Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-04-18

your eyes. beatrice, from any cialm OF
kinship that you address me thus?" he
asked, in tender %reproach.
You forget that it is you who as
perse your own claim. and render 1t
impossible. since you deny my title TO
my fathers name. But listen to me.
Randolph Chester. Al-every word
that you have told me / believe TO be
false; and though / am a weak help
less girl, I will yet pro We 1t false"
You are wrong. Beatrice, and you
misjudge me-" he answered, quietly.
IF you will use your reason, you will
understand hat / could scarcely invent
such a tale, or support it without
truth as its foundation. If IL were not
so. you could bring a hundred witness
es TO combat it. You could prove your
fathers marriage, bring forth his we'd
ding certificate, and attest your own le-
gitimacy of birth. AS IL is, o natur-
ally refuse to believe the painful story
necessity has compelled me to unfold
to you. Beatrice, / offer you once more
peace between US. VIII you still choose
war? Once again I ask you to become
my wife. and thus forever put an end
to any questioning. Why should you
hesitatey ! will not force my love upon
you. I will leave 1t to time and my
own earnest effort to slowly win 1t.
oh. Beatrice, must you always hate. al
ways distrust me?"
Genuine feeling rang In his tone. It
was a new phase to her In his charac-
ter-that of PLEADING and self-humilia-
ton.
Could Il be that she had wronged
him? she asked herself. Could 1t be
tha his horrible tale was true-that
she. indeed, only held the birthright of
a fathers dishonor, a mothers shame
The night before she had been
buoyed up by Bertram's faith. But,
like herself, he had no proof to sustain
IL.
Again the terrible doubt came creep
ing in to palsy her strength and chill
the life blood in her veins.
But, resolutely. she nerved herself
against TIE betrayal OF any sign OF Its
existence.
what you ask me is impossible" she
answered, gently. "I can never marry
you. I do not love you II 1 have mis-
Judged you. you can prove 1t to me
now by letting the matter rest. So far
as the money is concerned, take it all.
Only-I beg-I implore you. let the dead
| rest In their graves. Do not dishonor
| them. I will not dispute your claim.
"But. Beatrice. what you suggest Is
impossible, else I would gladly accede
to 1t. The world believed you TO be
my uncle's daughter. born in wedlock,
and, as such. his heir. / IA not step
In and take possession OF this property
without proving it otherwise. One a
and only one, lies out Of the difficulty
and that the way I have just suggest
ed. Become my wife, and the world
need never know. Beatrice, could your
dead mother speak. what. think you.
would she plead? Can you not guess.
too the reason now your father was SO
anxious for this marriage?"
ooh. God. send me a sign!" burst
from the tortured girls lips.
And, as she spoke, unconsciously rails
ing her eyes, they rested on a portrait
| OF her father. hanging against the wall
of the room.
The gaze Of the portrait seemed d.
| rected toward her; the clear eyes, frank
| and honest, and true. appeared TO her
| IMAGINATION to hold an expression OF
reproach; the lips about to open. as II
to ask:
Beatrice, can you doubt me?"
Impulsiyely, she spraug from her
chair and knelt beneath II, extending
her arms toward II.
papa, give me strength" she cried.
almost Rave / doubted you, but new
er again-never again! You hear me
| swear It! Let him wreak his worst,
papa. You and mamma are dead-it VIII
fall on me rather than on YOU. Only
| forgive me tina I could ever listen to
SO cruel and foul a lie against your
honor and my mothers purity!"
Then. rising to her feet, she turned
toward Randolph.
oDo your worst" she said. 'The
only alternative you offer me I refuse.
| What else Is left me?"
"Stame, poverty and the worlds
scorni" he answered.
Then I accept them all. There could
be no shame like that OF an unhaIowed
marriage, no poverty so great as that
the starved heart knows. no scorn or
the world to equal the flashing Of an ac-
cusing conscience!"
You are brave!" he said, sarcastic
ally. ''win you always be so? Nursed
in luxury, do you dream what terrible
definition the word want can hold?
You are beautiful. 90 o know the
curse that beauty unprotected may
prove to you? You have lived In the
sunshine of the worlds smile! Can you
imagine the blackness OF its frown?'
IT look at you'll listen to you-anc,
looking and listening. / need no mag
ination to see the picture you so graph
ically paint"
His face grew paler as h spoke.
IT refuse to accept your decision as
final until you have had t~wenty-four
hours for reflection he replied, with
forced calm. IF. by then. you still re-
fuse the offer I have made you o will
understand that you are living under
my roof and on my bounty. I h al
ways be most happy to offer and secure
to you the charity OF BOTH"
His words did not fail Of their effect.
White and trembling, Beatrice moved
toward the door.
81 take not one minute-not n hour
for thought!' she said. you say
that 1t is owing to your charity that I
am here-here. In my fathers house!
| Oh. God, you may be right. but only In
my ignorance have I accepted Il. II