The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-11-14
lying rnere in all the abandonment Of


she could but tell him! The pitiless
night hid her from all eyes. Surely
there had never been night so full OF
pain.
How long she had been lying there
she never knew. Time was all ended
for her. She was conscious only OF
infinite misery. She did not even feel
the chill breath of the wind as 1t
passed over her.
Then, after what seemed to her an
age Of suspense and agony, she heard
footsteps amid the brushwood, and
Lord Carayen calling her by name.
Il am here" she said.
In the thick growing darkness it was
with difficulty that he discovered her.
He saw her at length lying with her
face hidden among the dead leaves.
You may rise and thank Heaven"
he said, in stern voice, that you
have not succeeded; the evil is not so
great as it might have been"
She rose and stood before him, the
same dazed look on her face.
Il do not understandable say such
hard, cruel things" she moaned.
Hard and cruel" repeated her hus-
band, with bitter contempt; did ever
a woman live so cruel as your"
Il am not cruel" she replied. II
have been driven mad"
There was such infinite sadness in
the young voice, such dreary despair in
the young face, that he was touched
in spite of his anger and contempt
Tell me-" he said, what made you
do this thing-this cruel, ungenerous,
unwomanly deed?'
She thought he referred to her con-
duct in following him, and they SEEM
ed to her hard words.
What made me do it? You will
only despise and hate me the more if
tell you," she replied.
Frankly speaking, Hildred, nothing
that you can say to me will make the
matter worse, but it may certainly be
made better. Tell me the plain truth"
Yes, will tell you," she replied.
Il see that all good understanding is
at an end between u.s."
That is certain" he said, with en-
phasis; with my consent you shall
never enter my doors again."
Have / acted so very wrong?" she
asked, sadly.
"Wrong?" ne exclaimed contemptu-
ously. I'VE will waive that, Hildred.
You have done that which will never
pardon. Now tell me why you did it.
You may speak the truth to me; you
bear my name. | will shield you from
all harm. No one knows but myself"
Then she did not see me?" said Hill
dred, drearily.
and>you may be thankful for
IL" answered the earl, severely. "She
did not see you. You may speak quite
frankly-no one knows anything about
it except myself. Now tell me-"
What have to tell your" she said.
II did it; / followed you here be-
cause-oh, how hard it is to tell,-be-
cause l was jealous CT her. / thought
that you were both ridiculing me, that
you would tell her that you had been
obliged to marry me to save yourself
from ruin, but that you did not love
me, you did not care for me, you dis
liked me, you hated me, you longed
to be free from me-my accursed
money was all you wanted-that you
would never like me. And I fancied
she would pity you in that soft, caress-
ing voice of hers-pity you for being
burdened with wife you did not love.
believed that you would tell her that
| was jealous of her, that then both of
you would laugh at me-"
The passion of her words had dead
ened all sense of shame She had for
gotten that which her jealousy had
prompted her to do, and remembered
only her great, bitter wrongs. She was
no longer heroine-only a passion
ate. injured, deeply loving woman.
She rose to the occasion.
The earl was impressed more than
he would have cared to own.
Il could not bear it, she contin-
ued, passionately. Il should have done
worse than this, am sure, If it could
have been done. / was mad. / will
tell you all. was mad because had
learned to love you with all the
strength of my heart and soul. could
not bear that you should Jest about
me with careless words; it was as
though you stabbed me for pleasure"
You love me?" he Intercepted, in
credulously.
The dark shawl fell from her. and
she stood erect before him in all the
dignity of her pale, passionate beauty.
Her amber dress and her rubies
cleaned in the starlight; the queenly
head was held aloft; she no longer