Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-08-06

IVY wv :
Huld0 no more shunncd Mr.. Fnlck.
rising of the sun could have induced her
to submit to it. She was not wise
enough to recognize the beneflcence Of
this fate which harshly ignored her
preferences, and she was far from re-
joicing in that gentler mood and diffu.
sion Of interest which followed the first
intensity Of rebellious resolution and re-
greet.
Amid the accumulation Of affections
which threatened to overwhelm her
Hulda hoped at least to be released from
Falck's importunate wooing and the
necessity Of being daily polite to one
whom she now detcsted as the author
Of all her misfortunes. But the curate,
who was probably a trif1e pachyderma-
tous, raw no apparent reason for betak-
ing himself away, and though his ND.
petite was poor he took his seat ut table
as regularly as before. Nor did he seem
particularly agitated unless q certain
strained look about his mouth and q
deepening Of two perpendicular wrin.
kles on his brow might be supposed to
betray agitation. He rarely volunteered
a remark, but replied in his dry voice
and with odious, painstakinR effort to
DO exact to the pastors queries cr Mrs.
B~rinckman's observations on the de-
pravity Of human nature. It was re.
marked by the pastor that MI. Falck's
second violin in the quartet was gaining
in delicacy aud power Of expression,
and he would venture the prophecy that
Mr.. Falck might some day become a
virtuoso on his instrument. The good
pastor. whose acuteness Of ear seemed to
have been developed at the expense Of
his vision, failed to note the evidences of
strained relations between his daughter
and the curate and was rather congratu-
lating himself hat the former had re-
covered her senses and had been cured
Ut her insane infatuation fo- that hare
Drained engineer. He had agreed with
his wife that no allusion should be made
to that unfortunate affair, which should
be allowed to die q natural death; that
rs Mr.. Falck had never notified him Of
the rupture Of his engagement they were
to feign ignorance Of it and for the
present at least refrain from interfer-
ence and trust to the healing influence
of time.
This seemed to Mrs. Brinckman a
highly satisfactory programme, and she
was confident that her sagacity would
be justified by the result. Moreover, sh.
fancied she already saw the effects of
this benevolent neutrality in u certain
relaxation Of restraint and the return of
the natural ease, mirth and cordiality
which had Of old been the very air of
the parsonage. Hulda no more stunned
MI. Falck, and she had V be<~ heard
to address him without any show of re-
pugnance. And 0s for Mr.. Falck, though
he was studiously undemonstrative and
anxious to avoid giving offense he was
as unobtrusively devoted as any lover
could DO and would have jumped out Of
his skin On the bare chance Of pleasing
his callous mistress. Flo hoped against
hope. not because in his cooler moments
he deluded himself with any actual ex-
pectation Ut winning her back, but be-
n his love for her was so much part
OF himself that the effort to get rid Of it
seemed to involve some sort of self ex-
tinction. lie could scarcely fancy how
and what he would be if he were to
cease to love this imperial woman, in
whom all his desires conferred. There
was something within him that throb-
bed and glowed. chilled and warmed
him by turns. but filling him always,
20 that all other things seemed pitifully
small by comparison. There were mo
ments even when his honest contempt
Tor Mr.. Brun, whom he regarded as q
sort OF picturesque ~charlatan, made him
utterly scout the idea Of q serious RI
valry. for Hulda, with her good sense,
would inevitably discover what a vain
and fiimsy fellow it was upon whom she
had squandcred her affection, and then
the humber but more enduring merit Of
her first lover would appear in its true
light, and her heart would return to its
allegiance. This hope was tho candle
which no held above his head and by
whose feeble flame he CROPPED his way
through the night that threatened to
swallow him up.