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

i had died! Would to God / had neTer
broken open the coffin In which / lay at
peace! What was death-what were
uhe horrors OF the yault-what was
anything I had suffered TO the anguish
that racked me now? The memory Of
II TO this day burns in my brain like
inextinguishable IRE, and my hand In
voluntarily clenches itself In an effort
to beat back the furious bitterness of
that moment ! know not how I re-
strained the murderous ferocity that
awoke within mellow / forced myself
to remain motionless and silent In my
hiding place. But I did, / watched the
miserable comedy out to it's end. |
looked dumbly on at my own betrayal!
L saw my honor stabbed 10 the death
by those whom i trusted, and yet /
gave no sign! They-Guido Ferrari
and my wife-came so close to my
hiding place that / could note every ges-
tlre n hear every word they utter cd.
They paused within three steps Of me
his arm encircled her waist-hers WIS
thrown carelessly around his neck-her
head rested on his shoulder.
Even SO had she walked with me a
thousand times! She was dressed In
pure white save for one spot OF deep
color near her heart, a red rose, as red
as . blood. Ii was pinned there
with a diamond pin that flashed In the
moonlight / thought wildly, that in
stead of hat rose, there should be
blood indeed ,-instead of a diamond pin
there should be the good steel Of a
straight dagger! But / had no weapon
Il stared at her, dry eyed and mute.
She locked lovely-exquisitely lovely.
No trace Of grief married the fairness
OF @ face-her eyes were as languidIy
ImpId and tender as ever-her lips
were parted In the childlike smile that
was so sweet-so ~innocently trustful!
She s~poke-ah, heaven. the old be-
witching music Of her low voice made
my heart leap and my brain reel.
You foolish Guido" she said In
dreamily amused accents" What would
have happened, / wonder, IL Fabio had
not died so opportunelyf
waited eagerly for the answer.
Guido laughed lightly.
He would never have discovered any
thing. You were too clever for him,
piccinina! Besides, his conceit saved
him-he had so good an opinion Of HIM
self that he would not have deemed IL
possible for you to care for any other
man.
My wife &c wIess diamond-pearl Of
pure womanhood!-sighed half rest
lessly.
II am glad he is dead!" she MUIR
INJURED; but Guido, milo, you are i'm
prudent. You annot visit me now SO
often; the servants will talk. Then l
must On tnfn r,n,rfax fou "a ..A
six months; and there are many other
Things to consider" . Guido's
hand played with the jeweled necklace
h wore; he bent and kissed the place
where its central pendant rested.
Again-again, good sir, / pray you!
Let no faint scruples interfere with
your rightful enjoyment! Cover the
white flesh with caresses--it Is public
property! a dozen kisses more
or less will not signify. So / madly
thought as | crouched among the trees
the tigerish wrath within me making
the blood beat in my head like a hui
dred hammer strokes.
NAY, then my love- he replied to
her. lit Is almost a pity Fabio is dead.
While he lived he played an excellent
part as a screen; he was an uncon-
scious but yeritable duenna Of propri-
ETY. for both of us. as no one else could
be-"
The boughs that covered me creaked
and rustled. My wife started and
looked ~uneasily around her.
"Hush!' she said nervously. "He
was buried only yesterday; and they
say there are ghosts sometimes.
This avenue, too. / wish we had not
come here: II was his favorite walk.
Besides" she added, with a slight ac-
cent OF regret, after all he was the
father Of my child, you must think OF
that
by heaven exclaimed Guido al
most fiercely, "do / not think OF it?
Ay, and / curse him for every kiss he
stole from your lips!"
| listened half Supplied. Here was
n new phase of the marriage law.
Husbands were thieves then; they
stole kisses; only lovers were honest
In their embraces! Oh, my dear
friend! my more than brother-how
near you Were 10 death at that mo-
ment! Had you but seen my face
peering pallidly through the dusky
leaves; could you have known the
oiS VI tut iuIS peht UP "ltUlu Ile,
you would not have valued your life
mt one baiocco!
why did you marry him?" he asked
after a little pause, during which ne
toyed with the fair curls that fioated
against his breast.
Sne looked up with a little mutinous
pout, and shrugged her shoulders.
why? Because / was tired of the
convent and all the stupid, solemn
ways OF the nuns: also because he was
rich, and l was horribly poor. / IAN
not bear to be poor! Then he loved
me-" here her eyes glimmered with
malicious triumph. "Yes, he was mad
for me, and"
You loved hlmT" demanded Guido
almost fiercely.
MA chel" she answered with an ex-
pressive gesture. 81 suppose l did
for a week or two, What does one
marry for ut all? For convenience,
money, position; he gave me these
things, as you know"
"You will gain nothing by marrying
me then" he said jealously.
She laughed, and laid Der li.4'a