The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-12-08

IEWAS OF you, even WIllle 4 AdSGu yOA'
Come with me! Think what we would
do together, with one faith, n cause,
one ambition! Think, Clarence, there
is no limit you might not attain! We
are no niggards OF our rewards and
honors, we have no hirelings' votes to
truckle to; we know u friends! Even
II, Clarence, t. there was q strange
pathos in the sudden humility that
seemed to overcome her-"I have had
my reward and know my power.
have been sent abroad, in the conf
dence of the highest, to the highest.
Don't turn from me. am Offering
you no bride. Clarence, only your de-
serts. Com with me! Leave those
ours behind and live the hero that you
are!" Il
He turned his blazing eyes upon her.
IF you We're a mani" he began, pas
sionately. then stopped.
NO! I am a woman n must fight
in q woman's way" she interrupted,
bitterly. 81 entreat, I implore. l
wheedle, I fatter, l fawn, 1 lie! creep
where you stand upright, and pass
through doors to which o would not
bow. You wear the blazon of honor
on your shoulder. l hid mine in a
slaves gown. And yet / have worked
and striven and suffered! Listen, Clar-
ence--' her voice again sank to its APP
pealing minor. Il know what you men
call 'honor'-which makes you cling to
a merely spoken word and an empty
oath. Well, let that pass! ] am
weary; l have lore my share OF this
work, you rave done yours. Let us
both fly: let US leave the fight to those
who shall come after us and let us go
together to some distant land where
the sounds of these guns or the blood
of our brothers no longer cry out to us
for vengeance! There are those living
there-I have met them, Clarence
she went on, hurriedly. who think 1t
wrong to lift up fratricidal hands in
the struggle, yet who cannot live un-
der the northern yoke. They are
her voice hesitated, good men and
women-they are respected-they
are
"Recreants and slaves. before whom
you. spy, as you are, stand a aueen!"
broke in Brant, ~passionately. He
stopped and turned back toward the
window. After n pause he came back
again toward the bed, paused again,
and then said in a lower voice: -Four
years ago, Alice, in the patio of our
house at Robles, / might have listened
to this proposal. and. 1 tremble to
think, l might have accepted it. l
loved you; l was as weak, as selfish, as
unrefecting, my life as purposeless.
but for you, as the creatures you speak
lOl. ID SlNC llS " H. q AhN SASNtS
Of a devotion to my cause equal to
your own. which 1 have never denied
you. For the night that you left me l
nwoke to a sense of my own worthless
ness and degradation-perhaps / have
even to thank you for this awakening
and 1 realize the bitter truth. But that
night I found my true vocation. my
purpose, my manhood
A bitter laugh came from the pillow
-, .,lf,t, crn 1a1 lonp,ti1lv thrown
herself. II believe l left you with
Mrs. Hooker-spare me the details"
The blood rushed to Brant's face,
and then receded as suddenly.
you left me with Captain Pinkney,
who a tempted you. n whom ]
killed." he said, fu1iously.
They were both staring at each 9TH
err. Suddenly he said: "Hush!' and
sprang toward the door As the sound
of hurried footsteps echoed along the
passage. But he vas too late; it was
thrown open to the officer of the guard
who appeared standing on the thresh-
hold.
Two confederate officers arrested
lowering around our pickets. They de,
: mand to see YOU"
, Before Brant could interpose two
men, in riding cloaks of confederate
gray, stepped into the room with {
| jaunty and ~self-confident air.
Not demand. general" said thu
T foremost, a tall, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
/, man, lifting his hand with a graceful
d~eprecating air. in fact, too sorry II
, bother o with an affair of no impor
lance except to ourselves. A bit o
(. after-dinner hravado brought us II
contact with you pickets, and o
. course we had to AXE the conse
! quences. Served us right. and we wer
lucky o to have got a bullet through
us. Cad! I'm afraid my men woul'
: have been less discreet! I am Colone
$ Lagrange, of the Fifth Tennessee; m,
young friend here is Captain Faux
! ner, of the First Kentucky. Some ex
t cusc for a yoingster like him-none 70
me! Il
He stopped. for his eyes suddenl
fell upon the bed and its occupant
:. Both he and his companion started
= But to the natural unaffected disma
: of gentlemen who had unwittingiy In
II truded upon Il lady's bedchambel
Brant's quick y saw a more disas
> trous concern superadded. Colonel La
;. grange was quick to recover himsel
u as they both removed their caps.
! "a thousand %pardons." he said. hui
riedly, stepping backwards to the doc
: "But hardly need say to a fellow
:, officer, general, that we had no idea {
making so gross an intrusion. w
heard some c~ock-and-bull STORY {
- your being occupied with an escaped c
escaping nigger-or we should neve
:, have forced ourselves Upon you"
= Brant glanced quickly at his wifi
>. He bowed formally and. pointing h
y hand toward the door, said:
!, II will hear your story below. gentle
= men,"
!, He followed them from h room
stopped to quietly turn the key iii II
n lock, and then motioned them to pr.
~ cede him down the staircase.