The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-03-19

In some phase or other. was always
the subject of them.
Now that Caryl was dead, her almost
insane hate had changed to the love
she had known for him. She mourned
for him as for faithful husband. And
yet there were moments when she
knew and felt his villainous behavior
to herself.
At such moments she rejoiced that
she had killed him--was glad that he
could never make love to another
woman.
In short, the girls mind was shaken
by her long sufferings and by that last
dreadful deed. But not so shaken but
that rest would recover it; not so shak-
en- as to be insane.
''You do not eat, Vance," she said,
looking up at her brother, who was
leaning his arm on the rough shelf.
not looking at her, but with his gaze
troverted-thinking indeed, Of the
girl whose kisses were yet warm on his
lips-thinking that he might never be
able TO claim her.
He reused himself as Rachel spoke.
and said:
You do well to remind me that
ought to eat as well as you" and he
took a piece of bread and compelled
himself to swallow it.
Rachel watched him in silence; then,
after a few moments, she exclaimed:
How selhshly forgetful remorse and
sorrow make me! / had forgotten
your marriage to Miss Lauriat."
Spare your remorse. concerning
that" said Vance, with a cynical tone
in his voice.
What do you mean?" with eager
interest.
81 mean that am very little to Miss
Lauriat. Read that; it will tell you all
l know"
And he gave her a slip of newspaper
as he spoke. 1t was the item regard
ing Miss Lauriat's runaway marriage.
Rachel forgot everything else in her
fear that her brother would suffer as
she had suffered She looked at him
searchingly.
you loved herr" she faltered finally.
81 fancied that / did at one time,
but l have recovered bravely," he re-
piled.
DO you tell me the truth? Or do
you try to laugh at your suffering"
81 tell you the TRUTH" he answered,
when / say that am grateful to her
for breaking her troth to me. Il should
| not have done it, but | should have
known that was marrying with very
| little love. We were engaged too
early. / had outgrown all the fancy l
ever had for her, and | suppose she
! had done the same, and took this way
of cutting the knot. My thanks to
! her"
| There. was no mistaking the truth Of
his words, and his sister uttered a fer
vent THANK Cod" as he ceased speak
| ing,
When he spoke again he had evil
| IDENTIFY put all thought of Miss Lauriat
from his mind.
at is time you went to sleep, or tried
| to do So" he said. at is past mid
night. am very thoughtless to allow
you to be up in this way. To insure
you sleep, let me give you a potion"
He dropped some laudanum into "a
glass of wine and babe her drinl, It.
Then he watched her as she lay there
noting how worn she looked, and feel
ing fear that life and health would
never again come to her.
A vague plan of taking his sister to
a foreign country, some wild thought
that Kate Purcell might consent to &c
with him, was passing through his
mind as he sat watching Rachel while
the sedative gradually took the wide
anxious look from her eyes, Their
closed them in sleep.
When she was sound asleep he rose
and extinguished the light, and went
out of the hut. Unable to sleep him.
self, he could not remain quietly in thu
stifed atmosphere of that little room.
(To be continued.)