Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-05-20

.naak for ( am too unhappy dnher
this-aii this. 10 keep II all 70 uaystit
In silence Is more than | can 4 !
! can endure IL no longer. FranK.
SOD paua to speak to you. but ne VIII
not. Perhaps he is right; stiii itis not
kind of him, for now | must DO IL my
self
Fven IN the excited state OF mind she
u,a in she iDatSed the cruel necessity;
but she controlled herself and went
OH:
THAT woman-I'rank. Frank Ihat
woman-I can think Of nothing else!
but, dear Eva"
..Oh. let ne speak, must speak,
seq that creature always ut my eitOw'
smell her perfume; l hear her voice.
cannot get it ont of my ears. She
| shuddered violently, and b
thing came over her again, again pos,
sessed her: the ghostly hypnotisin OF
that eye, that whisper, that strange,
magnetic power which her fatner
not understand. The words sne spoke
seemed prompted, inspired by that
voice. her expression and auitude
obeyed the coercion Of that gaze. In
her Utmost soul she felt those eyes as
black as night.
..Oh Frankr' she cried, and the
tears came from nervous excitement.
and the fear lest she should not ave
! courage 10 obey these prOmptings. Il
must, must ask you. Why, when you
come TO see me, are you always SO
grave ana silent, a though you were
not happy in my society; why do You
cyade all direct replies; why do you
always tell me there Is nothing the
matter! That woman-it is bccause
OF her, because you still love her-bet-
ter. perhaps, than You love me! Be
cause YOU cannot forget Der, because
she still is a part Of your life. a large
part-perhaps the largestP ON, 1t IS
such torture, such misery-ever-pres-
cnt misery. And | am not meanly
iealOuS; | never have been. l quite un-
derstand your feeling about her-the
first-coG. er-though IL is dreadful. But
YOU, yourself are too silent, too sad;
and when / think IL over I doubt, in
spite Of myself-Frank, in spite or my
self, I swear 10 you. But the Suspi-
eion forces itself upon me and over
whelms me Great God! why must IL
be. But, Frank, tell me I am a sim
pleton to think so. and that she is moth
Ing to you any l~onger-nothing at all.
You never see her, do your Tell me,
tell me:"
The anguish OF her soul rs she spoke
was eloquent in her face, though dis
figured with grief, and pale with the
dead Wilderness Of 4 faded aZalea bios
som; n conyulsive pang pinched the
corners of her mouth and her CULVER
ing eyeli,is; she was. Indeed, a martyr
10 her own too vivid fancy.
But he. at that moment, was incapa-
BILE of seeing her as a martyr. Her
words mad reused in him a surge of
fury suchaas he could remember hav-
ing felt occasionally as n child, dashed
up, as it Were, by the blast Of a hurri-
cane, drowning every other feeling,
sweeping away every other thought,
like dast before the storm. 1t came
clustering up at the notion Of his hon.
esty being questioned, his perfect can
dor, honesty and truth-like a whirl-
wind OF righteous indignation ut such
injustice: for, in his own mind. he
could not conceive of such a doubt,
knowing himself TO be honest, honor
able and true. His dark-gray eyes
flashed beneath his deeply-knit brows;
his words came vieiously from between
his set teeth, which shone. large and
white under his moustache like pol
ished ivory.
1T is inconceiyable. Good God. this
Is mO%nstrous! l have answered you
once for all: / have told you in plain
words: 'No-no-no. And you ask
me again and again. Do you think l
n M N ttatsJ NIFbDI IIAw,x
anything in ME 20 make you think /
can lie: say no, and / mean no. And
still you have doubts: still you think
ard worry over 1t like an old woman.
Why do you not take things as they
are! You know the facts. Why do
you not believe me? / am not sad: I
am not gloomy; am quite happy with
you: | love you: / do not doubt YOU.
But you-you-Believe me, II you go
On in tbs way you will make yourself
miserable; and me, too; me, too"
She looked at him steadfastly, and
her pride rose up to meet his wrath. for
his words offeaded her.
"iou need not speak to me in that
tone she answered, haughtily.
when ! tell YOU that ii is against nv
will-you hear-in spite OF myself. that
have doubts, and this makes me mis-
cradle, YOU need not take that tone.
Have some pity on me, and do not
speak like that
but, Eva, when I assure YOU" he
began, again. trembling with rage.
which he tried 10 control. forcing him
self to speak gently; when | assure
you"
"fou have done so already"
And You doubt my word?"
"Only so far as"
You disbclieyc me?" he reared. quite
beside himself.
only In so Ear as | think you are
Keeping something back she cried.
Something back, What, in Heay.
ems nalne?"
His friends name was on her
tongue; but as soon as she thought OF
BERTHE, hesitancy and INDIGESTION took
possession OF her: for she knew moi
what exactly BERTHE had, in fact. old
her. 1t was always as though Van
Maeren had inclosed her in n magic
circle, n spell of silence, which made n
impossible for her to mention him.
n even at this juncture he was an
intangible presence, his name nm nm.
ntterabie word, his hints a mere mar.
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