The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-12-29
BY BRET HARTE.

ever on the fatal slope on which he
had been struck down. And now this
fond Illusion must go with the rest
the girl who had served him SO loyalty !
wax ashamed of 1t! "A bitter smile |
crossed his face.
Well. Isdon't wonder! Here are all
the women asking me who Is that
good-looking Mephistopheles, with the
burning eyes, who is prowling around
my rooms as If searching for a victim.
Why. you're smiling for all the world
like poor Jim, when he used to do the
Rec Avenger."
Susy's voice, an Illustration. recalled
him to himself. Furious Igmay we'll
be-" he said, with a gentler smile, all
though his eyes still glittered, furious !
that 1 have to wait until the one woni-
an came to see. the one Woman#I
have not seen for SO long. while these
puppets have been nightly dancing be-
fore her-can give me a few moments
from them. to talk of the old days"
In his reaction he was quite sincere,
although he felt a slight sense OF re-
morse as he saw the quick faint color
rise, as in those old days. even
through he to-night's powder Of her
cheek. That's like the old Kla'uns,,,
she said. with a slight pressure of HIS
arm. but we will not have a chance to
speak until late. Whensthey are near-
~ dtS LSoiiS Sod ! GliiGLlO Z
tie refreshrnent. and we'll have a chat
in the Conservatory, Bet you must
drop that awfully wicked look, and
make yourself generally agreeable to
those WaTncn until then"
1t was perhaps part OF this reaction
which enabled him TO obey his hostess
commands with n certain recklessness
that, however, seemed to be in keeping
With the previous Satanic reputation
lie had, all unconscinusly, achieved.
The women listened to the cynical fIip-
pancy OF the g~ood-looking soldier with
an undisguised admiration, which, in
turn, excited curiosity INC MY from
his W sex. He saw the whispered
queatioaing, the lifted eyebrows, the
Knew that the story of his disgrace
was in the air. But 1 fear this only
excited him to further recklessness
and triumph. Once he thought he rec
ognized Miss Faulkner's figure at a
distance, n even fancied that she
had been watching him--hut he only
~redoublcd his attentions 10 tho fair
women beside him. and looked no
more.
But he was glad when the guests be-
a to drop off, the great rooms
Trimmed, and Susy, appearing on the
arm of her husband, coquettishly re-
minded him of his promise. Tor L
Will loIh 70 YOU LOluEllIleS. Geil-
eral Brant," h Went on, turning eX-
planatorily to Boompointer, :'Inarried
my adopted mother in California, at
Robes, a dear old place where I spent.
my earliest years. So you see we are
sort of relations by marriage she
added, with delightful naivete. Hook
er's one vainglorious allusion to his
relations to the man before him flashed
across Brant's mind, but 1t left now
only a smile on his lips. He felt he
had already become a part of the ire
sponsihle comedy of life around him.
Why should he resist or examine its
ethics too closely? He offered his arm
to Susy; they descended the stairs;
but instead of pausing In the supper
room, she simply passed through it
with a significant pressure of his arm,
and drawing aside q muslin curtain
stepped into the moonlit conservatory.
Behind the curtain there was a small
rustic ~settee; without releasing his
arm she sat down, SO that when he
dropped beside her their hands met
and mutually clasped.
Now. Kla,uns," she said with a
slight comfortable SILVER as She nes-
tied beside him. Its a little like your
chair down at old Robes, isn't IT? Tell
me. And to think its Aye years ago.
BY Klasnns. what's; Ihe. carer? .n,
"a SkAh rs 49, y AES VA
have something to tell me-"
I ave.
"And it's something dreadful. 1
know" she said, wrtnl5ling her brows
with a pretty terror. Couldn't you
pretend you had told it to me and let
us go on Just them same? Couldn't
you, Kla'uns? Tell me.
Il am afraid | couldn't" he said,
with a sad smile.
rs it about yourself, Kla-uns? Tot
know. she went on with cheerful rap
idity, II know everything about you
l always did, o knoW-and I don't
care and never did care, and 1t don't
and never did make the slightest diff
ference to me. So don't tell 1t and
waste time, Kla'uns."
Its not about me-but about my
wife, he said, slowly.
Her expression changed slightly.
"Oll. herr she said. after a pause.
Then half r~esignedly: Go on. Kla'-
uns."
He began. He had a dozen times
rehearsed to himself his miserable
story, always feeling it keenly, and
even fearing that he might be carried
away by emotion or morbid sentiment
in. telling it to another, but to his as
constituent he found himself telling 1t
practically, calmly, almost cynically to
his old playmate, depressing the half
IN htNOllCit III CIV al ASSS 1880
governed him, from the time that Ills
wife, disguised as n mulatto woman.
had secretly watched him i'll his Office,
to the hour that he had passed her
through the lines. He withheld only
the incident of Miss Faulkner's com
plicity and sacrifice.
End she got away-after having
Kicked you OUT of your place, Kla'
9unss, said SnsIs when he had ended.
Clarence stiffcnedvshestde her. but
neI8sait he had gone too far ~ quarrel
With htfxlefrfidalate."Sh went away.
I honestfySa.SfteVe f~Eat-IxeSshaH never
meet again-1orEI should n as telling
you this!
..Kla'uns.t7 she said lightly, staking
his hand again, tsdontssyou believe At!
She won't let you go. Yousra&one of
those men that a woman when she
once has hooked on to won't let goSof
even when she believes she no longer
loves hinr--or meets bigger and better
men. | reckon it's because you're so
different from other m~en--maybe-
there are 50 many different things
about you to hook on to--and O don't
slip off as easily as the Others. Now,
If you were like old Peyton, her first
husband, or like poor Jim, or even
my Boompointer, you'd be all right!
No, my boy. all we can do is try 70
keep her from getting at you here. ]
reckon She Won't trust herself III
Washington again IN a hurry.
But i cannot stay here-my career
is in the field
Your career is alongside o. me.
h~oEes-and Boompointer. But nearer
me. Wei! fix that all / heard some
thing about your being in disgrace,
bbs the story was that you were soft
on some secesh girl down there and
neglected our business. Klafuns. But
I.ordy! to think IT was only your own
wife, Never misi, we'll straighten
that out. We've had worse jobs than
that on. Why, there al that COM
missary who was buying up dead
horses at one end of the field and sell
ing them to the government for mess
beef at the other; and there was that
general who wouldn't make an attack
when 1T rained. and the other general
sou know who / mean, Kla'uns-who
wouldn't invade the state where his
sister lived--but we Strengthened them