The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-11-12
! an artist Of celebrity. nudsea his

an artist of celebrity, nudse6 his
comrade.
Look at that girl! What picture!'
And she was picture! A slight
figure, which, in its robes OF soft
clinging black, stood out in startling
contrast against the white wall. One
hand clutched her bosom convulsive.
ly as though to calm it's fierce pulsa
tons. A shower of FURNISHED hair
had slipped from beneath her veil and
drifted over her shoulder in shining
waves. Her face was uplifted--an
exquisite face. infinitely pathetic in its
childish dismay. The great, dark
\ fringed eyes were burning and bewil-
derd, the soft cheeks fever flushed,
the young, half-parted lips parched
and quivering.
She reused herself at last and
pressed on to the ticket Office She
laid down her money.
Their was a strange sound in her
ears. She could not hear distinctly.
His words sounded dull and unmean-
Ing.
YES" she said vaguely, quite I'M
conscious of the import OF her an
swer.
And at last she was In the train,
and speeding away-away!
The snow ceased falling. 1t began
to freeze. The stars came out in the
winter sky, golden and glittering.
Morn broke. The train stopped.
Laurie rose and went out into the chill
dawning.
"Cragton?" an official cried, sur
prisedly. in answer to her question.
You took the wrong train. The one
for Cragton went by an hour ago! No
other passes till night"
Then | shall walk"
He looked at her in amaze All that
glowing fever had burned itself out in
her face. 1t was drawn\and rigid and
awfully corpse-like.
at is mpossible-simply that" he
said, and strove to dissuade her.
But she did not seem to hear or
heed him.
She went out of the station and
walked on in the direction Of Cragton.
Eight, nine, ten, eleven! And the
snow began to fall, soft and dense.
Twelve, one! And still she stag
gered on through the rifting drifts.
Two, three! Kindly country people
passed her and spoke to her. But she
looked at them with such wild,
white face, that they shrank by, in
terror.
Four, five! And the short winter
day closed round her. She had not
tasted food for forty eight hours. She
was trembling in every limb.
81 must keep up" she told herself,
feverishly-'T must! am coming,
papa--I am coming! You will hear my
steps; they could dig no grave so
deep that my voice could not reach
you!"
See! A little way ahead lights
were distinguishing and flashing
like a swarm Of fireflies.
Were they the lights of home?
peasant was passing.
what place is that? she whis-
pered.
"That house, ma'am? That Is the
Carringtons 'place-Blackcastle."
He went on, and she sank down in
the road, weak and shaking.
"Carrington!" hoarsely-"Carring-
ton! The name hate most on earth.
That name around which the wrongs
of lifetime center. Give CARING
tnno apd NOM 90 oh unrd cop,a In a
thick, gasping whisper between the
gasps of her labored breathing-"mur-
dered my mother! He scorched in
my fathers flesh the brand of Toulon!
And with that same red iron of in
fanny stamped and branded mel
made me thing to be hunted and de-
spised, beneath and apart from all
other women. And, oh, my God!"-
her voice shuddered out through the |
winter night in a desolate, awful, I'M
earthly cry--"I love him, I love him! |
To my shame-to my most bitter and
shame-I love him! / must
SO OIL dare not die hcre!"
She stumbled to her feet. For few |
steps she battled with the storm. Her
failed her. A great blur came
before her eyes. The sound of mad |
waters was in her ears.
~Merciful God" she painted, mot
here-oh. not here! Give, Give. Give,
not here!"
And she reeled and moaned and fell.
Oh, the cruel irony of fate! Fell on |
that one fragment of the wide world !,
where centered her widest love, her
deadliest hate!
At the very door of the Carringtons |
lat the very gates Of Blackcastle! |
On the threshold of the future.
CHAPTER XII.
HI.eS Ct1r,x