Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-10-15
CHAPTER NXIEf.
The Sacrifice May Rivers MnLe- ror
Save Her Fathers Life.

Ii was wonderful how she manager
10 keep her strength through all her
trials and troubles.
She was pale and wan, almost
ghastly-looking, as she fitted about
from place To place. but still she did
not complain.
Not Il word escaped her lips which
could have revealed to those about her
that the knowledge IF the coming
wedding was killing her by show de.
grees.
She hardly knew il herself: she only
knew that a dull. weary listiessness
hung about her-that she felt nothing.
cared for nothing. and only longed for
the time when she might lay down her
head and die in peace.
"Oh. ErDest-Ernestt' she cried. in
anguish. the night before her marriage:
'.oh, why DO you not coine To Ute, and
save me? IT is cruel to leave me thus!
Come, dearest-c2me to me.'
But it was but rarely she allowed
her feelings thus TO gain the as
cendancy over her sense of duty; but
there were hours when. In loneliness
and despair. she could not help letting
he thoughts wander 70 the fardilferent
future she had anticipated for herself
twelve months since.
Then, all was bright and fair:
sanguine hope bridged over the CULTS
which, socially speaking, interviewed
between her lover and herself, and she
looked forward with more JOY than she
had ever felt before to one day being
the wife of Ernest HDtrey.
And now how dill, was ii! How
her bright dreams h. Il!
She was doomed TO we'd tie man
whom she detestei-the man who had
attempted to deprive her triie lover
of his life-and this in order that she
might save her father from the dread
full fate which the doctors had limited
might be the probable termination Of
his sufferings, should he much longer
remain IN inmate of Winchester Gaol
She would not allow herself even 10
tliiak of the hated marriage, but strove
TO live dreamlike in the past, without
consciousness Of the present, and with
a horror shrinking from the future.
When they told her that the morrow
was TO be her wedding day, she started
back ~incredulous FOX the moment. but
thea. with Il weary sigh, resigned her
self 10 her fate.
Yes. after NIL that had passed-after
the disclosures which had taken place
upon the morning when she had before
donned her bridal dress TO stand ut the
altar with him who had once been but
her fathers clerk; In spite of the
crimes OF which the bridegroom had
then been accused, she WIS about 20
give her hand TO him in marriage.
And why?
To save her father from death. or
the still more dreadful alternative
a life OF insanity,
Who will dare Judge our poor heroine
harshly?
Who can say that she exceeded her
duty in determining thus to sacrifice
herself?
She only acted up to what she be-
lieyed to be the right, and in doing
so she did we'll.
The morning OF the day which was
to make May Rivers Mrs. John GridIev
opened duu, heavy, port ,ntous. and
lowering.
Stormy clouds chased zach other
Wildly across the murky sky, and, be-
lore ten O'Clock sounded, the rain be-
gan TO fall in large. heavy drops.
nc ori cdtneurdl or winchester
looked black and gloomy, ovenshad-
owed by the Eeayy thunder-cloud; and
those few whom business had taken
from their homes now rushed rapidly
to the nearest shelter.
ding! "eu
Poor girl! AS she donned the some
what sombrc b~ridal-dress which John
Gridley had provided for her. she
thought of the many little happinesses
and pleasures OF a wedding, every ONE
or which would be absent from hers
Her husband-she siiuddered when
ever she thought Of him by that name
-nad arranged that the marriage
should be quite quiet; and Nav was
only too glad to hear that such was
his determination. ~