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

You forget that 1t is you who as
perse your W clalim, and render II
impossible, since you deny my title to
my fathers name. But listen TO me,
Randolph Chester. An-every word
that you have told me / believe to be
false; and though / am a res help
less girl, l will yet pro We ii false!"
You are wrong, Beatrice, and you
misjudge me-" he answered. quietly.
IF you will use your reason. you Will
understand that / could scarcely invent
such a tale. or support 1t without
truth as its foundation. II 1t were not
so. o could bring a hundred Witness
es to combat IL. You could prove your
fathers marriage. bring forth his we'd
ding certificate, and attest our w le-
gitimacy of birth. AS 1t is, you natur-
ally refuse TO believe the painful story
necessity has compelled me to unfold
to you. Beatrice, 1 offer you once more
peace between us. VIII you still choose
war? Once again I ask o to become
my wife. and thus forever put an end
to any questioning. Why should you
hesitate? / will not force my love upon
you. I will leave 1t TO time and my
own earnest effort TO slowly win IL.
oH, ESedtElCt, HluSt YOU dl"dyo hahNp a.
ways distrust meg"
Genuine feeling rang In his tone. 1t
was a new phase to her in his charac-
ter-that OF pleading and self-humilia-
ton.
Could IL be thai she had wronged
him? she asked herself. Gould 1t be
that 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
1t.
Again the terrible doubt came creep
ing In to palsy her strength and hill
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 h
answered, gently. 81 can never marry
you. I do not owe you. IL I have mis-
Judged you, you can prove II to me
now by letting the matter rest. So far
as the money is concerned, a X IT all.
Only-I beg-I implore o 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 believes you to be
my uncle's daughter. born in wedlock,
and. as such. his heir. I can not step
in md take possession of this property
without proving it otherwise. One way,
and only one, lies out of the difficulty
and tina the way / have just suggest
"a pAan~na m n 1pffo aud tho 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"
'Oh, 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 IL
to ask:
Beatrice. can you doubt me?"
Impulsiveiy. 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
err again-never again! You hear me
swear It! Let him wreak his worst,
papa. You and ann are dead-it VIII
fall on me rather than on you. n
forgive me that 1 could ever listen to
so cruel and foul a lie against your
honor and my mothers purity"
Then, rising to her feet, h turned
toward Randolph.
$40 your worst" she said. THE
only alternative you offer me I refuse.
What else is left me?"
ssSLame. poverty and the worlds
scorn," he answered.
Then I accept them all. There could
be no shame like that Of an unhallowed
marriage, no poverty so great as that
the starved heart knows. no scorn OF
| the world to equal the flashing of an &C
cusing conscience!"
You are brave!" he said. sarcastic
ally. "will you always be so? Nursed
in luxury, do you dream what terrible
| definition the word want can hold?
You are beautiful. 90 you know h
curse that beauty unprotected may
prove to you? You have lived In the
sunshine OF the worlds smile! Can you
| imagine the blackness of it's frown?'
81 look at you'll listen to you-anc.
| looking and listening. i need no imag-
nation to see the picture YOU so graph
ically paint"
His face grew paler as she spoke.
at refuse TO accept your decision as
| final until you nave had twenty-four
hours for reflection" he replied. with
| forced calm. III. by then, o still re-
| fuse the offer I have made you you will
understand that you are living under
my roof and on my bounty. I shall 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.
at take not one minute-not n hour
--for thought" she said. you say
that 1t Is osing to your charity that !
am here--here, In my fathers house!
| oh, God, you may be right. hut only Ira
my ignorance have l accepted II. II
you turned me from your doors the
...-.ll ~-f-A& .xx.xr ENss To thfu t,ttr