Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-04-27
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FrozeD Heart,
A THRILLING love love STORY.
BY FRANCES WARNER WALKER.

wait three years, during which time l
must meet you, as do now, secretly.
sufTeptitiously, living on the memory
of a kiss or the echo of your voice until
my soul starves. No. / have hungered
until / can hunger no more. Make
your choice, ~Florence-bid me leave
you, to put an end to the life which Is
uncomfortable without you. or come to
LILY arms, my love, my queen, my wife!
All, my little English flower. have L
not yielded to your scruples? Am | not
willing even to let the altar witness
our bans, so that YOU may belong to
me, and me aloney'
Louis, I cannot.f' murmured the
girl, in tones so low he strained his ear
to catch them. Remember papa's
wrath when he came into the room
and found you with your arm around
my waist. He ordered you from the
house. He forbade me eyer 10 see or
speak to you again. But | told him
then | should not obey hint love
him, father, and one day l intend TO
marry him. Oh, Louis, he grew so
white when he heard me. and his voice
shook with passion when he answered
me that when that day dawned, | was
Eenceforth no daughter of his-that L
might starve, but he would not throw
me the crust from his table-that to
marry you would dishonor my sister
and break his heart. Louis, my love.
give me time to soften him. When, as
the months roll into years, he sees that
my love never wavers-when he knows
that, when | am my own mistress, my
resolve Is irreyocable-he can but ap-
preciate my struggle and my waiting,
and in the end give his consent. All,
Louis, | should be so happy, so happy,
IL papa himself would marry us in the
dear old church whose pastor he has
been for so many years"
A scornful smile played for an in
slant about the mans lips.
This is your loye." he murmured;
then, in bitterest derision-'this the ex-
tent of your sacrifice! | am Il under
! go torture, agony and suspense for
three long years, that in the end your
father may murmur over us the few
words which bind us together as man
and wife. Yes; | remember well the
days of which you speak. l am not
likely to forget it,
And any ear less dulled in love than
the girls would have detected the e
dee. almost the threat, which vibrated
iii his torres. though it rose no single
key above its usual musical note.
Il WIS tempted for a moment to tell
him the truth-that Lonis Gervase was
10 drawing master: that 1t was not for
the p~ittance he doled out TO me that |
had played the role of a wandering art
ist: but that | had beer tempted 10 as
quinn fh,f r4nla fAe lax.n az a 9yfpl'G hanIL
tiful face, which | had seen Il day in
idly wandering through the wood, as
she sat at her easel s%ketching. The
plan worked well, mon angel, did ii
| not? l brought that little talent | pos
sessed into good use, and for it | was
turned from his doors. / was a French
man. and he hated Frenchmen, for
sooth, that was enough
NO, no, Iouis.' interrupted the girl.
you forget. dear. He said that not
thus should any honorable man woe an
honorable girl in secret. and beneath
her fathers roof. He had some right
TO he angry-doubtless we We're wrong,
but until that day / did not dream that
you loved me, and Il"
And you-ah, you well may pause.
you never loved me. o. Florence. you
have taken my heart into those little,
white hands of yours, only to torture
and to break it! 1t is your father
whom you love better than me. Well,
stay with him. ! am going. You shall
hear of me nevermore! You will soon
forget me: but IL cannot live to re-
member--I will kill myself"
He sprang up as If to depart, but.
with the exquisite face blanched to
marble, Florence clasped two OBTAINING
hands up on his arm.
Louis she gaspad, chow can you
say such cruel things? All. for my
sake. be brave, be PATIENT"
He made an effort TO break from her.
but she chung to him with the tenacity
Of despair.
'sThen. decide..' he said, turning to
face her. land decide forever. On your
next words hang my fate, my life!
For | swear to you that II you refuse
TO become my wife within the next
forty-eight hours. | shall not so long be
a living man. Why should this ola
man divide and separate us? Why
should he make our young hearts grow
cold and hard like his? When you are
my wife. my very own Florence, he
viii relent; or. if not-ah, my darling,
can you not even then trust your hap
plness TO me? Speak, my love-speak
quickly But remember all that treln-
bleS on your words.'
For an instant silence answered him
Ian instant when the scale that was
TO determine all Of Florence Nae's fu-
ture for good or evil, quivered in the
balance. She raised her eyes to his,
thrn buried her head upon his breast,
and he knew that 10 him belonged the
I -ictory.
Again the same subtle smile lurked
about his lips: hut he stroked the
beautiful hair with a touch IS gentle
ms n woman's, ~murmurlng low words
the while in her ear, which for the mo-
ment made earth heaven. and brought
her forgetfulness of all that saw
henceforth her pillow, by night or day,
and through eternity. should be the
heart on which she then leaned.
CHAPTER III.
In one of the most beautiful apart