The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-11-15

THE JOY or RETURNING
Mary lorain, In Chicago Tribune.

IEu51 IN the oars. hose, n let W
drift down the stream a hit"
i obeyed willingly. for it was q warm
day a l realized after an hours
steady rowing that the charms of the
riverside could be better appreciated
when the hands We're idle. Leaning
back IN my cushions / listened to the
drone OF the bees and the musical lap
ping OF h water against the sides Of
the boat, watching meanwhile the
Varying expressions which fitted over
my companion's face,
II was a pretty face. pale and deli
cate, lit up With clear gray eyes and
framed with the softest OF brown hair.
1t was a face ! loved, too. for we had
entoyed for the last two years the
posed to be impossible between two
women,
"A penny for them. Sybil,' / said,
l~aughingly, after awhile.
My friends dreamy eyes cleared, and
she looked up and smiled back.
Hon sweet and peaceful it all is
here she half unused. lust a day Tor
ever kept a secret from you?"
Not to my knowledge" I returned,
settling myself more comfortably in the
cushions. What do you mean?"
"Well. there Is one big secret which
! have always kept locked up in my
own heart--the only one, I think, that
I ever RETAINED from cOnfiding to you.
I am going to tell you 1t now. How
long Is 1t since I first came to liveGwlth
your"
tive years." I answered. somewhat
~anxiously; and h happiest two years
OF my life. Don't say o are thinking
OF leaving me yet awhile"
h looked at me curiously for a .no-
ment.
Did 1t never strike you as being a
strange thing for me to leave my home
and friends and come and bury myself
In the country like this?"
well. yes. it did, 1 answered. reluc-
family. .Rut. of course. / knew you
had your reasons.
did, you never guess at them?' she
demanded, persistently. &
thought perhaps. began.
blunderingly, that you might have had
some Observation-Disclosures Is
I broke on In some confusion, and
my friend looked at me intently from
under her long, fringed eyelids.
You were quite right" she said, the
smile dying away from her mouth and.
shade passing Ove her face. "You
thought there vas q man in the case.
Well. there vas"
Her voice sank as she made this c0n-
f~ession. and her eyes strayed away over
the water with the far-aWay express
oA0AA W AA4$AA koS 81 q EE =
looked at her silently. desperately Curl
GUS as only q woman can be, and yet
not caring to put any question.
Yes. she said. softly. III was the.
cause Of my going away. flowed him
too we'll to stay"
"But why?" I began impetuously. not
quite understanding this kim OF affec-
ton. Didn't he ARE for your"
Yes" she said. That was he ca
o why Invent"
''Was-was he masrted?" I asked
nervouBly.
She nodded. and for want of ome
splasheds them into the water again
and rowed az II for dear life.
Yes" she said, bitterly. "E1e was
married. and to q vain. selfish, worth
less woman who cared for
nothing but the indulgence of her own
inordinate vanity. What he suffered
through her no one knows better than
myself. In six months she ran through
all his money, incurred debts which
were impossible to pay, and altogether
made his life q perfect misery. Rose!
Rose! There never was q greater curse
OF q than q bad WIFE"
THAT must have been hard for you
to bear, ! murmured, sympathetlcally.
But not nearly 80 hard as for him.
And do you think he loved you r.
- am sure OF 1t" she returned. "Do'
you think my life these two years would
have been possible II 4 had not known.
II was that that raw ms the courage
to go away, and to keep away all
through those terrible long months. II
3 ] had not known he was still where /
had left him. trusting ii me-. believing
In me, loving me. I should have gone
out Of my mind, or have thrown myself
In this river and ended my wretched.
ness then and there
.And now-. I began anxiously. stay
sing theo ars In their motion IN the wa
tel.
She dabbled her hands In the waterl
before speaking
And now. she said. Il am going to
see him gain
She saw the look 81 paiued surprise
which came upon my face, but did not
bee 81 and went on talking a il 81
q 81 soing " meet him Ia London
Tomorrow. He Will be 81 the station
when my train comes III. I hayen;t
seen him sor va whole years-for Two
whole years.yS SsSa
Then NJ VIE = dead, I made IS
:,No he il mot: women & that ssort
9 not die easily
But. I demonstrated.
q are no butt. about I.
cried. almost anga14iy. ssssyYe5 havs mt
Tered enougf---he and I-And We are no.!
zitg ~ .pretandstthat other wenaans isl
dea448sWe are going to- xOrket allstha
smteery Of the spAst. He ~ KoinwSt0 faiesl
me abroad and We afe gcinYT Isl StSTf
~ over a9atn. Il - tbs thousht ota
tnlsssssyhich has keptnis Aitys me-
80 hands relaxed their Shoad# ~ thsl
oexs Z 4 sbrokA NE painful pause
q nachs snsaed ~ myAsn0rt6 fo recover
enc Of mind. Hooked ~ q StarnivS
- q fooiiih girl,,ssI sat6 N1fhl
eozne esnotiOn. A;D IN think -
ss:1s, ~ y; Ss Y s Tlslnls