Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-11-24

low, waiting cry; and the man contin
ued. slowly:
"You will not? Then I must. She
thought herself a widow, but she il
not. i am her husband-Herbert SAINT
Ieyr'
1T is falser' Vincent exclaimed, pas
s~ionately; but his lips grew ashyfpa'e
and some strange feeling in his hear
seemed to say: 1T is true" "You are
mad, or lying. for some base purpose
of your own! Herbert Santley was
drowned on his wedding day."
ASK her. Herbert Santley said, sti'
clinging to the gate, breathing in the
same hard, labored fashion, but stil
keeping his bloodshot eyes upon the
girls crouching form and down bent
head-ask her; she knows whether
lie or not,''
.'Grace"-and Vincent turned hel
face towards the faint light; he could
not avoid noticing how changed, worn
aud haggard il was, and he read hi,
answer there before he spoke; he was
determined 10 trust only her reply
Grace, is this truth or madness on
this mans part?"
1T is-truth!''
Vincent stared at her incredulously
"Nincent.' Grace exclaimed, implor.
ingly-for something in his face in,
spired her with a new terror-"deai
Vincent. listen t o me.'
But he drew back with a smothered
cry that brought the blood 10 Grace's
previously-pale cheeks. and Tom Carl
ton came quickly forward.
Vincent. come with me-" said the
latter. Control yourself, for youl
wife's sake, old manr,'
"His wife, Herbert Santley ejacn
lated. mockingly. lis she his Wife? ]
did not know-I had not thought. !
might have been another Enoch Arden
had / known in time
II don't know what on earth was the
meaning of your masquerading and al
lowing yourself to be regarded as
dead, and all that rubbish, Mr.. SAINT,
ley" Tom Carlton remarked, his gen
orally pleasant face very white and
set and his voice stern; "but | dc
know that your conduct has been that
of a cruel scoundrel,'
Hush, Tom Vincent Erie inter.
rupted-''it is you who are cruel now
For heavens sake, fetch a doctor: or
no, first help me to carry him in"
Mr.. Carlton turned with n puzzled
stare, which changed TO a o of min.
gled terror and pity as he noticed the
alteration that had taken place in the
little group. He knew that his TRADE
had been interrupted once or twice by
the hollow. dreadful cough that sound
ed like the very knell of death. But
the young man had deliberately
steeled himself against pity. and avert
ed his eyes from the CHASTITY face that
SO pleaded for it. He had not seen the
darkening shadow that fell over Her.
bert Sankey's countenance, or noticed
the sudden stagger that would have
been followed by a crushing fall had
Vincent not caught the dying man in
his own strong arms.
The latter lay there. helpless as a
little child, blood oozing from be-
tween his lips. 1t was evident the
mans life must ebb away. The light
dust coat that Mr.. Erie wore was al
ready deeply stained.
"Help me, Carlton Vincent cried,
in a low. hurried tone. This is hor-
rible-we shall never get him to the
house alive"
In the intense interest of the mo-
ment neither man saw anything incon-
gruous in such a speech from Vincent
Erie. With infinite care and gentle
ness they raised the inert figure and
bore it up the long. tree shaded ave
nue. to the now brightly-lighted house.
Ruth. who was watching from an
upper WINDOW for her lovers coming,
saw the little procession, and with a
shrill scream of terror that brought
all in the house quickly around her,
came flying out to meet them in her
bridal dress.
.Grace. Grace, What Is it," she
gasped, Historically. turning her
bright, bewildered eyes from one to
another Of the little group. you are
here-and Tom-and V~incent?'
Ruth's speech was broken by anoth-
err and a louder scream Mrs. Leger
had pressed before her, had looked,
not at the bearers, but at the stricken
man, and there was recognition as
well as terror in her cry.
"Grace. am | mad? 1t Is not Her
bert Santley?'
Mrs. Leger caught her daughter
sharply by the arm, and. If any an
swer were needed, read it in her ghast-
" face. With a broken, sobbing MUIR
muir, Grace shook herself free and hur-
ried into the house.