Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-03-29

Would YOU choose n wife because
| her face is fair and her voice Is sweet
she asked. In Il tone which trembled,
half-sc0rnfully. half-timidly. would
you choose a wife whose heart and soul
are sealed books to you? Of whose
past You know nothing? whose very
name is unknown to you-for Sybil
Wraye is not my name. Ali, You
! shrink. you falter, Mr.. Clivei II is not
for such as me to hear your w0rds-to
listen TO your vows-to bear your hon
cred name. 1t is not for me"
For You. and only you he an
swered, eagerly, striving TO grasp her
hand, as she would have turned away
from him. You are only trying me,
Sybil. Darling that sweet, snow-white
! face Of yours is pledge sufficient 10 me
Of your innocent past, Of your beautiful
future. Only trust me. Sybil. as ! trust
you, | ask no more. There can be no
| darkness. beloved. beneath the pure
| sunshine of love 1t reaches, it glad
dens, it beautifies all things"
AYE, but the sun SETS" she an
swered, dreamiiy the sets, and
then the night must come. No, Mr..
Give, you have forgotten wisdom in
speaking-I have forgotten prudence in
listening TO YOU. Let us treat this con
y~ersation rs though it had never been.
! will go away tomorrow, and you
must forget me-"
FORGET your" he echoed, bitterly
forget you. Sybil? Can one go out
into darkness forever. and forget he
has seen the light? Forget y~Ou?-for-
get these two brief weeks of paradise
and go calmly into the frozen regions
of utter despair? Oh, Sybil, Sybil. But
why should | reproach you, my poor
little darling? The fault was not yours.
| was too blinded To see the folly of
my Owl hopes. the madness of my own
love. / was too hasty. too rash, in
speaking to you. But / can wait. dar-
ling-I a wait! Only give me a word
of cheer. of hope, to live on, then try
my patience as you will!'
The sunset hues had faded from the
western sky, and the roseate flush from
SYPHILIS cheek. There was no music in
the dry. hard voice that answered Her
bert's ardent appeal.
II can give you no word of cheer, no
word Of hope. The gulf between us is
too wide, too deep, too dark, for any
link. however slight to cross. We must
part tomorrow, Nh. Give, and heaven
grant we may never meet again."
There was a thrill of pain in her last
words that stirred the dying hope in
Herbert's breast.
F"Sybil, Sybi! you do pity me-. Your
hears is not all cold-it is too sweet, toe
womanly. not to feel both sorrow and
sympathy for such great grief as
miner
II have no heart!' was her agitated
reply. II have no right to a wotnan's
neart. to a woman's s~ympathies. / am
for / must be, all st0ne-all stone!''
Your he repeated, In sad surprise
Hyou. so young, so gentle, SO beautiful
so gifted with all that can make we
man happy and man blessed?'
You are mistaken" she answered
collly. There is a curse that viii fol
low Inc everywhere-that / will take L
no mans hearthstone; there is a spell
upon me that no happiness can dis
solve. l must live, l must suffer.
must die alone! But" her voice grew
softer, .you will believe me when / tel
you, Mr.. Give, that l have felt your
sisters kindness and your own fal
more deeply than the happier woman
would have done. l did not seek it;
did not claim IL; / did not deserve it
yet-yet"-she bowed her face in he,
hands, and a c~onvulsive shudde
SEE med to pass through her frame"
should have fled from 1t. My shadow
i should never have darkened you
threshold-my hand should never hay,
broken bread at your beard. 1t wa
! weakness nay, 1t was folly, madness
: that brought me to Give Towers.
(. 50 " . fnfttnr# ~ x,aS fata y Y.,,lfal
t Herbert. imprisoning in his strong han,
, the little fingers that were claspea S
deSpairingly. Darling, there S but on
answer i viii take as final. Look u
i into my face with those beautiful, tru
eyes, aud say: Herbert, I do not low,
You. All else is naught to me. Low
| like mine banishes all suspicion, defie
/ all distrust. | viii not grieye you wit
another sigh, another prayer, il yol
: Will look frankly into my face and sa.
: You do not love me-" #4A'
] But she unly bowed her head stil
lower upon Eer breast.
Spare me.' she murmured. "Life
hard enough without this-withou
this!'
You cannot say itw repeated tn
young man, triumphantly. "Sybi
a. Sym. yput SNh A1iit 10 my hiiy. IL
do love me a littIe-only a little, Sybil?
Love you! Love you! No, no.
cannot, / dare not" she cried, despel
ately. Love, love! The word is noel
! cry between you and me. See!" sh
added, pointing with a wild gesture I,
! ward the west. 1.-The light was but 70
!. a moment, the darkness, the chill, tn
shadow of night have come upon us a
ready. 1t is our doom-Our DOOM
! My dariingl" cried Herbert, sootl
! ingiy. 1T is only the gathering tw
:. light. There, there! be calm! / wi
: say no more TO you now, Sybil. Do M
!. tremble so. darling-no danger is nea
: us. Look up far above the shadow
: darling. See the star Of love tremblin
!. in the purple sky. the star Of hope thu
lights the evening shadows and herald
the golden morn 1t is the only omen
!, see, the only omen I will take. Tn
vesper-star. Sybil, shines above us, an
viii light our pathway yet"
CHAPTER Nv.
l NishtfalI.