The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-05
Did 1 do SOP L asked.

"Once we tried to get her away" she
continued. "And by DR.. Lows orders
she went to her room. But in the night
your cries nearly drove her mad, and,
though the doctor said t would under
mine her health, I went to her, and she
begged me on her knees to let her go in
to you, and-and--" smiling brightly,
land she asked me how would l feel If
the baron were i'll and l shut in another
room away from him.! That was a
shreWd little argument"
The tears stood in her eyes and in
mine, too. What lac the girl not done
for me to set her mind at rest?
where is she?" 1 asked, a little
huskily. why does she not come to
me?"
With a laugh the baroness got up,
n saying that we were apparently a
pair, went in search of her. But she did
not come and the day waned. The
bright afternoon faded to shutdown, and
still she did not come. Some one
brought in lamps and at last the baro-
ness appeared with an amused, yet
puzzled look in her face.
lis she not coming to say good night
to me?" I asked.
II do not gu te understand her." said
she. Poor girl, she's tired and wor-
RED"
What is it?' I asked again. us there
something wrong?"
She smiled again.
II think she is a little afraid" said
the baroness. Il
Afraid? Afraid Of WHAT" 1 asked.
well, T scarcely know" she ans
wered again. 4" and then, leaning
over to me, Shall l tell you a dreadful
secret about women?"
I looked at her in amazement.
II think-I am afrajG-' Then she
stopped, and a pretty flush went over
her face. Pm afraid women like-a-
little masterful treatment" And, as
1 am a sinner, off she went like any
young girl with the fires on her cheeks.
I lay back in my bed an instant, and
then called her back.
Dear baroness" I said, will you en-
ter a little conspiracy with me?"
She nodded brightly.
II shall be very i'll again." said I.
"And shall shrek some more. Will you
chance to pass by With-?"
do you happen to have any idea,
young man, where she has been these
three hours?"
I had not the least, unless out walk
ing with Captain Atherton.
"She Is sitting just outside hat door
by the window in the hail."
T simply signed to her to begin the
conspiracy, and she passed out, leav-
ing the door ajar. I waited a moment
and hen began to talk, and rambled
on, getting louder and louder, till finally
I yelled out a lot Of idiotic nonsense
putting in her anne Then I paused
and heard through the doorway much
whispering, and howled again, hearing
in a moment, "Oh what is it? Can it
be true? Again." That voice hit my
conscience hard, but I yelled out again.
Whereupon the door opened and in she
came running to me n speaking my
name softly and taking my hand.
In a moment I had her fast by the
arm.
Where have you been all day, mad
am?"
She stood back, looked at me in Won
der, but h could not escape.
"Sit down, dear heart" said I sit
down, sit down. IT was all a conspiracy
to get O in here"
Then T thought she would be angry,
but with a flush she said:
II am too relieved to be offended, but
t was not fair, was it?"
mo, dear, It was q cowardly trick.
But Deborah!"
Down went the face and the eyes
looked around the floor, as she sat by
my bed.
"Debby, look at me-"
The eyes never moved.
Deborah, is 1t necessary for me, sit
ting here done up in five miles of rags
too absurdly weak to stand up-is it
necessary for me to make love to you?''
Up came the eyes straight at me with
some Of the old fearless fire in them.
"Do you want me to ask you to me
marry me?"
There was an instant's silence and
then h suddenly gave to a burst of
merry laughter.
1T seems to me, sir" with a toss of
her head, that you put your question
a bit late in the day, since we have
been married now some six MONTHS"
That sobered me, for I remembered
that 1 knew something still unknown
to her. and sitting there by the light
of the lamp I told her of the comrade
who had helped me in the Sugar house,
and what he knew Of Marvin.
For a moment she sat quietly looking
away from me, her hands lying in her
lap. Then, turning to me with a depth
in her beautiful eyes that seemed so
new and recent, she gently laid her hand
in mine and sat there. looking at me
without a word for minute after min
ute; till T leaned forward and took
her fair, serious face in my two hands
and drew it toward me and kissed it
once, twice, and asked:
':Are you happy. D%eborah?"
eyes, DEAR. said she, simply
We'll, what the devil do I care, mad
am? I've got to dress the mans
wound. Egad, they can't bill and coo
twenty-four hours in the day. Let me
in!" This from the other side Of the
door. "A whispered pleading was his
answer.
"Not at all! He can't get up till hes
well. So in I CO." And In he came,
putting and tuning, and unwound and
wound me UP again.
It was as he was rewinding the
bandages after dressing the wound that
the door opened and Anterior came n
Up he strobe to me, with something OF
g. shamefaced look and shook hands.
How are We, old man." said he, as IL
he had seen me and talked bue yester-
day.
Fright ana ut, friend" said /, and
then we fell to silence. TITS everBa
strange thing to me, and yet something
I cannot fail to like, to see, as I did
two Anglo-Saxons trying to hide
all the good feelings In them. Even Low
laughed out as he worked on and said:
u whats the price of beer 2"
lead! I'd like some now, Ell, Bal
cried Atherton, and, growing
easier, he sat down and watched the
hands of the doctor. I stretched
out and took his hand.
Captain" said I. you've done more
for me than any