makes it fatal to be lov'd?
oh why
With cypress branches hast thou
wreathed thy bowers
And made thy best interpreter
sigh?'
He felt all the keen SORROWS of hope
less love rs he wandered outside the
house that held the jewel he adored,
vet dared not seek to win.
Far as the east is from the west. so
far was Kate Lilburnes love from
him.
She loved him with the kind. pas
sionlesS affection of sisters love.
Nearer or dearer than this he might
never be TO her, and he had promised
to accept this truth, and to crush all
further hope and desire out of his
heart.
A promise so easily given, so hard of
performance.
All through this day the demon of
unrest has been upon him, and ut
length, unable to control his actions,
he had left his mothers house, and
Harvesting the cob TO phaetOn which
he had borrowed for a week from
neighbor, he drove the old vehicle in
the direction of Silverton Castle.
Arrived at the outskirts of the vii
lage, he left the horse and carriage in
shed, and set off to perform the rest
of his journey on foot.
He soon got tired of walking, how
ever, and as he came near the deep.
narrow river he bethought himself
that he could approach the castle in a
boat with very much less chance Of
being recognized.
So. in spite of the cold, he took a
dingy, and then though the darkness
of night was setting in, he began to
row towards the castle. for he knew
every winding of the stream that flow
ed beneath its walls.
His childhood and youth had been
spent in the home of the Lilburnes.
and the old peer himself was not half
so we'll acquainted with his own prop
erty as was Frank Fairchild.
Ii was quite dark when he moored
his boat under the castle walls, and
went cautiously around the mansion
to inspect it and try u catch one
glimpse of Kate.
The dogs did not bark at his an
proach. for they knew him. and he had
| some difficulty in getting away from
their too demonstrative affection.
But the object of his fatiguing Jour
ney was not attained.
He could not get into any position
where he could see Kate without be-
ing observed and recognized.
He would have entered the house
boldly. but for the promise he had Civ
en- his benefactor not to seek to speak
to Kate again until he had overcome
his hopeless infatuation.
There was no thought in his mind of
breaking this promise.
he did not wish to speak TO her. He
only wanted to look upon her face
and to know that she was happy.
The hours went by.
lie WAS becoming sick and nur,LAl