Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-08-27

which 6le wal hastily 1ltpping into .
knot on tho top d her head. When she
had finished her toilet. she took from :
bureau drawer IN old ~breastpin and
watch chain oil gold and IN old savings
bank and shock ont into her lap about
$50 in small silver coins. The counting
0f these took some time, and abe heard
the clock IN the lower hall strike IL b.
fore all her preparations were q IN
end. Into q valise she had packed the
most Indispensable garments. and she
now stood still in the middle Of the
floor, wondering what abe could have
forgotten. Her eyes fell upon the we'd
ding gown, which caught the dim rays
Of the in IT. gloasy folds and
CLEANED with q soft luster. The bond
age, the hateful, soul crippling bond
age which it symbolised, rose In all its
revolving degradation to her vision, and
she had for q moment . wild impulse
to tear it into shreda But the reflection
that the noise would be sure to wake
her sister restrained her, and she paused
once O to take q last lingering fare
we'll Of the room within which abe had
spent 30 many hours Of misery and hap
piness. It seemed 80 closely identified
with her experience a. almost to seem
part Of herself. All the knots in the
ceiling, all the faces and shapes OF fam
tastic beasts in the grain Of the wood.
and the figures Of tho wall paper were
20 delightfully."- familiar that IL cost her
a violent wrench to tear herself away.
And there lay the dear, blunt, big
hearted Magda with her ready tears and
her inexhaustible sympathy. How could
she leave her to the terror Of surprise
which would overtake her at wakingi
And the added pang, too, which she
had to infiict upon her OF not having
shared with her her secreti How deeply
that would wound her! With q heart
full Of yearning affection she stopped
over her sleeping sister. gased at her
long and fondly, and with remorseful
tenderness pressed q kiss upon her lipsI
Magda labored in her sleep, mumbled
some i~narticulate words. and relapsed
into Inconsistencies Hulda, brushing
away all weak regrets. a. one brushes
away q oobweb, flung her cloak about
her, seized her valise and slipped noise
lessly into the hall. The impetus Of her
resolution bore her along rs on wings.
and she descended the stairs and un-
barred the great hall door with q sort Of
somnambulistic ease. as il all things
she touched, and her body included,
were imponderable substances, yielding
. blind obedience to her will. She closed
the door with the same fairy facility.
and stole along the walls of the house
toward the servants hall, where Nils
and the stable boy slept. She was well
aware Of Nils stanch loyalty. and had
resolved to take the risk Of i~ntrusting
her plan to him. It was about 30 Eng
lish miles to Barholm, the nearest sta
ton, where the steamboat touched dur
ing the winter months, and she would
b. sure to be ovcrtaken before morning
II she attempted to walk this distance
carrying q heavy valise.
The groom's bedroom was q large,
low ceiled apartment, with smoky walls
and rafters, and pervaded with the
smell Of tar, creased boots and clothes
hung up to dry. She would never have
ventured into it's gloom and unpleasant