The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-06-25


hand-a shrinking ff5m the thsalaa ht that
they would come to a0uk upor, my race and
say to each other. WHO would b Yc thought,
with all her pride, that she was a thtefp' 1t
was that word thief, burning nry brain, that
conquered.
lyon have ono minute more said the
Missing whisper, and then, unlesssyou take
the OATH
81 will take it, I replied; lido so, not to
save my life, but my,fair i.aiar.'
SIT is wallfor yous! he returned; and then
he forced me to kneel, while he dictated to
me the words Of an oath SO binding and so
fast that I dared not break 1t.
"Shnddering, sick at heart, wishing I had
risked all and cried out for help, l repeated
1t, and then he laid the revolver down.
"'You will not break that oath,,' he said.
The Darrells invariably keep their word
Then, coolly, as though ! had not been
present, he put the bank-notes Into his peck.
ct, and turned to me with q sheer.
"'You will wonder how managed this
he said. i am a clever man, although you
may not believe it. l drugged SlrOswald's
wine, and while he slept soultly 1 took the
keys from untes his pillow. | will put them
back again. You seem 50 Mortified that you
had better accompany me and see that I do
no harm to tile old man.
"IIe put away the box and e%Xtinguished
the light. AS we stood together in the dense
gloom, l felt his breath hot upon my face.
There is no curse a man can invoke up
or the woman who has ruined him, he said,
that | do not give to you; but. remember, 1
do not glory in my crime-l an ashamed of
it,
Sin the darkness CROPPED my way to tho
door and opened it; In the darkness VIC pass
ed through the hall where the armor used by
warriors OF old hung, and in the darkness we
went UP the broad staircase. Istood at thu
door of Sir Oswald's room while Captain
Langton replaced the keys, and then, with
out a word, l went to my own chamber.
s"Vanc, l can never tell you of the storm,
the tempest OF hate that ragged within me. /
could have killed Captain Langton for hay
ing cxtortcd it. But there was no help for it
then. Do you think | did wrong In taking
itw"
mo. my darling" no replied, 81 do not.
Few girls would have been so brave. You
are n heroine, Pauline"
''Hush!' sllo said, %interrupting him. You
have not heard all. l do not blame myself
for acting as ! did. debated for some time
whether ought to keep the oath or not.
Every good impulse OF gratitude prompted
me to break 1t; yet again it seemed to me a
cowardly thing. to purchase my life by a lie.
Time passed on-the wonder all died away.
l said TO myself that If ever any one were
falsely accused, / would speak out; but such
an event never happened. and not very long
after, as you know, Sir Oswald died. l did
not like living under the shadow of that Sc
cret-it robbed my life OF all brightness. Cap
tain 1, apIytpu M ana n pnjp No nr1 80 ,.;,o
cal tell the contempt in which | held him.
the contempt with which / treated him:
every one noticed it, but he did not dare TO
complain. He did dare, however, to offer
me his hateful love again. and when l re-
pulsed him in such a fashion as even he
could not overlook, he turned all his atten-
ton TO Lady Darrell. / am Il wicked girl,
Vane-now that the light of your love has
revealed so much to nc. l can see how wick
ed. l have told YOU that l had sworn to my
self to be revenged OH Lady Darrell for com.
Ing between me and my inheritance. lhave
seen more of the world since then, but at
that time it seemed to me an unparalleled
thing that n young girl like her should marry
III old man like Sir Oswald entirely for his
money. l told her If she did so l would be
revengcd. know 1t was wrong Pauline
continued, ilunbly; 'at the time l thought 1t
brave and heroic. Now l know it was wrong,
and weak, and wicked-yOur love has taught
me that"
ut was an error that sprang from PRIDE"
he said, gently; ''thcre is nothing to part us"
You have not heard ALL. Vane, l knew
Captain Langton to be Il thicf-to be n man
who would not scrnple at murder ii need rc-
quired. l knew that all the love he could
ever give to any one lie had given to me, yet
II
She paused, and the sad face raised hum
bly, to his grew crimson with a burning
blush.
"Oh, Vanc, how can I tell you the shame
:nl truth? Knowing what he was, knowing
that he was going to marry Lady Darrell, l
yet withheld the truth. That was my re-
vcnge. knew he was a thief, a cruel, wick.
ed slanderer. n thoroughly bad man, vet,
when one word from he would have saved
her from accepting his proposal, L. for my
vengeance sake, refused to speak that
word"
Her voice died away In a low whisper; the
very sound OF, her words seemed to frightcn
her. Vanc st. Lawlcnce's face grew pale
and stern.
ut was unworthy of you, Pauline he
said, uhesitatingly. at was a cruel re.
venge."
II know it," she admitted. mo words
can add to the keen sense OF my disfonor.'
Tell me howit was" he said, more gently.
81 think" continued Pauline, shat she
had always liked Captain Langton. ! re.
member that ! used to think so before she
married my uncle. But she had noticed my
contempt for him. 1t shook her faith in him,
and made her doubt him. She came to me
one day, Vane, with that doubt in her face
and In her words. She. asked me to tell lel
lSifI EleW anythilgssagaiRst hlm-if there
was any reason should doubt him
She asked me then, before 81 Ns1tll0sMed her.
self to love hin; one word ftoIfsssnsaather
would have saved her, and that word, 5f0f n,
vengeance sake, / would not speak,
ut should have been spoken o6Sefyed
Sir Vane, gravely. sS f5a
II know it. Captain Langton has re hcsi
or, no conscience. lie does not even Xix,
Lady Darrell; he will marry her solely tina
he may have Darrell Court. He will after
ward maltreat her, and hold her life MS moth
ing; he will s%lnander the Darrell property
Vane, as truly as the bright heaven shine.
above me-, l believe him to have no redeem
ing quality" :.
There was silence for son minutes, ant
then Sir Yane asked:
len me, Itiuiinc-do you tnlnk tina,
Lady Darrell would marry him If she knew
what you have Just told mc?"
II am sure she would not. She Is very
worldly, and only lives what onoNmay call 4
life OF appearances; she would not marry
| him Ii she knew him tn he n tl,iaf-sha wo,I,