Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-06-28

She turned, with a ervo start, n
let the oars drop from her trembling
hands.
HERBERT -,
Even in the pale moonlight he could
see the crimson life-tide flushing pro"
and cheek, as she spoke he name
us il Sybil, indeed? or only some
mocking yision?' he asked-"some cru
ell spirit, Turing me on to
and despair? In Gods name. II beings
such as you have a God, speak TO me-
Tell he who and what you are! Free
me from the spell that holds me, De,
spite myself and all my efforts! zen
ne why you haunt me-by what mys-
terious power you control my rate! -,
lis it Herbert Give who speaks:
she asked, with a touch or scorh-
Herbert Give? or some weak crea-
ture whom any juggler could deiude!
Spell and charm. Alas, it is only wo-
man who bends a willing victim to
her Dower-it is only woman VINO ac-
krowledges the n mighty spell ina
enthralls heart, and soul, and mlnd,
and strength-the spell Of Love! IL Is
only woman who can suffer m ole,
smiling in her letters, yet never ask 10
be set free!"
"Sybil. Sybil. do you speak to me In
these accents of reproach?' was his
bitter exclamation-''you, whom | have
loved with such folly, such madness,
that reason. Judgment and wisdom
have weighed as nothing against the
power that drew me TO your side! o
have denied my suit. refused my pray
ers. perpleXed me with doubts, tor
tured me by mysteries, well-nigh mad
dened me with masks and DISCUSSES. l
loved you as purely and devotedly as
man can love, and yet that love based
though il was, on honor, faith ana
truth, has been well-nigh my ruin. My
life is still before me. Sere and blight
ed, tits true, but l cannot cast 1t utter
~ away. Sweet and lovely though
the flower may be, when its perfume
pOisons and bewilders us, that flower
must be plucked from our breasts.
Sybil, l have loved yOu-I must love
you to the bitter end-but | must fly
from you. l dream, | hope, l suffer all
the agonies of doubt and suspense at
your side. My irmest resolutions fail
me l am again a madman!'
The little beat rocked like a lily leaf
on the moonlit waves. The fai rOccu-
pant was trembling nOw-trembling
with the weight of emotions pride
could not control.
alas, alasr' she faltered, at has
been a cruel. cruel fate that has
brought our lives together. l have
flung n dark and poisoned shadow III
your path. l have blighted where l
would have blessed. embittered where
| would have only sweetened and
cheered. 1t is right that you should
forget me, and yet-yet-"
She paused and buried her face in
her hands.
You would not be forgottenT' he
interposed. Speak to me. darling.
and tell me it is so? oh, my love-my
only love-it is only from a deluding
dream that / would escape; 1t is only
from a glittering mirage that I would
turn away. l cannot wreck my life in
following an Elusive phantom. The
echoes OF your voice. glimpses of your
presence, snatches Of your songs, have
lured me on from land to land. from
cline TO cline. IEave been too long
an idle wanderer. a worthless dream
er. Sybil, you yourself would scorn
the man who could waste his manhood
in the vain pursuit of a shadow, a
vision. a beautiful but evanescent
dream!'
Il know" she whispered" know
YOU are right. The web of my life has
been woven SO strangely, so darkly, that
you may well look upon me with doubt
and fear. And yet-vet | am no being
of different mould from those around
me. Sorrow and injustice, mortal's
hate and mortal vengeance, have
warped my life and made me what l
am. "a woman, with all q woman's
loves and hopes denied. Forgive me
the unwilling wrong I have done you.
Alas! l suffer enough without the
thought that we have parted in anger
or fear. Let us part in sorrow, Her
bert, as those part whom the death
angel sewers for time alone, not eterni-
ty. / would have died, indeed, rather
than have lived to cause you a mo-
ment's anguish, a moments fear. Let
Us part here, beneath the moonlit skies
in sorrow and in peace"
"And in lover he added, eagerly.
Say in love and in hope, Sybil. and
the future, however cold, will CLEAN
rs brightly as those snow-capped
heights above us. I will wait and
trust through the mocplit night for the
coming day. The clouds and darkness
have been heavy and ~bewildering, dar-
ling. Tighten them with one pale
beam of hopper"
"Hoper' she whispered, rising in the
boat and holding out her hand to him.
Alas! the word is one / dare not ut
ter. But love-even the sorrowing, the
hopeless, may speak of love-love that
can reach eve unto heaven! All, G
we may part in love!" E.
He lifted the little hand TO his lips.
Love, love! Henceforth that word
shall be my talisman," he murmured.
I'VE part in love. Aye, darling and in
love-1 know, l feel tive shall meca
again!"
CTO be Continued0