The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-04-09

night with her--Burt suddenly took
her hand and bent down to kiss her.
She drew back as II the touch had
burned her; then, recollecting that
she must not anger him now, she
smiled with apparent kindness-how
she scorned herself for that deception
and said, In q whisper:
wait, Dick! Do you not know
have never allowed caresses from
your"
His eyes famed in the darkness, but
he only said, releasing her hand:
al will try to wait, but you cannot
think how love you, Kate"
She shivered as she heard him.
"You are not cold?" solicitously.
"No-that is, think not" she an
swered. But we must not linger here.
Let us go on"
She felt that she could not endure
the excitement and this mans pres
ence much longer.
"You are too tired-you are breath
less; rest awhile" he said, not dis
liking to be thus alone with her.
mo, no; | am not tired. L shall be-
lieve you lied to me if you do not go
instantly" she cried in an imperative
undertone.
And he dared not disobey her.
In five minutes more Burt stopped in
his walk, parted the low-growing
boughs of two thick-leaved pine trees,
and looked out into the opening, half
OF which was quite plainly Illuminated
by the moon.
His face grew dark as his eyes wan
dered over the place and saw nothing
but the dingy hut, closed, and nothing
moving in the space.
Kate heard the oath he whispered,
and shrank back a little as she heard.
But he was resolved in some way to
prove the truth of the story he had
told. Still, he had hoped to be able to
see that woman without any effort
save the coming to the place.
When he had looked a moment his
face suddenly cleared and became lit
with savage eXultatiOn.
without saying a word, he turned
and drew Kate silently forward, put
ting her in his place, while he looked
over her shoulder.
His hand directed her gaze, and she
saw, sitting apparently on the trunk of
a fallen trees, two figures-one man,
the other woman.
She could not recognize them, but
she could see that the woman sat very
near her companion, that her head
was resting on his shoulder.
Did | tell you the TRUTH" was the
whisper that was Kissed into Kate's
ear as she looked.
She did not reply Immediately; she
could not at first speak. Now she
knew that she had not believed Burt's
assertion in the least. Now she knew
in the agony of suffering that con-
tracted her heart, how intense, how
profound, was her love for Vance
Rothesay.
II he could deceive her like this
ah! And she still thrilled with hap
piness as she thought of his kisses and
bis words. She had never known her
capability of suffering before. She
WOulu TEAR UGT u6dII OUT. Out Sn6
would conquer all manifestation Of
that love.
That he could have spoken Of love
TO her! Oh, the humiliation, the pang
of that moment could never be forgot
ten! And she had believed she had
known and felt that he was incapable
of anything savoring in the least of
dishonor. But she would save him
Just the same. She was resolved upon
that.
Finally she replied to Burt's words.
ut may be any man and woman.
We cannot tell that it is Mr.. Rothe-
say"
And it was true; the faces of neither
of them could be distinguished; but
Kate felt no doubt in her heart.
THAT is true" replied Burt. aye
will wait. They must cross that strip
of light before they enter the hut.
They will then come so near Us that
we can Tell If 1t is Rothesay."
Burt's voice had no doubt in 1t. He
knew it was Rothesay.
Ito 6e Continued.)