The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-07-22
By "THG ~DUCHEss."

Upon her perfect lips
"Iord Westbrook doesn't get on very
quickly said Valerie, to break the silence,
which made her tremble inwardly.
"He is just below that shrub" returned
Beauregard, pointing to one that hid him.
"a little to the right, Westbrook-so.
Shall we go on now Fairy, Queen? We
are not very far from the top. Yesf Give
me your hand, then; it will be easier so"
She put the little white hand in his. and
they went on, hand in hand.
To Valerie it almost seemed ISL she was
carried upward, so easy did her compan.
IONS supple strength make the way for
her; md every pulse was %throbbing with
the magnetism Of his clasp, and the name
he called her was ringing in her heart o
wild, joyous chime-the sweet old name
by which it seemed as if he meant to con
tradict her hard, reckless words, that one
month chased away the memory of anoth-
And at length-was it too soon or not
soon enough, how could Valerie know
they reached the top of Mervyn's Hill, and
stood on the broad plateau, partially COW
cred with trees, and Valerie uttered a cry
of delight, and snatched her hand from
Beauregard's, to clasp it with her other
hand over her bosom.
"Oh!" she said, under her breath, chow
beautiful,
Hill. and wood, and stream, lay before
them, all bathed In the August sunshine;
an immense stretch of country, fading full
hye-and-twenty miles away, into purple
distance.
The girl moved forward a few steps, and
stood rapt and motionlcss-her lips quiz
ering, her dark eyes shining like stars, her
whole being drinking in the wondrous
charm of landscape beauty, yet not forget
ful-never for one second forgetfnl--of the
silent presence near her; rather were her
senses the more deeply imbnei with ma
lures loneliness because he was there-the
centre of her universe; for all the pain,
Love took up the glass OF time, and turned II
in his glowing hands;
every , moment; lightly shaken, ran itself ID
For him dlso9 All! that whisper stealing
through all the chambers of her heart;
those memories-nay, not memories, for
they were ever PRESENT. was not then,
but nom-of tones, of looks, Of words, two
years ago.; yesterday; today; a clasp of the
hand, a kiss that spoke more than a mo.
ment's impulse-ay, even bitter words; for
way Az an IiS "outltlt
Did he, even while he despised her, love
herr Had he loved her, then-then, when
honor had sealed his lips, and she, in her
blindness, had made him believe her I'M
worthy the love Of any high-souled man!
Had she flung her life away-and his, too,
maybes Or was it only madness to dream
that, sunk so low as she must be in his
eyes, he could love her?
Rea11raDarl hnd drawn bach n little from
Valerie's side, and stood leaning against a
tree, with eyes that saw the landscape only
as the background to q figure; but after a
few minutes he moved nearer to her, and
spoke softly:
"Are you repaid the toll of the ascenti"
She half turned.
"Ohl yes, yesl' she said. "It is lovely
80 wide and Free
She stopped, and stretched out her hands
with an unconscious gesture of longing, to-
ward the distant hills.
"1f you had the wings of q dove,n said
Max, in the same soft voice, "you would
flee away-and be at rest9"
But Valerie's hands dropped before her,
tightly clasped, her eyes went back to the
hills; she had no answer; there was no rest
for her-save onel
Why did he ask the question? Did he
mean that for a nature false to itself there
waspo rest?
But in the moments pause that followed,
a voice broke upon the stiffness, and Max
Beauregard, with the readiness OF a man
of the world, turned to meet Lord West
brook with light, laughing words. Per
haps, too, there was a certain relief in the
intrusion Of the commonplace, saving him
from a step that, once made, could not be
-etracted.
WELL" he said, "you have reached the
top at last. What do you think of the
view?"
"Beautifnl!n replied the young man
pleased, but hardly enraptured; there wa
not much poetry in his composition, aud il
it had not been for Valerie he would moi
have taken the trouble of n steep,climb tc
see what lay before him. His pleasure was
damped, too, by annoyance that Beaure
gard had taken Valerie out of his hands.
BeaureRard saw this as plainly as II
Westbrook had expressed it in SO many
words; but he sauntered away and left the
young man to talk to Valerie at his leisure
He was not in the least jealous Of Lore
Westbrook.
valerie would never marry n poor mani
he said to himself, bitterly.
But Valerie had no desire for q tctc-n-tet
with Lord Westbrook.
"We must not lingcr here too long" sht
said, tor Mrs. Dudley will be waiting fol
u.s."
"Why such q hurry" exclaimed Lore
Westbrook, responsibility.
But the words only mUdo Valerie quicker
her steps, walking hastily and heedlessl!
across the gnarled, spreading roots Of
giant beech, and suddenly her foot slipped
with q sharp cry OF pain She reeled. but be
fore she could fall, Max B%eauregard, not
many feet from he. now, sprang forward,
and flung his arm around her.
Valerie, my child, are you hurt?D
But trying to answer him. q deadly pal.
Tor swept over her rdce, her head fell back
against him: for the first time in her life
she had tainted.
"Westbrook," said B~eauregard, quickly
and decidedly, go down the hillside be
hind us-it Is an easy pnth-there is q
woodlands cottage at the foot-bring SOME
water. Don't look SO terrified, man! she
has sprained her foot, and tainted from the
pain. Go quickly!"
Lord Westbrook obeycd without a word,
however much he might resent Valerie be
Ing in Colonel Bcauregnrd's cnre instead
of in his own.
And Max Beauregard was once more
alone with Valerie. Despite his suffering
for her pain, a passionate. exultation filled
his heart as he looked down at the white
face lying against him.
aMy own" he whispered, ''for these few
moments at least. Mine-minel-held in
my arms-restingo on my heart-my life
my darling-one kiss!"
But even as he stopped his lips to the
mute. unconscious lips that could give
neither consent nor denial, the flush OF
shame swept over his cheek; senseless
helpless, his darling wns at his mercy, and
SO doubly shielded by his honor: and honor,
even in the supreme moment Of tempta'
ton, was stronger than passion.
He paused.
Heaven forgive met he muttered. 81
dare notl But this--tlis Is no wronglD
Not her mouth. but her white brow his