Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-05-04

| shield her from the curious crowd.
Without speaking a word. she hastily
obeyed his command, and let him lea's
her down the stairs and out into the
street, Marie following. There was no
delay in obtaining her carriage. He
! followed them both In, and gave the
necessary directions to the driver.
Long after Florence remembered this.
He must have already known, then,
where she lived. At her door he LETT
her.
II shall call tomorrow, ar l O'Clock,
madame. 1t may be that / may he or
service to you.a and, If so, | beg that you
will command me-"
She bowed her head assentingly, but
uttered no single word, even OF thanks.
Mechanically, she assembled the stairs
to her apartments. Marie wept ana
/ wrung her hands, while she undid the
wrap and unfastened the SATIN robe
but Florence sat still and fearless, q
block of marble or of Ice.
AT length she motioned that Marie
might leave her, and. reluctantly, h
was compelled to obey. But, left alone,
her position never changed.
IL she had beer a statue she could
not have been more motionless, more
lifeless.
Hour after hour struck. but her lids
never dropped, nor a single nerve II
wardly quivered. Long past midnight
a key turned in the outer door. The
sound in its effect upon her was like a
galvanic shock to a corpse.
Instantly She sprang 10 her feet and
stood in an attitude of rigid expectan-
cy. A minute later the portiere from
the room beyond was lifted, and her
husband entered her presence.
He started as If surprised. He had
meant 10 assume the part Of n in
jured, TO treat her as an erring child,
whose will in all things must be mold
ed To his own, and 10. a very Nemesis
stood before him.
The task he had set himself. into
whose performance, he told himself,
her action had forced him, was in no
ease an easy one; but in this moment
he realized it to be more difficult than
he had assumed.
Then he remembered all that he had
at stake, and a sardonic smile played
about his lips.
do you know that you ~disgraced
yourself and me tonight in the sight Of
all Paris? How dared you, how dared
your
Her eyes unfiinchingly met bis.
slowly she extended one hand, pointing
downward to the carpet at her feet.
"Your place is here" she said-"here
ut my feet, to crave my pardon! IL you
have in you one spark Of generosity, OF
manhood, of remorse, kneel here and
seek the forgiveness alike of the wo-
nan and the wife"
A perceptible sneer curled his lips.
"Quite a dramatic scene, ma cbere.
Really, with such artistic talent. /
would advise your turning YOU atten-
ton to the stage; but spare me its re-
hearsal. / have one or two practical
truths TO lay before you, and l wish
you TO listen TO them senslbly. You
saw fit tonight to force upon me a
public scandal. / thought you were a
young, retiring girl. | did not dream
that you would develop into a bold,
a%udacious woman"
My wrongs developed me-" she an
swered. "You were looking at that wo-
man, Louis, as you had no right to
look at any but your wife. h was
leaning on your arm as only / had the
right TO lean. | was alone and unpro-
tected. Why, when i asked you TO pre-
sent me, did you not do so? There
would have been no scene, no scandal,
then
Because you claimed a title which,
while | may humor your whims by Civ
ing you it in private, l certainly cannot
so far compromise myself as to allow
you TO assume in public. 1t is quite
time, Florence, that we understood
each other. i am not inclined to UNI
derrate your claim alike upon my heart,
my f~orbearance and my purse; but my
freedom must remain untrammeled-"
You say | claimed a title to which l
had no right she interrupted. i'm a
harsh, constrained voice. What was
the title?-
THAT of my wife, he answered.
steadily and brutality. '"This farce OF
matrimony must end, Florence. Our
marriage-the marriage your whim or
~rained-was not legal. | took good care
that ii should not be so. In France, no
marriage is legal without full consent
of the parents, when the contracting
parties are minors. Moreover. Il GER
tain residence here is necessary. Ny
name, and position and money, enabled
me TO fix up a certain civil contract,
which would not hold good In any
court of law. 1t satisfied your ~scruples
and my desires. But, Florence" he
added, more kindly, as he saw the ash
en- whiteness which o%verspread her
face, as she extended one hand toward
a table near her that she might lean
upon IL for support, there is no cause
for unhappiness In all this. / am will
ing 10 overlook tonight If you promise
me such a scene shall never take place
again. Now that you understand your
position, you will be sensible. Do I not
give You all that any woman could de-
sire? Have You not horses, Jewels
HUSH" she interrupted, finding her
voice at last. Take all these things,
and give to me my due. Louis, you are
Furnishing me: but what you have said
Is ~not-cannot be the truth. / am YOU
welded wife. oh, Louis, forgive me. If
| let nay jealous anger master me, as I
will forgive your denial of me, but
take back the words you have lust
spoken, | Will go away, If you have
wearied of mel will Interfere with
4 -.