The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-04-25
CHAPTER III.

The hasty, unequal marriage made no
sensation. Few knew anything of Mr..
Hurst, except that he was one of the gen
tiemen who visited the Hall. The bcauti-
sal girl who lived in the quite scclusion of
Brynmar Woods was known and admired
No one expressed any surprise at hearing
that she had married a gentleman from
London"
Stephen Hurst married the beautiful,
simple country girl. and took her to Lon
don. He established her in third-rate
lodgings in Pimlico. When fortune IA
vorcd him he supplied her literally with
money; when it frowned he contcntcd
himself by abusing her. He was not nat
urally q cruel man; he would never re-
ioice in torture for fortunes sake, but he
was selfish and egotistical. mean and
false.
1t was some time before she discovered
that he had no source of income save
what he derived from gambling and bet
ting. 1t was a bitter sorrow to her. She
implored him to try some honest method
of living; she offered to work for him, but
he only laughed at her ideas. and told her
when he could afford it he should open a
gambling saloon at homo.
Before long he did so, and then the real
torture of her life began for Magdalcn
Hurst.
stephen Hurst seemed all N once TO
lose his good luck. He never touched Il
card without losing money; he grew
moody and irritable. then desperate, and
IN an evil hour he fell into the lowest
depths. He forged the name of II young
nobleman who had frequently played at
his house. The forgery succeeded. and
the sum of money he obtained was a large
one; but, as invariably happens, detection
followed the crime closely. He vas
watched, arrested and tried. The gay,
dashinG Stephen Hurst, who had purpose
~ thrown off all principle, and hated all
restraint, found himself now a prisoner
for one of those crimes which the law
Furnishes most severely. Then, when the
world justly fell upon him. when good and
bad looked alike with adherence upon
him, he learned the value of a wifc's love.
Magdalen Hurst chung to him still.
Others might believe him guilty-hc
might be condemned and punisiicd-it
made no difference 10 her, he was her
Kin, though Il fallen one. Woman-lihr.
she loved him ever more tonderly and
Gruly in his adversely than she had done
i'll his prosperity. Others blamed him;
she knew how he had been tempted; she
made Il hundred excuses for him, even
While she deplored his crime. When the
day of his trial came men ga2ed with
wonder III the beautiful white face. SO full
~ anguish and despair. Her eyes never
l.ft him, and her lips quiycred with ever
lord that told against him. When tn
sentence of ten years transportation was
given, one long. low cry, never forgotten
Ivy those who heard it, rang through the
court, and Magdalcn Hurst fell as one
dead.
Eive weeks before Stephen Hurst left
England, little IIilda was born; he only
say her once. N,h.' here was of Il bet
Ter nature in him was touched when his
fair young wife laid the little babe i'll his
arms. He half wished he had been a bet
ter man; but the good impulse vanished
almost before be kissed the little face.
He made his wife promise that she would
come to him if she could, and she intend
ed at any cost to keep her word.
Magdalen Hurst never knew how the
day passed that took her husband away.
il was one long dream Of unuttcrable
anguish. Awakening from it, she found
herself alone in the great city of London
alone, save for her little child. She
would not go homo, where they would
talk continually of the man she loved,
where every idle word uttered against
him would pierce her loving, faithful
heart; so for three years Magdalen re-
vNaincd in the great city working hard
10 maintain herself and her child. Dur
ing that time Donald Burns and his wife
died. Miss Erskine, who married Lord
Hutton, returned with him from abroad.
and went to Brynmar.
Then Magdalen received q letter from
her husband. begging her to go out TO
him; but she had not the means. She
tried to save money, but found it impos-
sible, out of her small earnings. Another
year passed, and then Magdalen put aside
her pride and went back to Brynmar.
She found her fostcr-sister, Lady Hutton,
IN the bitterest depths of sorrow; her hus-
band and little child, 10 whom she was
uassionately attached, were both drowned
by the upsetting of a boat upon the lake.
She stood upon the bank and SAW them
die before her eyes, unable 20 render them
the least assistance; she saw her little
daughters golden head disappear in the
co)d water; she saw her husband struggle
ia vain to save himself and his child.
Many suns rose and set before Lady
Hutton saw anything again; and, on the
very day that her husband and child
were brought home to Brynmar 10 be
Hurled, Magdalen Hurst reached the lit
tie cottage where her simple, happy child
hood had been spent. She waited there
many long weeks until Lady Hutton was
able TO see her; then. taking little Hilda
by the hand, she went to the Hall.
Sorrow and illness had SO completely
changed Lady Hutton. that her foster
hardly knew her again. There was
but little greeting between them until