Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-08-19
nigh robbed her OF.

II suppose IL may ber' the girl said, in a
mechanical, p~assionless way; ''or perhaps
never-that would be bestT'
"Why do you say that, valerief" said
the soldier, almost sternly. Tell me one
thing: you are not going to give yourself to
Aston Lawfordin
"Noi" she said, suddenly wrenching her
hand from hts hold. Ihave not sunk quite
30 low rs that!'
She made a quick step forward to 60,
but Beauregard did not move.
"valerie!' he said, under his breath,
forgive me-forgive mei''
The girl stopped, and half turned toward
him.
~ have nothing to forgiven" she said,
chokingly. "You have always been kind
to me, Colonel Beauregard; let me thank
you now-and go!''
Still he did not move-did not speak-his
face was ashen white; he strove hand to
hand, foot to foot, with the passion that
was burning in his veins like molten fire
melting even his iron will as iron is melted
In the furnace.
Valerie's lips moved; there was no sound,
but he saw that they formed the words
"Good-bye;" and 1t needed only this. As
she turned away once more Max Beaure-
gard flung himself before her, and caught
her in his arms, locking her to his breast
In an embrace that left her powerless, even
II she had had the will to strive with him,
covering her face with passionate, despair
ing kisses. He had courted temptation,
and 1t had mastered him. In those wild
moments everything was forgotten. swept
away like gossamer. everything but the
love he bore this girl; plotting out the sin
he had told her could never be blotted out;
wrecking the stern resolve 10 trample his
heart in the dust, rather than 70 accept a
love less pure than he gave. Once before
he had tasted the Joy, the anguish, of hold
ing to his breast the woman he so worship
ped; but then she was unconscious; she
knew not that his lips touched her brow,
her heart gave no answering throb TO his;
but now his kisses were pressed not on her
brow only, but or warm lips that trembled
under his; 1t was no senseless form he held
to him, but one that quivered with the full
consciousness of the love enfolding it.
Yes, for those few moments even honor
was forgotten-honor that should have
stood between Max Beauregard and the
IN he loved, yet would not make his
wife; It was the one irresistible impulse:
81 have gone mad-I love you'll" and terri
BILE, when it came, was the shock Of the
revulsion.
Valerie, who had so clearly, by act II not
by word, told him the value she set upon a
comparatively poor man-who had been
ready to sacrifice her youth and beauty for
wealth, and cast that, too, aside when the
man once despised became q more desira-
bic ''match"- lit was this Valerie he was
holding to his heart with such passion OF
love, whom he was claiming as his one
great earthly treasure.
He loosed his clasp, he put the girl from
him, and flung himself into a chair, cover
ing his face.
"Oh, Heaven!' he muttered, 'hoarsely,
81 was mad-mad, Forgive me, Valerie,
If you can. I could only remember that /
loved you; ay, and I shall love you while l
have li%fe-love you beyond the grave!'
But Valerie was blind and dizzy with JOY
so great hat it was almost a terror. Max
Beauregsrd loved herl She knew it now,
knew it by his own confession; his clasp,
his kiss, IL words had been unuttered, had
unsealed her lips, had given her the right
to break down the barrier between their
lives; she could tell him the truth now; Ahl
but would he doubt her? She had moved
a step toward her lover, but at this unhap-
by thought she shrank back, sinking into
the chair from which she had risen. Her
trembling hand stole into her bosom, where
her talisman rested; IL she showed him this
would he not believer
Beauregard dropped his hands, and, ris-
ing, approached Valerie. Her head droop-
ed, the burning color sufrused her face.
he laid his hand on the back Of the chair,
and bent down to her, speaking low and
b~rokenly:
81 asked you just now" he said, 'to for
give me. | have no right to ask that
have done you a great wrong, it was mad
ness to seek you; | should have better
known my own weakness; and yet-Oh,
Valerie!' he said, passionately, eff you
could love me for myself alone-if even
now-but no! the test is wanting. If l
could strip myself Of all that dazzled your
eyes-if / could be once more what / was,
when you unconsciously won my heart
from me-then l might know, but now 1t
is too late! You love me; ay, | knew it
when / held you this minute in my arms
n my lips chung to yours; but not as l
love you. oh! my darling-my life, Flower
the bright head dropped, the girls face
was hidden in her clasped hands, 'if you
had been true to yourself, true to the no
bier nature you have never wholly crushed;
IL you had known howIloved you, Valerie,
almost from the first, almost from the day
/ carried you through the rain in my arms!
Your image was always with me on the
battlefield, in the camp, by day, by night;
waking, dreaming. you were with me still.
l heard your voice; / felt the touch OF
your hand; your dear eyes looked into
mine, and | grew to hope that those dreams
might yet be reality. Your love for Louis
Charters was but a girls love for a boy.
l dared even to dream sometimes that !
had perhaps sowed in your heart the seeds
Of q deep and lasting love. 1t was happi.
ness to imagine that you sometimes thought
of me, sometimes wished for my presence:
and when at last / came home, oh! the bit
ter-bitter awakening! You met me-ohl
no, / cannot speak Of it!' He turned aside
pressing his hand over his eyes. at is my
punishment that ] love you with all my
strength, ay, though / know that you would
have sold yourself to Aston Lawford, and
cast him aside for my sake in the very hour
that made me owner of the broad lands OF
Abbot's Leigh"
Now Valerie sprang to her feet and faced
him; her eyes met his with clear, fearless
gaze; but her lips quivered, her whole form
trembled with the passion Of emotion that
possessed her.
"No" she said; "you wrong me; you have
wronged me from the beginningr'
'Valerier'
ut was my woman's pride that forced
me to seem all that | was not" she went
on, not needing him. But l may speak
now; | may tell you the truth, for / know
that you love me, your own lips have told
mel Stay! hear me out, and then" her
head dropped, the crimson rose to her brow,