Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-09-22

shdus RIVER NIllhS. inc illSnl
beauty OF the morning heating high in
their hearts, love. hope and fear thrilling
like the pulse of youth.
II have come from Il long distance 10
say something's" he said. and now that
l am here. | lack the courage To begin"
II do moi believe tina, You ever lacked
courage for anything she answered.
CHAPTER vi.
'i.Ht me look at you.' lie said: "anl
see II you are what my dreams pictured
yo'i far away"
Nh did not raise her head. as she
would once have done. with proud. pct,,-
liant grace and Il sharp repartcc; her
beautiful head dropped from him. and she
spoke no word.
"lcS.' he said. you are more bcauti-
fhl, l.cnorc. even more beautiful Than INV
dreams hat! pictured YOU. but there is
something now in our face-somcthing |
have never seen there before"
Il do not think l have changed at ALL"
she answered. ''Non have been so acc,1s.
toned To the Welsh faces lately, that
You have forgotten what the English ones
are like. Are the Welsh faces very hand.
some, Sir Cyril:"
Yes; hut. l.cnorc. ! did not leave cling
iil. all in confusion. to talk about Welsh
faccs-that l am quite sure"
Probably not" she replied.
"Lcnore-nay. do not look mt the river.
look at me. All. my darling. what. words
have To tell yoi what brought me here:
| nave come To tell YOU. and | stand
abashed before Your innocence and good
ness before your grace and beauty abash-
ga ana si!eni-l want 10 tell You that |
rove you. lou have turned Your face
from me. ana | want To say how much I
love YOU. how dear You are TO mellow
every hope that ! have in the wide world
Is conferred in the one longing 10 make Won
my wife"
Each word thrilled her with a keen
sense OF delight which h~a!f-frishtcncd
hrr, with Il keen despair that d~isinaycd
her. What did this tulmult of heart and
brain mean: Whit had come over her?
She. who never in all her life had q cared
me looks or words of man or woman now
would have given the world To have cs-
capr! from herself. She WAS frightened
al herself. she WAS powcrless TO inter.
rupt MN. She knew that she must do so.
that she must tell him she WAS to be mor.-
RED in Il few weeks time: hut this tor
rent OF passionate words WIS like sweet
est poison. as soothing and as sweet; like
deadIipst poison. for ii absorbed nor
senses. Ii seemed To her that She corld
sit there and listen forever to the pas
sionatc words. They lulled her into OH
livion. He went on. never needing the
tr:nec in which she had lost herself.
IL loved You. Lcnorc. from the moment
] SAW You. and my love will be as warm
and irne. as deep and lasting, as fresh
and vivid on the day OF my death as i, is
nov; it can never alter on change, it can
never grow less. or grow cold.''
Her lips parted in Il great fearless sob.
He wcnt on:
SO take your hands in mine. Nav.
You must not shrink from my touch. my,
darling. ! pledge you my faith; men love
according In their nature. some warmly.
some coldly. some with The very fire of
i%mpetuosity and passion: that is how |
love YOU. my hearts darling. | could not
pretend to say that | submit to youl.
wishes. that Yen can take me or reject
me lis You please. l say you must take
mc. you must give me your heart, YOU,
love, your life: you must he mine, by the
sweetest of claims, the dearest of ties,
but mine You must be. could brook
no denial; my love is my life"
She flung herself on the ground on her
face. with Il sudden. passionate cry. The
truth had suddenly dawned across her
she had mistaken pity for love; she had
promised to marry Austin, while she
loved Sir Cyril with her whole heart.
He raised her in his arms; that one
passionate dcspairing cry rang in his ears
forever afterwnrd.
My darling I%.cnorc, what is ity' he
asked. "Wliat is the matter?"
Il should have told you at first" she
said, but ] could not. I have promised
To marry Austin in IL few weeks from
now"
He stood quite still for one moment
as she moved away from him, with a
look on his face that she never forgot,
a look that. in the after years, she re-
membcred against him.
NO man shall take you from me-" he
cried. You are mine by right of my
great love. No man shall take you from
me. You are mine, Lcnore; mine be-
cause J. love y%ou-ncither Austin's nor
another's. How can you marry Austin
when o love me? 1 am sure you love
me-"