The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-06-30


stern mother, ito stand in the why OF
my happiness as you do. I do not de-
serve 1t, nor does the man I love and
who wants me to be his Wife
You q wait. I have waited for
the desire Of my heart eighteen long
years
oh. but-mnmlna! 4 just will not.
wait any such time. Neither will
cternity!o
III the time seems long for youth to
look forward to, what must it DO for
age to look back npon?!',
But what good have you done by
waiting? And what good will it do
Tor me to go on waiting with you per-
haps all our lives for that which may
never come?r
.Oh, yes. It will come.$Prayers like
mine must bring it. | cannot die until
1T does. l will not die until, your
fathers name is cleared and9vengealice
is wrought upon the man who ruined
him and us. Can you forget that the
wretch not only robbed him, but made
It appear that his endeayor to regain
possession OF his w was an auda-
cious attemptsat robbery? That stain
has never been removed. 1t is as u
perjurer and an Intended thief that
your father lives in mems memories
to-day. And would you offer that
smirched name to the regard of the
honorable nan who loves you? Would
you put it in the power of other men,
his enemies, to point the finger OF
scorn at him and say, He married
that thief's daughterY Can you, MS
you are, know any grief that will bite
your heart as deep as would the con-
seriousness that you had brought
shame to him? No, girl. Better re-
main as you are. Keep the VOW you
have taken to remain by my side until
justice is done
But, mamma, John would not feel
ashamed of me. lie is too noble, too
just. And he knows the truth. lie
understands that poor papa was not
to blame, and if he was not surely l
cannot be-"
Remember your VOW
81 did not know what I was doing
when you made me promise that. How
did / know then that L would ever fall
in love with anybody? did not even.
know what love WIS. You should not
have required of me such a promise.
And now it is your duty to release me
from it. 1t is not fair to hold me to.
1t. 1t is not right. John would be a
good husband to me, for he is 4 good
man, and he loves me well, astI do him,
4 -, r $50 y. -, ,,,, 49,. INH rNl,s - <F
how you and my father loved each
other. Oh, yes. you must have loved
him very much, for it is that love.
which has inspired you all these years
with such bitter hate for the mnnwho
wronged him. In memory of that love
do not be so hard with your poor
child, whose heart is as warm as yours
was, and will break if you are so cruel
with her"
HIVE patience, my child. 1T may
not be for long. Heaven surely will
not forever continue to prosper that
man and deny its justice upon him. l
do feel for you. Oh, yes. my child, in!
deed do, but ] cannot release you
from your vow. l cannot let you go
from me. My thoughts would mad
den me if l We're left alone"
But, see, mother. Would it not be
better for me to marry and then we
would have John, who is a man of
energy and brains and steady purpose,
to help us? What can we two women
do unaided? Nothing but wait. 1t
advances nothing for us to sit still
and wait for the slow moving of fate
in orr behalf"
at is my VOW"
But suppose John should weary of
waiting for me, say that I did not love
him OF / would not ask him to do SO,
and should marry some other girl. Oh,
mamma, it would kill mel"
"No, 10, my child. 1t would not.
Don't cry so. Don't. dear, don't. Grief
added to it.. Oh, no. They wound
very deeply somtimes, hut they do not
kill, else / would not be alive. If he
leaves you it will be because he does
not love you well enough to- wait, and
you will be better without him. Then
in good time you will marry somebody
else. When we get back your fathers
wealth you can pick and choose. 1t
will be no small sum. The handsom-
est men and the highest ~irsocietr will
be glad to pay court to you then"
But, mamma, ! may be old then.
And nobody can be handsomer to me
than John, and he is all the society /
want, and he loves me Just as I am.
without waiting for me to have Il for
tune. Oh, mamma. do be reasonable.
L love him so much"
The old woman's face did not relax
the sternness of it's expression. IN
deed it seemed as if its lines were so
fixed that it could not soften. But
tears welled up in her eyes and ran
down upon her thin cheeks. her lower
lip trembled and the lean hands she
was slowly rubbing together shook as
if with palsy. Addie. who was
crouched upon IN ottoman, laid her
brow upon her mothers knee and
sobbed aloud. After a long silence
the widow answered in n choking
voice that she with difficulty kept
steady:
II have always made the recovery
of the wealth robbed from us a condi-
ton before your marriage. I will do
so no longer. Let your fathers name
be cleared, and 1 will not stand in the
way of your marrying. But that is all
the concession | can make, my child,
all l can make, and I do not really
know If should give up so much"
"Ah, you dear, good mammal" cried
the hnpulsire girl, throwing her arms
about the old woman in a fond m
brace. II knew you. would pity me.
and you will let John help US. will you
not? He is wise and will know better
than we what steps to take. | am
sure he wishes to give us his aid, and
perhaps if he Goes we may not have so
long to wait"
"fes," replied the widow after long
reflection, "if he wishes it, and can do
anything, ! am willing that lie shall.
But must be tie judge of what he
may know and have direction of what
he shall do. | will only give my con-
sent upon your solemn promise TINT
You will rigidly respect that require
ment."
Il promise"
"He is not yet well enough known
to me that 1 can trust to him the
name that ever You, my child. do not
yet know the name of the rich and