Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-05-11

| Anu the low music Oh UpT voice DTOkt
the spell which bound him.
Once more he was back to the old
parsonage parlor; once more he saw
the girl sitting there, In her simple,
white dress, which, in his young chival-
ry, he had told himself was as white
and stainless as her soul.
He could never tell her how, through
the long years, that evenin Sifd been
his lodestar ambition; how he had gone
|! out into the night with his friend, 81
lent and dreaming; and how, as time
went on, he realized that in those few
| short hours his heart had departed for
ever from his keeping.
| The death of his father had called
him home almost Immediately after
that meeting, and for nearly two years
he had been compelled to remain there
and attend to his duties as the sole ex-
ecutor Of a large estate.
Then he returned TO England with
one hope, one dream, n a~mbition-too
WOO and win Florence Vane for his
| wife. He returned TO find the most
cruel of all awakenings, for the woman
he loved was already the wife of an
other, more beautiful, more radiant
than even his memory had pictured
her, but lost to him forever.
For three months he had been in Par
is. Sometimes she had passed him in
her carriage on the Bots, giving to him
the careless, unrecognizing glance she
gave to all the rest of the unknown
crowd. Sometimes he had been able,
at the opera or theater, TO fix his glass
es upon her. He had seen the fond
pride with which she had turned to her
husband whenever she addressed him,
and in her happiness he had found the
only consolation he could claim.
But last night he knew that this cas-
tie had been built, too, upon the sands.
He would have been content to have
buried his own dreams in its ruins, but,
10! body and soul, it crushed her In its
fall!
kind of me?' he echoed, holding
warm and tight in both his hands the
little, icy fingers. LET me but serve
you, and it is you who will show me
the kindness, and make me always
your debtor"
"You are very good; but no n a
serve me, / think. And yet. tell me,
can a man go through a marriage cere-
mony with a girl who firmly believes
he is making her his wife, and then de-
ny her claim? Is it possible n wrong
so great, so cruel, could be perpetrat-
edf"
II fea- It is. But tell me the circum-
stances of your marriage. He would
hardly dare, / think, shield himself
from the consequences of such an ac-
ton behind SO .slaring a fraud"
"Ah, he would say l., too, were a par
49, - a. .,I fAv t@n1n ~
my own. He is very wealthy, and his
position so assured that | could not as
sail it. / signed my name to some pa
per. l did not know what it contained
at the time. i was numbed with ex-
element and fear. l obeyed him blind
ly. We had crossed the channel from
London, and were married in Paris, in
the early morning. He told me after
ward that / had sworn In that paper
that / was an orphan. and had lived
six months in France. OF course, such
an oath might make 1t all invalid.
His influence made the paper good.
Whether he bribed I did not know;
but all France-all Paris, shall right
nue. yet. Merciful Heaven! What am
~
She clasped her hands above her
head in agoniZing appeal. For a mo-
ment the man was tempted to reply:
..You are the woman whom / love.
! If you are nameless, let me give you
| my name. IL you are homeless, l have
my home"
But he could not speak such words.
She must be righted If Ii were within
| the power Of the law to right her. No
selfish hopes or desires must influence
him. Besides, what was he to her? A
very stock of stone, a plank to be laid
across a bridgeless stream-nothing
more.
If Dairy mple We're here, he might
help u.s. he said, thoughtfully. "His
family would give him no aid, but his
name Itself would carry weight, mas
! much as he succeeds to the title when
! his brother dies, and Lord Montfort's
| life hangs on q thread. He has had an
affection of the heart for many years"
An expression of wondering surprise
was upon Florence'S face.
what can you be talking OFF, she
questioned, slowly. What possible in
terest can anyone by the name of Dali
/ rymple take In my affairs? Why
, should he interest himself in mey'
rs it possible you do not known he
said.
"Know what?" she answered.
.That Herbert Dalrymple was mar.
ried six month ago to your sister Dor
othy.''
Dorothy she echoed. "My little
sister married. and / not even con-
scious of it'll in ignorance wen of her
husbands name? Oh, they must, in
deed, have thought badly of me at
home, that they sen me no word. But
she is only a child to marry. Yet, l
forget. | am no older than she In
years. but in all else-in all else-ah.
my darling never will grow as old as
/ am. But tell me Of this man whom
she has married. l forget myself and
all my own misery in thinking of her.
He Is great and rich, you say? He will
one day be n of England's lords?"
'The latter, yes: but he Is neither
great nor rich now. His mother IL Il
woman of immense pride and AFRO
gance. She was very angry that ne
wished to marry whom she termed
so far beneath him." !:
'ShN told him that never would che