The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-12-17
Bv WHITLEY.
CHAPTER IX-(COntinued.)

luz LII flNlN VI pA AAC ~ W
Then. for the first time in all her guile
less life. Miss Elizabeth created a plot.
mir. Jones'" she said, you hear that
Helen has zone out. ! am yeXed with
Aer for doing so; she shodld have SEM
n servent with the-letter. 1t is grow
ing dark rapidly; the road through the
glen is very lonely: it is not tit for her
TO walk there alone. You will think
me IA great fidget; but it would be such
a relief to my mind if you would go
and meet her. then. seeing the hesita-
ton of his face, she went on rem
,uIously. Il have been i'll; the illness
has left me weak and nervous. l am
anxious about her, and l presume upon
your Kindness"
The request so corlched was almost
impossible to refuse; he did not at
tempt 10 refuse; he went. When she
heard the garden gate slam a minute
or two later she cried plaintively:
Dear, dear! l I'm a creature OF m
pulse after ALL and she buried her
face In her hands and trembled. Still
trembling. she left the sofa and rang
the bell for Betsey.
"Betaey," she said, II an exceeding
ly tired: | shall go up stairs to my
room and keep quiet. Tell Louisa 10
bring the lamps in here; she may put
up Il large fire and keep the mullins
hot. Mr.. Jones and Miss Milford will
be in TO tea before long"
How long. ma'am?'
''Well indeed l don't quite know,
Batsey. Give me your arm; | must
lean on something. | feel so very
shaky."
A young girl, however courageous,
has seldom the hardihoOd TO lead her
to face n difficult situation when
by any possible action she can escape
the ordeal. Flight is the first and often
the only available tactic. TO this ref
uge Helen had resowed. She had put
on her coat and hat, stamped and
sealed her letter to Mrs. Milford. and,
after mentioning carelessiy TO Mrs.
Betsey that she was goinG to the post,
she softly crept along the hall ard let
herself out by the front door. 1t IA
dreadful to leave the house, hut to re-
main there was worse; she had escaped
the meeting, but, unfortunately, she
could not escape herself. She walked
very quickly; it was dark beneath the
trees in the glen and their branches
creaked, for the wind was blowing
sharply. Down the steep, rough vii
lage street she sped-how soon, how
far too soon, she reached the p~ostotfice
and fulfilled her errand!
The sun had gone down, but a full
moon was rising over the sea; the tide
was high, and the rough waves were
believing at the feet of the cliffs. They
dashed the broken rocks, they drew
Helen toward them, for their loud wall
ing was attune with her heart; they
We're in sympathy with her mood.
Their might, their strength, tehir maj
esty overwhelmed her personal trouble;
she could forget all things in heaven
and earth if she could stand beside
them.
1t was long before she turned away
from the wonder of the waves; away
from the beauty and grandeur of the
sky; she was calm and strengthened,
she was ready to 'go home" Close
beside her stood n figure whose APP
proach the a of water lad drowned,
and who had neither spoken nor
moved, but who had been standing mo-
tionless watching her.
His face was set and stern, and there
was a great sadness in the eyes which
met hers as she turned slowly around
toward him. Her mind was so full of
him; he seemed to have been 20 nea
her through all these months that she
was hardly surprised to find him there,
in the flesh. by her side. He spoke to
her, as though their meeting and his
presence were things of course, as il
they had never parted. as if he had for
gotten their last scene from the men,
ory Of which all her meditation had
been drawn Of late.
81 heard where you had gone and fol-
lowed YOU" he said. "rhe tide is COM
ing IN: the waves lick owe this rock in
q squall; it isn't a safe place for you"
She was angry at the raging waters
for dcadening the full sound of his
voice. She had to lift up her head to
catch the full meaning of his words.
II was sent to fetch you home"
Alas! he had been sent He had al
ways read her thoughts, he did so now,
but not correctly.
Miss Milford sent mel hope you
do not mind-She was anxious about
you, so i came; it waS"-slowly-"the
only chance l had of seeing you, so,
right or WING. | to-: It,"
we must 60" che G"ii.
Not yet, not yet. Wait; you won't
mind waiting just n moment; it win be
the last time-the only time; don't you
remember we used to want to watch a
storm t~ogether?"
So she turned again to the sea, as he
wished, and waited. He was young;
the black nightmare of all his troubles
rolled away like a dream, aud the
glamour Of the past returned upon
him. He had ben bereaved, ruined.
Tilted, but his years were few and his
love was great-how great 1t was he
had discovered when. from a careless
habit of drifting with the tide and in
pique, he had bound himself %irrevoca-
bly, to another IN He was free
now to play with fire; he might seam
and scar his fingers at his will: he