Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-06-03
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
The very last few minutes of the hour
Of parting have come, and Erie LdeEei-.
iyn's friends dearest ones-are all
about him His mother his cousin Hes
ter, and his lost love, Edith Cameron. !
1.-THE miserable girl whom Ne has mar
ried has no place among. those" Muriel
thinks, as she keeps away in proud self e.
torture. and locks herself into her bed
room. hoping in the bitterness Of childish
misery that Eric WI put the climax on
his cold. cruel conduct by going away
without even saying good By to her, e {
She hears step approaching the door,
and some one knocks rather sharply. Mu-
riel runs to the door, and with shaking
hands undoes the lock, and sees Eric
standing on the threshold. as he always
does, in his haughtily npnctAie's obsers1ss
ance of the terms on which they live. ~,
Thought you had gomez she
gasps,a trying terribly hard to keep from
letting the tears, and the tenderness, and
the misery of her heart, come all together
with rush.
"What have done to make YOU imag-
Inc was lacking in the commonest cour-
tesy to your he demands, in = suppress
ed tone, for in q modern built L0ndon
house one never knows where they may
be overheard. ~
Z. II thought l saw the cab drive away,
with the luggage" falters Muriea but 1t
the harshness and coldness q hfs t0nes,
love and hope die out Of her heart, and
she strives to meet him on his own
ground.
'sWell, 20 my time IA decidedly limited
he says, NJ Hast, swallowing something ID
his throat with fierce effort, II must say
good-hy, To- you, ana n Assnre you Il ins
tended doing 30 without fail" And there
d assecrnful sleem in hiss purnin9 eyes.
"WilI you not shake hands
For q few moments . fierce eQn6ict
RACES ID her heart, and womanly dignity,
wounded love. pride and wrath restrain,
her 90 II with visible shackles. But the
next moment the shackles are, flung of.
and with . wiMydespajnAg cfySAkHiel
rushes after him who II forsakilk LEI. 1
He has descended tie stairs half way
already, and as he turns on the landing,
shocSed and scandalixed indeed ut the
idea Of . ."sscena," he finds himself In
Murisfs arms. but ere he can hold her
up, she has slipped down on the ground.
clinging, aronnti his knees with u piteoAa,
frantic entreaty.
'sDontt Ave mech, doS't lsave ne
don't leeve ms! l am III alcneA D6A't
from me! My heart il breaking! -,
.'For heavens sakeys ne says, The sweat
starting on his brow for very shame and
distress, don't behave In this insane man
ner!-s They will hear yousdawnstsiFEs Alu-
riel, yoI foolhh child. 4 to give awSy syip
this nlan1ef al the tast! ID hush. Mdriefr''.
he repeats aImost a5igriiy, for the wrld.
convulsive cry has brought some one
rushing into the hall downstairs, and an
ejaculation in Miss Hettie's sharpest
tones ~ indignant amazement:
For mercy sake. what is the matter?''
II beg your pardon. Muriel falters
brokenly. and she drags herself mp OF the
door where she has knelt at his feet and
Eng to him: and blinded with tears, tries
to gropc her way up to her room again, but
Eric's arm Ii afoand her slip waist, and
Eric dr4 her head down. en- his bTeasty
while the strong impulse rises throbbing
to his lips to bid her come with him now
this minute, and not let the inconvenience.
or the absurdity, or the rilicuie,. which
this sudden resolve win surely bring on
them. hinder them 81 keep them apart. i.
"Mnriel. dcar!'' he whispers, hoarsely,
straining her to his heart. Are you
grieving to part with me? My dear. you
might have come. too. if you had decided
In proper time. You refused, you know.
Ny own darling girl" he whispers pas.
sionately. kissing the red, quivering lips
which she prnffers him. like Il penitent
child longing to make it up, my own
dear little wife"'-when Miss Hettie's
shrill, sarcastic tones ring up the stair
case. Sss.-
Eric, the hanson has come. and you
will surely be late if you don't hurry a
littlev s43{r,it fs,,Y ai,{f II az.
Il must go!' he says, hastily, t.I1iss
me-. Muriel! No. dear; don't hold me-
don't, Muriel! Be good girl and be
brave now. and don't upset me SO horribly
at the last" he says, irritably, in his dis
tress at the sight of those violet eyes
streaming tears and those quivering lips
trying in vain to say ''good-by," and the
little white hands clutching his coat collar
with grasp of despair. ~ ~
wont you take me with you2 Oh.
won't you take me?" she says piteously
half beside herself at the thought that
the next Eve minutes viii see her left
alone in the world: that hundreds and
thousands of miles of land and sea viii
sever her from her only friend and rela-
tive on earth. .f
And never. II may be, fs,1ook on his
face again. fIe, viii be dead to her, as
Miles 10 dead to her. Miles loved face
lies under the cofin-lid down deep in the
darksome grave IN, the far-off country
churchyard, hidden for eyermore from
her sight until the Resurrection. Eric's
loved face all! most dearly loved OF all
beside her love, her bridegroom, the
darling Of her soul, she may never look OF,
him again until that day when the sen
shall give up her dead"'
my dear girl! How can you be so UNI
reasonabley Eric exclaims harshly. i'm
his vexed trouble. s'It is madness OF sou
TO ask such I thing, and utterly inpossi-
Bile % well. You Know you refused posi-
lively to come with me-it il your own
doings, Mnriel! LED me 70, dear, let ME
col / shall lose IN tzsiui''
= shall never - you again. she mutt
$780, ~ - -. SvSSey 1,T~