Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-09-24

Ills were the eyes she mel.
"Oh. Hulda," he cried in Norwegian
with a voice that shook with emotion.
II have found you at last"
"No. Mr.. Falck; you have lost me at
Last" she replied sternly. II I'm mar
ried to Mr.. Brun."
He stood staring in q bewildered way,
as il he did not quito comprehend what
she was saying.
"Married?' he repeated with . gasp
ing, breathless staccato. And to this
mani"
eyes. And please. MI. Falck. do not
trouble me. It il quite useless"
II have your fathers command to
bring you back"
II am sorry to disobey him, but I
shall stay with my husband"
The company needed no explanation
a. to who this importunate visitor might
be. Only a discarded lover would have
disregarded appearance to the extent Of
risking such q scene. In the gray, event.
less blank Of their lives 80 stirring an
incident, 90 fraught with romantic SEN
timent, simply thrilled the girls to the
marrow Of their bones. They seized
upon it with hungry avidity; they gloat-
ed over it and slowed it away for end
less discussion in the long, empty Q
ings to come. Though they admired
Hulda and thought her husband "stun-
ming" they yet could not suppress o
sneaking, fantastic sympathy with the
unhappy sutton in his cruel dilemma.
Some there were. too, who secretly
wished that he might turn to them for
consolation.
Falck, oblivious Of all except Hulda.
WIS quite unaware of the sentiments he
aroused in the bosoms of these sympa-
thetic virgins. When the irrevocable-
ness Of his loss dawned upon him-for
until this moment he had been buoyed
up by an absurd hope-it grew black
before his eyes; the floor seemed to
surge under his feet, and he did not
dare to take a step to the right or to the
left for fear Of falling. It was the bride
groom's ironical smile which recalled
him to his senses. With = mighty effort
he pulled himself together and stepped
aside while the eager congratulations
pressed forward.
"Who 10 this gentleman inquired
Dr.. Trump as he fixed an inquiring
glance upon the intruder.
1T is the gentleman whom my par
ents wished me to marry" Hulda IN
gwered with the steAdiest voice at her
command. She had not really een
Falck with any clear realization ct his
appearance until this moment. In her
agitation all things had swum before
her vision In a luminous mist. But now
the severity died out Of her eyes, and q
light Of compassion was kindled in
stead, for every lineament Of his face
was . record Of suffering. His eye pits
were sunken and strangely discolored.
his cheeks hollow, and there was 4
drawn, strained look about his mouth.
So gaunt was he, SO wasted by sorrow
and exertion, that every bone in his
anatomy became ~unpleasantly suggest
i've. He stood for awhile staring vacant
ly about the room.s tudiously refraining
from looking at her, feeling how dire
fully conspicuous he was and yet not
moving how to obliterate himself
Then the thought flashed through his
brain that his presence must be elnbar-
raising to her. nay, wen painful, and
he marveled at his stupidity in not hav-
ing thought Of it before. Slowly there
fore and cautiously he began siding
toward the door and managed to slip
ont. ~ he fancied, unperceived He was
glad to get out into the large, compass
sionats night, to feel the dusk close
about him and encompass him, to set
his face against the storm and have
some physical obstacle to wrestle with.
10 walked along rapidly, stumbling and
Sesling. but still driven on with . SOM
nambulistic inevitableness by some
derce, irrational impulse.
He never knew whittier he walked
before losing consciousness O how
long. But he found himself the next
morning In apolice station. having been
arrested for vagrancy. In the afternoon
he bought his return ticket over South.
ampton to Norway.
CHAPTER XIII
Mr.. Falck often blamed himself foa