Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-09-10

II am a weary and discouraged
man" be answered. II may have been
unjust to you In the bitterness of q DIT
ter past. Let the future atone"
but you have loved another?"
"Hush!" Oh, what dissertation It
seemed, that this last course she had
adopted, In his despair, should drag
Avice's name into this woman's
mouth. 'TWe will not speak of her, :
he continued. with forced calmness.
she has deserted me. All / now care
to know Is where she may be, to have
some assurance that she was un-
worthy of me II I could know this,
I would forget her."
You are s~ure--sure Of THAR" Bar.
bara questioned, speaking In a COW, in
tense tone. Suppose I prove 1t to
you-what shall be my reward?"
Whatever you may ask. But you
how can you prove 1t? You know
nothing"
"You are right" she replied, 81
know nothing: but with such an end
In view I may discover much. She is
but a girl; children cannot thus cover
their tracks in a great city. I viii find
her for you, or, IL she Is married to
this man-this DR.. Hayes-I will show
| you the certificate of their marriage.
Perhaps the ceremony has not been
| performed as yet. Ii ! find her / will
e that he thus rights her without de-
Lay"
Her voice rang with triumph. She
remembered a white, despairing face,
Won and thin, with eyes that seemed
to her seeking to recall a past buried
in cblivion-remembered how easy it
would be to force this poor, helpless
girl to do her will; and as for the man.
she knew what arguments to use with
him. But what was Milton Lennox
saying?
unless he has already righted her.
| fear it will be o late in this world"
What could he mean? Surely the
note she had sent had done its work.
What do you say?" she gasped out.
only that DIR. Hayes and I met, not
two hours ago. in mortal combat, and
that it was he who fell"
Dead! Is he dead?"
did you know him so well that you
thus ask me?"
"No." she replied, forcing herself to
calmness, except In hat far-off time
when he and you were friends. You
have killed him, Them"
"He was alive when I left him. How
long he might live the surgeon could
not say"
why did you fight?"
In the midst of his trouble, Milton
could but admire the simulated limo
! cence with which she framed The
question. Surely, to this woman, all
the world was a stage, and all a
kind but puppets in her hand.
1--WE fought" he answered, very
slowly, because we both loved the
same woman. Can you guess who it
was?"
Ere she could answer the question a
loud peal from the bell had startled
them both.
In a moment Feline appeared at the
portiere, and in obedience to a mys-
terious m she followed him
into the hall.
Several men stood there, bearing a
litter they had just brought In from
an ambulance at the door.
"The gentleman Is sorely wounded,
and babe Us. before he was hurt, II he
survived the duel to bring him here"
"See that he is made comfortable
at once, Feline. He will occupy the
east room, and call Marie to assist
YOU"
Then, without one glance, even OF
pity, for the unconscious form of the
sufferer, she retraced her steps and
that the sound of the excitement
might not arouse suspicion in Lenncx's
mind-carefully closed the door
through which she had passed.
Milton had risen to go. The part he
had assumed was intolerable to him.
The very beauty Of the I'M nause-
ated him. He felt as though some
deadly weapon were coiling itself
about him.
Milton" she said, coming close be-
side him and lifting her face I o his.
will you not kiss me once-just once?
IL Ids UtCn ~ lOuS oluSC JOul last KISS
rested on my lipsi"
Il dare not" ne answered. Find
out for me all l would know. aud you
shall then forget the past In the pres
emit"
Long after he had left her she stood
living over the memory of those words.
Her youth seemed to have returned to
her.
If only this girl were swept from her
path-were dead-if she could prove it
so-perhaps the old dream might meet
with It's fulfllment.
All. what was thaty--a baby's wall
that echoed through the room? No,
mol
She covered back on the sofa and
covered her face with her hands. She
was innocent of that far-off wrong.
| Her child was dpad huf eha had nof