The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-09-23

of her guardians.
AS for the old folks they didn't
trouble themselves much about the
child. They had always thought she
was hayward and now they came to
the conclusion that she was also
wicked.
So they simply wrote the words
Black Sheep" against her name in the
old bible and consoled themselves with
the idea that they had done their duty.
Letter the first. from Norma to
Claude:
Boston, Mass, April I, 1880.
They say it takes two to make a
quarrel, Claude. Well, you inded pro-
fess. to be angry, but from me you
have had nothing but patience and a
loving. faithful heart. You remember
that last day in Pretoria when you
took heaven to witness that il l would
only desert my own country and come
to yours you would marry me at once,
and you said and | knew that was all
that was necessary to make us both
supremely happy.
So now you have been lavishing
your money AID wasting your time on
my poor self, on my education and sur
roundings, only to find out at last that
your rich friends will not permit you
to marry n questionable character"
I am sure that is what they call me,
and, indeed, how can | blame them.
seeing that my friends treated you in
much the same way?
However, there is this difference, my
dear Claude, that / scorned my friends
and left them for your sake. And
now, what will you do? What have
you done?
Why, Claude, you have quarreled
with me, you have left me with anger
in your heart and with unkind, cruel
words on your tongue.
Oh, Clnude, Claude, forgive me if 1
am wrong, but you see l am u poor de-
fenceless woman, and l suppose l
dream and imagine all sorts of i'm
possible things, and it even seems to
me now MS if l had nothing left to de-
fend me but my own will and my own
strength.
I am sure j don't know what you
said or why | should be SO wicked as
to imagine anything of the kind, but
after you had left me today the idea
took possession of me that perhaps
after all you We're in one way and an
other trying to convince me of the
misery of my position, trying to drive
me to eNtremities SO as to make me
surrender and become to you some
thing less than n wife.
Claude, l can't, l won't believe that,
for if l could, l think, nay am sure
that l could kill you.
Come back, then, Claude, of the old
time, come back, not because 1 have
forsaken all for your sake, not because
I am helpless and dependent, but SIM
ply because | love you.
Today l read a story of the slums
in London. A little girl about S
/ years of age stood on the corner of u
street begging. There were two or
three hungry little children at J ONE.
The mother was sick, the father vas
dead. Pretty o q kind lady came
along and filled the child's apron with
all sorts of'good things. The mother
grew worse and worse, but the child
returned daily to the corner of the
street and whenever a lady came along
she held up her little pinafore, but
said nothing. And so on, day after
day, and day after day through the
long, dreary winter, till at last hun
ger and death took the child at her
post on the street corner still waiting
for the kind lady to return.
When | had finished the story
Claude grew strong and hopeful, and
l said to myself: Claude will return,
and hand in hand we will wait patient
ily, we will have faith, and all will yet
be we'll"
tsaA roor 1ufor. 1ot}n~ &la Lost No,.,,,
to Claude:
! understand you at last, and I
thank God for it.
scorn your proposals, and I feel
for you now nothing but contempt and
anger.
Hitherto you have had to deal with
a girl who trusted to your honor and
to your sacred word, now you will
have to reckon with the daughter of a
Boer.
These apartments and all this luxury
which you have provided for and
lavished. on your intended wife now fill
me with UNDERSTANDABLE loathing and
disgust, and today / shake it all from
me forever. just one word more.
l go from1this house to the home of
your former friend, Robert Dearborn.
| send you a copy Of a.asafarriage Ii
cense, and you will, doubtless take no
tice that the principals to the con-
tract are Robert Dearborn and Norma
Jonbert.
Now l wish t, tell you that your
former friend is a good man and
honorable, and !, therefore, warn you
if your miserable life has any value
whatever in your own eyes-to keep
away from him. That is all
April, 1881, Claude to Robert.
NJ first thought is u horsewhip, but
for the sake of old times / win consent
to perforate your body with a bullet
or two as the case may require,
Now above all things / hate pub
LEFTY, SO l insist that we shall have
no seconds, no surgeons or nonsense
of any kind. As you are the chal-
lenged I grant you the privilege to
name the weapons n arrange in
any way. If you canne Sid dare not,
1 will.
Robert to Claude:
In the name and in the defence of
Mona, | answer you. l will arrange
to the letter as you desire. and L shall
be glad to be the meal of riding the
community OF n creature who prac-
tees the tricks of a perjurer and a
sneak, under the cloak of a gentle
man.
You Will receive due notice of the
hour and place. Meanwhile may you
dream of bullets and of u miserable
end.
May, 1881. Norma to Robert:
| confess ! cannot trust myself to
see you again until after the settle
ment, therefore, / write.
Robert, my preserver, you are SO
good, so noble, I am afraid if you
come to me again, and sit at my feet
and plead so with your voice aud your
eyes ] shall re1ent and remember that
I am n woman.
1t may be a sickness, a fever, or sim
! ply an insane, unholy desire for re-
venge. / cannot tell, l cannot even
think or take time to; consider the
consequences; j can only assure you
that ! hold you to your vow.
Now for the arrangements.
As you informed me Claude Nor
cross will leave his hotel at Crescent
Beach at4:30 a. m. on the 10th of May.
He will take a boat and proceed to the