The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-09-03

grown to think of her as the noblest and
grandest woman in the world. He held
out his hands to her in warmest greeting:
but her face grew white as death, and
all sound of words died on her lips.
Il have startled you," he said; "pray
forgive me-
lie drew chair and made her sit down.
"dow rash l am he said, looking in
wonder at that white face. "Say you
forgive me, Miss Dunn, and are glad to
see me-
Il am much pleased to see you,' she
sald, but her impulse was to cry out; "Oh,
me, take me in your arms-I am your
wife"
She restrained the impulse; but the
look that went from her eyes to his was
SO strange that it startled him.
Il am only here for few hours,'' he
said. Il leave for town tonight; but if
can win an invitation from the duchess
ana can win your help in the way | want
1t hope to come again. Will you find
nve minutes for me before l go to-night?"
And those five minutes she found for
nm, while the duchess went to dress for
a drive with him. They stood on the
lawn close to great laburnum tree,
While he talked to her; she held one of
the long golden tresses in her hands.
Once" he said, ''you played the part
OF guardian angel to me- God bless
you for that nights action; you saved
us from worse than death; now I want
you to be my friend again, to talk to her,
to persuade her. Miss Dunn, love her
very dearly and want to marry her."
He saw the color die from her face and
lips; she looked at him with eyes that
held an angels pity and an angels love.
Marry her." she repeated; ''but you
cannot. She is free-but you"
She paused
''But I-what?' he said.
"You have wife," she said steadily.
"A wife-a shadow, you mean. 1 have
no wife, my home is desolate, my heart
is empty-no man ON earth has less wife
than L."
Her noble, beautiful face dropped sad
ly; then he said:
"N1iss Dunn, have more faith in you
than in any one living. Let me tell you
my story. Nay, do not shrink from it;
there is not one word in it which need
| shock you-let me tell you.'
She bowed her head in shy assent, and
he went on: :;
Il married a child. I cannot tell you
! what led to our marriage; that is not my
secret. l married a child whose very
lace was strange to me; to my deep and
bitter shame, 1 married her because she
had the money which was needful for me
| to keep up my state. She was q girl of
| noble mind, and had I been patient we
! might in time have been happy. She
| overheard me, one day, say to my mother
that | wanted the money, and not the girl;
| the words ranked in her mind they We're
cruel words, admit, but I did not mean
them as she thought. We were married
and started for Paris for our honeymoon
..is: Dunn. my wife ran away from me
on that journey, and l have not seen her
since: that is more than five years ago.
Am l wrong in saying she is a shadow,
but no wife? She. left a letter bidding
| me farewell, saying she should be dead to
me for all time; that. I had the money and
should not be troubled with her. FIVE
years passed. During that time 7 have
| sought her high and low. far and vide
| Surely you, who are honor itself, can see
no harm in my getting divorce from
what is but shadowy tie.''
She looked into his face
'But if you knew her living and we'll ?''
she said.
even then she will never return to
me-" he said. "She was a romantic,
warm-hearted GIRL she would never care
| to see me again"
Suppose that she lives somewhere and
| loves you?" she said.
"There is no possibility of it. IF not
dead, she is thoroughly alienated from
me. Why should live always dreary,
lonely, without wife or child, because it
was her whm to leave me? Miss Dunn,
you cannot picture my home, in which no
woman's fair face ever shines; you cannot
imagine my life-a life without love to
bless it. Why should it be? am no ad-
vocate of divorce-I do not approve of
it; but in such a case as this it seems to
me there is really no tie to break
you married her." she said after a
pause.
Eyes, married her; but she chose her.
self to dissolve the contract that same
day forever"
"She could not dissolve it, even though
she ran away from you. 1t was no more
in her power than it is in yours to dis
solve it,
'Be reasonable" he said "Do you think
that either the laws of God or man com
mand me to be true to wife who left
me ON my wedding day, and whom have
never seen since? You cannot believe
that"
II do believe it, she said in low voice,
her face averted from his.
'You will think differently when YOU
have thought for some little time-quite
| differently. l will not press you now.
| but l leave my cause in your hands.
shall say nothing to the duchess now, but
as soon as I get away 1 shall write to
her. l know beforehand that she will
come to you for advice, that she will be
influenced by you. Be my friend-I have
had no happiness in my life hitherto; be
my friend and help me-"
She could not answer, for the next mo.
ment the duchess, looking lovely as a
fairy queen, came into the room. The
carriage was waiting-they were all going
ont for q drive. The duchess and Lord
Dunhaven talked necessarily; Lady Hilda
spoke never a word.
Go be continued.)
Always Pouring.