Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-11-14


with romance, watched her as she
took the coin in her hand. She pulled
aside her veil and disclosed the full
glory of her face. "Like stained
glass angel in Saint Dominic's
church," the old man thought.
She looked intently at the little
token. The hand that held it trem-
bled, and as she turned it over and
read the inscription mist gathered
in her eyes. Pressing both hands to-
gether she held the coin tight, and q
sob shook her frame. .
eyes," she said, turning to Nicolini,
"this is mine. I am very thankful to
you for advertising it. 1t is very dear
to me. I am so glad that you found
it, and that I have it back again"
She pressed bill into his hand. IF
I can ever do anything for you you
must let me know. will be glad to
help you.'' AS she spoke she drew q
chain from her neck and fastened the
coin to it.
"Good-by and thank you" She
smiled at the old man as he went to
open the door for her-a smile that
was like a golden CLEAN of bright
ness. AS he laid his hand on the
latch it was pulled from him by some
one on the other side. The door
swung inward and man stood in the
opening. He opened his lips to speak,
but his eyes met those of the wom-
an, and with cry he started for
ward, then stopped. Nicolln1 STOOD
between them and looked from one
to the other. The woman had grown
very pale. The chain which she was
clasping about her neck when the
stranger appeared fell through her
fingers to the floor. The man bent
forward and picked it up. Instead OF
returning it to her he kept it and
looked first on one side of the coin
and then on the other.
"You came here for this" he said
to her, his eyes fastened on her face.
"You lost it and came to claim it.
Madelain, I came to claim it, too. 1
read the description by chance and
thought it must be yours-the token
that I gave you. But didn't know
didn't dream that would meet you
here"
"No," she said, slowly, raising her
eyes to his. "And I didn't dream OF
meeting you here-or anywhere ever
again. I thought"
"You thought that I was dead?" he
he asked. She nodded. He gave her
the chain.
II am sorry to disappoint you," he
said, bitterly. She did not speak, but
looked past him through the open
door. Nicolini retired to corner OF
the room and pretended to put things
in order.
II have often wished to die" the
man went on, "but II is not an easy
thing to do. I suppose you were
sorry for me when you thought 1 was
dead. Sorry, perhaps, for yourself,
too, and for the things that happened
long ago. But if you knew you
would be sorry for me still"
II am only sorry that you came here
that we met. 1t can do no good,
and I must leave you now," she said,
stepping past him towards the door.
'Madelain, don't go. Listen to me-"
he begged. "This is the chance that
I have dreamed of-the chance of see
ing you, of hearing your voice. 1 knew
that it would come, and now I must
not let it slip by me, and let you go
1orr xx,o =, vi h ont me -
"Our ways were parted long ago."
she said; "there is nothing to be said,
nothing to be learned, because we can
do nothing"
"Why are you so hard, so hopeless?"
he asked, getting nearer to her than
he had been before. "You must still
care, else why would you have come
here to claim the token I gave you
years ago?"
II came because I was foolish.
couldn't bear to give up the last frag-
ment of the broken dream of love.
Women always treasure their painful
memories, and men try to get rid of
them. I wanted to keep this little re-
hinder of my misery, my misplaced
hopes, because I have always had it.
1 would feel strange without it,
do you never forgiven" he asked.
forgiveness is so played OUT she
said, YEARLY.
"And the motto? Our MOTTO" he
asked, "'Amor Vincit Omnia,' is that
too played out?"
eyes, long ago we realized the fol-
ly of that" Again she turned from
him and, nodding to Nicolini, passed
out. The man followed her. A look
of desperation had come into his eyes,
and his face was drawn in hard lines.
He laid his hand on her arm.
"Madelain, you must listen to me-"
he said, hoarsely. II did wrong once,
but can't you see that have suffered?
Because we both made horrible mis-
takes at the turning-point, is that any
reason why we should blindly close
our eyes and go on suffering, when the
chance is given US to retrieve our hap
piness? You are free now-free to
choose again"
"Free!" she whispered, putting her
hand to her throat, as if the word
choked her.
eyes, your husband has been dead
for years and that leaves you at lib
erty to"
''To marry again." she suggested.
There was pause, then she faced him
and said, slowly: eyes, my husbands
death left me at liberty to marry again,
and took advantage of that liberty. I
was married last spring"
A terrible despair darkened the