The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-03-21
cartilage, with post-horses.

carriage. with p~ost-horses. post;No.
two liveried footmen behind. and
slowly up to the door. '"Le
1T is. it is our carriage! Pcrb.,.
has come herself. poot dear mon',p she
did not tell you, my dear. but I We |
ann and said. Z: she Thought ;t',e@
| wouli come home. And | snnnas oeSt
has sent for me. Look there, loci. ~ She
No, il is not mamma-oh, God bnln 'ere,
it is my husband" P mel
Horror. DISCUS, despair, woro um.
on every feature Of her face i'en
watched Mr.. Alexander Tbomeo sue
sccnd, leaning OF his two footmon We
in a loud' imperious voice inquired .Jt
Mrs. Thomson were here" How Al
shuddercd, tks miserable woman who hue
not had strength enough to free bornaI.
from her miaery! But this was is Inr .
cutlery. In another minute her vorII'
up-bringins, her love of ease and lnyrms
and y ccrt.in pride to preserve an,nas
anceS. asserted their sway.
Yes. rlat is our carriage; ism, :,
nice one: And he has brought if 70 fot
me. Wei, he is not so bad. after OH
suppose he wants TO get back in timn c..
the New Year; the Thomsons olu.a,i
have a grand family gathering at tLo
New Year. They are Il highly resDcctoLio
family, and in an exceedingly good posi.
ton. | assure YOU. my dear" added sbo
with Il mixture of haughtiness and do
prccation. as if she thought her sis,o,
would blame her. But Silence meroly
said:
shall I 90 and receive your husband
or will You go:"
You. No; perhaps | had better do Il
myself. Send him in here. I'll MANAGE
my oWn affairs
And She did manage thcm-how was
never accurately known. But half an
hour after Mr.. and Mrs. Alexandn,
Thomson were seen sitting together on
the drawing-room sofa. as comfortable
as if they had never been separated.
And most likely half the world wonld
say the wife was quite right in thus fuL
filing to the letter hcl marriage vow
condoning everything. shutting her eve.
to everything, making believe that wrong
was right, ana going back in the mos,
respectable manner to her husbands
house. there to sustain the character of n
blamnlcss British matron. She did it for
the best" as many women would argue.
or for the sake Of the child" which is the
argument of hundreds more who dcliber.
atcly continue in wealthy dishonor: for
what dishonor can be worse than mar.
riagc without respect and without love-"
But. as the p%roycrb says, Bella had
made her bed. and must lie in it," No.
body had a right to interfere or advise.
silence never attempted to do either. She
sat with the child in her lap, the poor
pitiful little creature whom she had
grown fond "f. and was almost sorry 10
lose, till She was sent for into the draw.
ingroom, and then. to make things less
iificult, she entered with baby IN her
arms.
Its father ciyilly noticed it and her,
and there was Il Slight CLEAN of pleasure
in his dull iiShy eyes, rs if he were proud,
after Il fashion. of his good Hooking. clever
wife. and Of his now paternal dignity.
Mice little thing, And Mrs. Thomson
tells me You nave been SO kind to it and
10 her. Mrs. .Iardinc. Accept my thanks,
my very best thanks. 1t WAS quite Il good
idea of my wifo's. ~this-comins to you
for change of air"
Yes, Hlackhall is IN exceedingly
healthy place. said Bella. with Il laugh
her Old careless laugh. If there was a
ring of m~.ckcry. even contempt in il,
die man was too dull to find it out. He
eyed her with extreme rcspect-nay. ad-,
l4irali, H,i ,oIt his arm round her
waist with a pompous dcmonstratiyone>s,
Is if to prove To all the world what an
exceedingly happy couple they were,
The tragedy had melted into gentoel
comedy, nay, almost into broad farce.
We're it not for the slender line that So
often is drawn between the ludicrous ana
the ghastly.
Il suppose we had better leave at once.
BY changing horses we shall post fast
enough To reach home tonight, and 20 10
Your fathers on New Years eve" said
Bella. hurriedly. 80, my dear Silence,
we won't wait Till my brother comes
home. Mr.. Thomson is decent enough
now she added in a whisper; "but, by
and 10y. after dinncr-I don't want Rody
t" see him after dinner. We shall post
all the way" She said aloud, ''and by mid
night We shall be at home"
Where hope soon to have the pleas,
ure Of seeing Mrs. J~ardine." continued
Mr. Thomson, with ponderous polite,
ness. Assure your husband that he VIII
he always welcome at our place, and III
give him the best glass of wine, or wils-
Ky. Ii he likes it, to be found in all Scot
land. And-and-'
come away, Silence. I'll get my things
.rady and the child's in ten minutes.
Make haste
Hut even when the two sisters were
alone together both carefully avoided
any confidential word. Bella made no
explanation, and never named her nus
bahd but once, when Silence proposed
10 give him some refreShment.
"oh, he has taken care of himself al.
r"ady; trust him for that. He always
takes care of himself. Why. my dear.
II Their" is one creature in the world
whom that man never forgets. it is Alex
audcr Thomson"