Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-03-26

into Colonel KelmScott's family. But, how
ever, BE- that . II may, hes been In the
habit Of coming. there till very recently,
days back, 70 my immense surpfise, he
ceased Ut once. and ever since has dropped
into the defensive, exactly as he used to do.
And / interpret it to mean
Elma heard no more of that pompous
speech. Her knees shook under her. For
she was aware only of Mrs. CiffOrd's eye,
fixed mildly and calmly upon her face, not
In anger as she feared, or reproach, but
rather In infinite pity. For q second their
chances met in mute intercourse Of soul.
then each dropped their eyelashss as sud
denly as before Through the rest Of that
lunch Etma sat in q maze. hearing and Sec
ing nothing. What she ate or drank, or
talked about, she knew not. Mr.. Glider
sleeves pungent n embellished anecdotes
Of the KelMscott family and their unneigh-
bOrly pride went in at one ear and out at
the other: All she was conscious of was
her mothers sympathetic. yet unerring
eye; she felt sure that at one glance that
wonderful thought-seader had OWNED
interview that morning. 80
After lunch, the two men strolled upon
the lawn to enjoy their cigars. and Elma
and her mother were lett alone in the
drawing-roOm.
For some minutes neither could make
up her mind to break he ice and speak.
They sat shame-faced besitle one another
on the sofa, like q pair Of shy and ~frighten-
ed maidens. At last Mrs. Clifford braced
herself up to interrupt the awkward silence.
she murmured low, looking down and
averting her eyes carefully from her tren.b-
ling daughter.
.sYes mother" Elma answered all aglow
with conscious bushes. 'In Chetwood
fOrest?"
,tA -. -. IT, a...9, ,l
spoke tenderly and sympathetlcally.
Elma's heart stood still. "Yes mother, I
met him."
And he had the snake there?
Elma started in surprise. Why dwell up
on that seemingly n~nimporiant detail?
oh YES she answered, still redder
it there. He was painting it,
Mrs. Clifford paused q moment; then she
went on with pain, And he asked you,
Elpa."
Elma bowed her head. Eyes he asked
me-and I refused him." she answered with
q terrible wrench.
ooh, darling, / know it," Mrs. Clifford
cried, selling both cold hands in hers.
And l know why, too. But, Elma, be-
lieve me, you needn't have done it. My
daughter, my daughter, you might just as
well have taken him!"
"No. never" Elma cried. rising from her
L SC6t uIu iIONlilk VOWdIu tHS uOOT III uu
agony of shame. Il couldn't. ] daren't.
II would be wrong. 1t would be cruel.
But, mother, don't speak to me of it.
Don't mention il again. Even before you.
it makes NE more wretched and ashamed
than | can say to allude to it"
She rushed from the room, with cheeks
burning like fire. Come what might she
never could talk to any living soul again
about that awful episode.
But Mrs. Clifford sat on, on the sofa where
Elma lett her. and cried to herself silently,
silently. What q mother should do in
these hateful circumstance She could
hardly even guess. She only knew she
could never speak it cut, and even if she
did, Eima would never rave the courage or
the heart to listen to her.
That same evening, when Elma went up
to bed, a strange longing came across her
to sit up late. and think over to herself
again all the painful details Of the morn
ing's interview. She seated herself by her
bedside in her evening dress, and began to
/ think it all out again, exactly as 1t hap
pened, As she did 80, the picture of SArd-
afnapalus. on his bed of fern, came mp clear
in her mind, Just as he lay coiled round in
Cyril Warnings landscape. Beautiful Sard-
anapalus. SO sleek and smooth aud glossy,
If she only had him here now-she paused
and hesitated. In a moment the wild inn
pulse rushed OF her ono more. 1t clutch
ed her by the throat; it held her fast as in q
wise. She must get up and dance: she
must obey the mandate; she must wlirl till
she fell in that mystical ecstasy.
She rose, and seemed for a mo-
ment as though she must v ell d
to the temptation. The boa--the boa
was in the lower drawer, Reluctantly,
remor>efullv, she opened the drawer
and took it out in her hands. Fluff and
feathers. fluff and understanding more
than that. but OH, how soft, how smooth:
how yielding, how s%erpentifle!. With q vio-