The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-07-12

A NOVEL.
BIZ WALTER BEsANT AND JAMES R1cR
CHAPTER Nv.

ed, and the recollection added NOR,
sweetness to my present enjoyment
IL seemed as If | should never be hun
cry any more, and never feel the wan
OF food. 1 was like a Greek god in my
exemption from the common weak
nesses of humanity. | was rich, too
and knew that | had the command
somewhere, Of all that money could
buy.
l was sitting in a garden. and around
me were troops of girls. / heard the
rustic of their dresses, caught the
laughter from their lips, watched the
l.lster of their eyes, saw the moor
dance among their waving locks as
they ran and played among the trees
and flowers. One of them sat by me
Inc sang to a guitar
Life is made for love. All! why
Should Its sweetness e'er be married?
List! the echoes will not die,
Still the sweet word 'eloye" to guard.
Naught but love. oh happy youth,
Free from need of baser thought,
Stay with us, and learn this truth,
Set with song, with music wrought.
Thine is love. an endless feast;
Beauty-sweeter far than wine;
Joy from lower cares released
Never star rose bright as thine.
knew. somehow or other. that this
WIS ai1NSul iSSiI, dlu as IL L eApFeSSGu
my thought, the scene changed, and I
was in real life.
Chambers in London. such as l had
read of, overlooking st. James Park.
| sat in them in the midst Of books and
pictures. | had nj business tt call me
away from my INDECENT ease; 1 had no
anxiety about the future. l got up and
strOlled about the streets. looking at
the shops. If / fancied "a thing 1
bought it. l went to picture galleries
and saw the latest works of art; / went
to the theater and saw the perform
ance from a comfortable box; [ went
riding in the park.
Then my fancy returned to my first
love, and l saw myself walking in a
country lane with Juliet. She was
sWeeter to look upon than ever and
more delightful in her frank and inno-
cent love for me, We rambled along
under the hedges while / gathered
flowers for her and talked of the
happy days when we should be one,
soon now to arrive, and of the sweet,
loving life which should ba ours far.
away from the troubles of the world.
Dreams, idle dreams; but sweet to
me. after the agony of the last, as a
draught of water to a parched travel
er on Sahara.
The pictures changed as fast as nv
fancy wandered from one thing to an
other. In all / was the same-free
from the downward and earthly pres
sure of want and hunger, relieved
from anxiety, with plenty of money,
and full Of all sweet and innocent fan
cies.
Lies again. But by what power could
this necromancer so cheat and gull nv
brain?
Very different scenes these, my dear
young friend" he said. in a winning
voice, ARE they not? Now he went
on, and his voice was quite close to
me. you have had your five minutes"
The cloud passed from M ewes
was sitting again in the octagonal
room, the old man before me, watch in
hand, as if he was counting the sec
onds.
Five minutes and a quarter" he
growled. aNow choose"
! have chosen" I replied. 81 ac-
cept your offer.
The influence Of the things I had
seen was too strong upon me. I could
AcllucI EcdSOu uOf TenpCt.
Il accept your Offer"
why, that's brave" he said. with a
gigantic sigh. Of relief. s1That's what /
expected Of you. Boule-de-neige-
Boule-de-neigew
He clapped his hands.
Instantly the horrible old negro an
peared behind his masters chair, as
II ne had sprung up from the ground.
! believe he had. He looked more
like a devil than ever, grin
ming from ear to ear, and
his two eyes glowing in the candle
light like two great Goals. The light
fell. too, upon the seams and wrinkles
of his face, bringing them out like the
hills and valleys in a raised man.
Strange as it all was to me. this ancient
servitor produced the strangest effect
upon me of anything.
"Boule-de-neige is witness for u.s.
saidAthe old gentleman aBou,e-de-
neige, this young gentleman, MI. Luke
Iucraft, is about to sign a little deed.
to which, as a matter of form. we rp.
quire your signature.
"Cluck,n said the negro. "Dis yonny
gegleman berry ~lucky-him berry
lucky. What time massa take him din
ner? ~
when do you think you shall lie
fairly hungry againg, he asked me.
s.Now. no boastings--no false pre-
tenses and pride-because 1t will s.
worse for you. Answer truthfully. Ii
III now six"
81 should say chat at nine I should
be ablesto take some supper, and at ten
I shall certainly be hungry again. AS
"A ordinary rule I should be ready d
great deal earlier, but / have taken