Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-10-17
= strongly thai the girl gave up

She would not consent 10 u eiah
| tine marriage. however, at that tihs'
Her lover looked grieved. a mist
IKE moisture dimmed the lusfer or ms
beautiful eyes; but, though her own
overlooked with tears, Lefty reinaiheu
frm-for that time.
ON their next meeting she ola an lhe
talking. and her lover listened, altnost
in silence, except for an occasional
long-drawn sigh or a monosyilapie
spoken in a tone of dine
Unable TO bear this change Lefty
asked. p~etulantly. what she had done 10
he so treated, and had anything nap
pened.
Yes" her lover answered. but In a
tone of deep tenderness, almost inc
worst that could happen"
He had received letters which re-
called him peremptorily. and ne could
no longer invent fer remaining
away. His father commanded him 10
| return: his mother entreated him 10
come to her. and his aunt, from whom
he had such large expectations, Wept
for him, for she was sick, almost 10
death, and HI could scarcely hope TO
find her alive unless he returned with
out delay.
Poor Lefty listened and turned pale.
A terrible fear seized her, and then she
realized that this stranger had already
become a part of her life.
What would that life be II he should
go out OF II? A barren wilderness.
Nothing in all the world could fill the
void left by his aIse nee; for, in all the
world. there was nothing like him.
Alas, for. her there was nothing now
but him!
Anthony, Anthony" h gasped, In
terror. IT cannot let you 60. l cannot
part from you!'
But I must go, carina," he returned.
in the soft and yelvet-like that
few women could resist. " Bereft or
you, / have, indeed. no personal inter
est left in the world; but l have a name
and family to whom I owe much, and
for the remainder of my life / can live
for them"
mo, MOI" cried Lefty, clasping her
slender hands about his arm, and look
ing UP into his face with beseeching
eyes. You shall not leave me; for II
you do you may not return!"
Her lover shrugged his shoulders, II
declared he would, indeed, try not TO
return, since she cared so little for
him, and preferred 20 gee him unhappy,
rather than forego the parade of a pub
lie marriage.
You are cruel!" moaned Lefty.
bursting into tears. What do / care
for the parade of a public marriage? l
only ask to tell my mother; but even
that / will defer, since you say 1t must
be so. 1 have no will but yours-no
wish but yours. / owe you better thar
all the world, and am yours, now n
forever"
1t was already in the dusk of even
ing, and their place of meeting was a
secluded end almost deseIted little park
not far from Letty's own home; n
now, at this complete n impassioned
surrender, her lover caught the slight,
girlish form in his great, powerful
arms, raised her like a little child. n
held her clasped to his breast, while his
kisses rained in a warm shower on her
brow and lips and cheeks.
my own fair rosebud" he whis-
pered. Now I believe you love me, in.
deedi'
Before they parted, all the prelimin-
aries for their marriage were arranged,
and neither was late at the appointed
place for the next morning
Having taken the irrevocable step,
Lefty knew no regret nor any feeling
of uneasipess. The man she loved was
now her husband; she believed in him
implicitly and obeyed him blindly. The
secret of her marriage was no longer
her own, but her husbands, and there
fore she did not even reproach herself
for keeping 1t from her mother. AL
though she had, in part, spoken of her
love, and Of her happiness in knowing
it returned, to Bertha, she went no fur
Their in her confidence; for her hus-
band forbade her to speak of her mar
riage to any one.
The time will come, and soon, my
darling" he had said, "whan / will bid
you proclaim it 90 the world; but till
then breathe 1t not to any mortal, and
only in a whisper to your own heart"
A IL I could for a moment forget IL,
my own, my Anthony, my husband!"
murmured the DOR. infatuated girl,
looking at the man she loved with ador-
ing fcndness.
Day followed day. and they met on
stantly, and spent hours that seemed
but minutes, together; and still Letty's
husband postponed his departure from
day to day, declaring that he could not
tSoA hiiiiScil away -IOTn MS lONeu dnu
lovely bride, but always ending by say
ing that he might be forced to leave
ner--for a little while-at any moment.
Therefore, when, on a certain morn
ing, she reached the trysting place first,
and spent hours there, in an agony of
suspense and expectation, without
meeting her husband, she was neither
uneasy nor suspicious of any harm.
Her heart was sore with disappoint-
ment and he pain of separation, but
not one thought against the truth and
honor and goodness of the man she hao
married disturbed her peace.
III has had further news from Eng
land, she thought, miserably. "He
has been obliged to go to-day, perhaps,
without even a word OF goodbye. How
shall I bear it? Oh. II / could only tell
mamma or Bertha! To share my grief
with some one who loves me would
help me a little; but / dare not, for
Anthony forbade me. 1 must shut 1t
up in my own heart, and wait until my
love comes back to me-and I WILL"
But 1t was impossible for Lefty to
conceal entirely l er sadness during the
absence of her lover, and to Bertha's
repeated questions she had admitted