Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-08-13
CHAPTER XIV.

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It is terrible what an amount Of an
guish can be compressed into a single
night. She did not love Falck any bet
ter than she had ever done, and yet it
seemed that her whole life's happiness
depended on his safety. The vision Of
his dead body sinking, sinking through
the green depths Of the sea and hidcous-
~ mutilated by sharks pursued her and
would leave her no peace. She walked
excitedly up and down the floor, as if
to run away from it. She rubbed her
eyes hard, as If to wipe it out. But
whatever she did, wherever she turned,
there it was again and would not be
banished. She sat down on the bed and
tried to reason calmly. She grasped her
head in her hands, pressing her palms
against her temples in order to still the
wild fury Of thought. But it was all in
vain. The fact remained and could not
be reasoned away. She had made use Of
her power over him to send him to his
death. That he was dead she could not
doubt. It would be a miracle if a frail
human life had escaped out of that do
moniac uproar Of the raging elements.
If he had not loved her, he never would
have needed her taunt, and if she had
not known how deep and strong his love
was she would not have haunted him,
for, though it had been far from her
purpose to mock, there was yet an i'm.
piled taunt in her words which would
have stung any II but a p~oltroon.
And was it not base and ignoble on her
part to SHAY him, as it were, with that
love which he bore her, the love which
filled his empty life and alone made it
beautiful?
She began mechanically to undress,
spreading her wet clothes owe the backs
Of chairs, but stopped every now and
then as if she had suddenly forgotten
what she was doing. A violent At of
shivering seized her, and she flung her
self down on the bed and wrapped the
blanket about her. Then Magda came
and knocked at tho door, demanding to
be admitted, but Hulda lay staring into
the air, scarcely compromising what
was expected Of her, and five minutes
elapsed, during which Magda's knock
ing grew moro impatient. The creak-
ing Of the huge chestnuts in the garden
as they writhed and swayed was full of
terrible suggestions, and the great harp
like wall that swept skyward with each
mighty orescendo Of the blast made
her shudder TO the marrow Of her bones.
A black whirlwind, sultry and oppress-
i've, seemed to be gyrating perpetually
about her. and Falck's face, CHASTITY
white and distorted. kept staring at her
with reproachfully ~despairing eyes out
Of the gloom.
Magda, receiving no response to her
knocking, became alarmed at last and
ran for Nils, who came and turned the
key in tho lock with a pair of pinchers.
Hulda was undressed and doctored with
various household remedies which filed
the room with their pungcnt odors For
three or four hours her sister sat hold
ing her hand, and with her cool palm
stroking her forehead. In spite Of the
younger girls affection for the elder,
che could not rid herself at a certain
vague jealousy Of her sorrow. There
was something 70 thrilling in having
lovers and that sort of thing who wrung
their hands and plunged into the jaws
Of death and did all sorts Of wild and