Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-05-10

I ulfNt4 u say -
without needing, Herbert's effort nj
conversation. she answered absently
and AT random.
Panied and mortified. Herbert him.
self grew moody and t~aCiturn, and they
had gone on for some moments in 81
lence. when Sybil suddenly seemed to
arouse herself by a painful effort. II
! said. in n grave and earnest tone
II want 10 make Il request Of you, Mt.
! Clive-a strange request; n that yon
will not understand. and that Cannot
I explain"
TO ask of me is 10 obtain. Miss
SybIl. as ycu know" was the somewhat
! constrained reply.
mo: | do NOT know" she corrected,
/ for ! am aware that my request will
seem an utterly unreasonable II 9 J
want yCu'-she gave one Of her fright
/ ened glauceS around her Il sshe spoke,
( and lowered her voice almost 10 n wills
! perl want you To leave home, Mr..
} Give: Ia 20 abroad, If possible, for an
indefinite time
ITO leave h0n,p?' echoed Herbert. IN
~UnconcealeI surprise. TO 20 abroad:
NV dear Miss Wraye, you are incom-
I prchensib!e".
u know il" she answered. in n de
spairing tone. Il told you ! could not
1 explain, Yet, It's as FaLnie'S friend
speak: as-aS-her voice flltered, "aS
sour friend. There is danger threaten
inc you here. Mr.. Cliye-terrible dan
ger; and-and. until that danger is re-
moved, l beg of you 10 leave home
Herbert'S face flushed.
Danger threatening me here. in my
own home. and YOU would have me fee
| from ii. like a coward: Ny dear Miss
Wrave. you must have but a poor opin.
ion Of my manhood. of my courage!'
There are perils against which man
hood. courage, all are vain" she an
swered. in a voice thrilling with pain.
There is 4 danger which no hand,
however strong, can combat-dark, I'M.
knowa dangers, from which flight is
the only safety; and-and"-her soft
eyes fixed themselves upon him, full of
terrible meaning. MIR. Give. il is such
danger that threatens you. oh, for
your own sake, for the sake Of all YOU
love. be warned in time! Fly, ,ny. be-
fore 1t Is too late.'
But his face only set itself sternly
into the likeness OF his father-into n
stranger and more forbidding likeness
still. that Of his great-uncle. Basil Give.
You forget that you speak to a man,
Miss Wraye" he answered. proudly
TO a man in whom obedience TO such
n warning would be both weak and
cowardly. To fly from any danger is
womanly but 10 fly from an unknown
danger would be the basest pusillani-
nifty"
Then YOU will not hear me-you viii
not heed me-" she cried in a tcce
n xt-hnSn" matthias uyanr 20 ITarIarss~ haarr
Surely. surely, the curse OF C~assandra
is mine!'
"Sybil. Sybil.' cried the young man.
throwing on the mask of formality and
speaking in a moved voice. for Gods
sake have done witt, these mysteries!
What is this shadow under which your
young life is whitening? What cloud is
il that hangs between you and the sun
shine of love and hope? For l know
that no other love. no other tie, binds
your heart. l know. darling-forgiye
me il / hold the precious secret dropped
from Your unconscious lips-I know the
first pure love of that maiden heart is
all my own
You know that-that-
Oh. the beautiful blush that stole like
a dawn over that pallid face. the light
that trembled in those downcast eyes.
the culver OF those parted lips! For one
bright moment the spell was broken.
the statue lived, the oma breathed.
Il know that you do care for me a
little. Sybil." was the happy answer,
Tell me darling. is it not so? There Is
no other love binding your heart? only
one little word, Sybil-one little word
will lift the weight Of suspense from
my heart. Saw that l have no rival,
1 Sybil-your hand and heart are free.
Darling, | can wait patiently. / will
not harrass you with vows of love II
you win only tell me that / have some
far-off hope OF winning you at last
Hope. hope? No, nc. there is no
hoper she answered, the life-light fad
ing from her face. But ii is neither
love nor lover that stands between us.
Mr.. Give. You mistook my words
strangely IL you thought so. | have no
thought of other OF other lover when l
tell you the barrier between us is one
We ne'er can cross. But-but"-she
hesitated for Il moment, and then she
went on. in n clear, sweet and sorrow
full vcice-"lf IL win make you believe
IRE. trust me. listen 20 NE more willing
~, | will speak TO you as one dead
might speak from a far-of sphere, and
tell you that. but for the dark abyss
that yawns between us. I-I--might
have loved you. might have listened 10
YOU. might have found earth's sweetest
happiness az your side. 1t can never
be ~now-never. never. never, But for
the sake II what might have been, in
pity for the heart that you have wax
ened. only 10 make IL suffer more keen
". listen TO me-iy and save yourself
from dangers that l know, yet cannot
avert.
~ cannot listen to you. Sybil." he an-
swered .grayely. Il would brave death
willingly AT your bidding. but I cannot
sacrifice my manhood. If danger threat.
ems those dear 10 me. / must stay and
share IL. And for your other words.
Sybil. there is a whispering hope in
them that | will hold through life and
death. As long as no other tie, no 9TH
er love. stands between. you are mine,
mine. Mine. darling. despite your fears.
your tremors-despite your own little
timid self! Mine. though I wait for
years ere can claim you Mine, al
though a thousand shadowy perils
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