The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-04-24
Stairs Of
|Sand....

l SHall not be gone n and, before ne
had a chance to protest that a souvenir
was not necessary, she had fitted away
out beyond the light into the shadows.
After she had gone he oun himself
listening to a myriad of voices of the
forest. that seemed to fall with irritat-
ing reiterance on his ears. He felt far
from being in a cheerful mood, not
knowing the future might bring
forth, or If, indeed, ne would ever see
her again. 1t was such a breaking
away from old ties. his starting out,
after the placid years he had spent as
the village chool teacher. Sometimes
he wondered IL he was fit to wage a
good fight beyond there, in the hum
ming city. Well, at least, he was not
without courage, and, If he went down,
1t would be to fall fighting.
How long the girl was! 1t seemed
to him that she must have been gone
for hours. Perhaps she had been de-
tanned, and it would be impossible for
her to return. Still, knowing what a
passionate little person she was. and
accustomed pretty muc to having her
W way, it would have been a diff
cult matter for them to have kept her
back. Finally, he could bear the wait
ing no longer, but rose and stepped out
to the edge Of the trees, looking
anxiously In the direction of the house.
1T would be really to bad if their last
meeting should be so Woefully cur
tailed.
A step behind him, and, as he turned,
1t was to face Mrs. Ellison. Even in
that light he saw that her face wore an
angry expression.
What are you doing here?"
He did not answer, for the surprise
of the meeting checked his speech. She
was a tall, handsome woman, and wore
an evening dress that displayed her fine
| arms and h0S0m- Tn the 1pn0r1ioht
with the dark trees around, she was a
picture for a painter.
She was swinging a garden hat back
and forth in one jeweled hand, with an
angry gesture, then, stamping her foot,
she repeated the question:
Il ask you again, sir, what are you
doing in these grounds?"
1T may be that I came to take a last
look at the house-of my friend, Mr..
Ellison" he stammered.
You might have spared yourself that
Troublesome it is my house and not
his" which was true, Dick knew, since
the wife had the fortune. And now,
since you have seen it, go!"
YES" replied the young man, but
making no move to leave.
Il know that it was one of the fam
lily o came to see," she continued with
rising anger. IT congratulate Mr.. Eli
son on his protege. A fine guardian for
young people. truly. Sneaking in here,
like a thief in the night, to see my
daughter, who is too young to know
better"
Your daughter will never suffer at
my hands, madam" the anger rising
within him, which he dared not give
vent to. -
Enough! We will not discuss that
f1cient answer. And now I insist again
on your going. Do you want me to ap-
peal to the servants?"
IL will go. I will co." murmured
poor Dick, as he moved away,
cursing his misfortune in having en-
countered this beautiful fury at such
a time. Once he looked back, only
path looking after him. She doubtless
meant to remain there until she was
sure that he was on his way out Of the
park. With a sigh he went on his way,
until a turn Of the path hid her from
sight.
Then he stopped for a to
consider. Should he not be able to re-
turn by a circuitous route to the place
where he was to wait for Grace? What
would she think if she arrived there
and found he was gone? Was it not
worth Drawing even the anger Of Mrs.
Ellison to try and see her again? While
he was considering the matter an ago
ANS - - e. o111cl1 y NOICe =1dIlS
through the woods. Had something
happened to Grace? Without a mo
ment's hesitation, he dashed back over
the road he had just traversed. 1t was
only a short distance before he almost
stumbled over the figure of a woman
on the ground. 1t was very dark at
that point where she lay. He stopped
and picked her up, carrying her into
the light. It was Mrs. Ellison. Her
eyes were closed, a strange pallor on
her face. He laid her gently on the
bank at the side of the road. Had she
tainted? 1t vas strange that he should
be the first one to come to the assist
anc of q woman who had been abusing
him but a few moments before. Had
the excitement Of that short interview
so worked or her nerves that she had
tainted? What was to be done? 1t
was an embarrassing position for him
to be in. There was nothing tina he
could do to help her, and yet help was
needed. Should he call for assistance ?
There seemed to be nothing else to do;
he could not leave the poor woman
there, even If h had insulted him.
Then, as he leaned over her, hoping to
see some signs of returning conscious
ness, a shuddering feeling of terror
crept over him. There was a strange
stain on the white silk waist, a stain
that, as he watched, seemed to be
spreading slowly-slowly. Filled with
horror at the sight, and the conscious
ness that he was in the presence of the
victim of a tragedy,,he looked around
him with frightened eyes. Then he
turned instinctively to his hands-they
felt arm and strangely moist. With a
feeling of overcoming faintness, he
stopped hastily and began to hurriedly
clean them on the grass. 1t seemed as
fit seemed as if the stains would
never come out.
He was rising, eager to be on his way
to the house and warn the people OF
what had taken place. Then he felt a
strong hand grasping his shoulder. He
remembered trying to wrench himself
free. Then the confused sound of many
voices, the flash of lanterns and impre-
cations, in which his name was mingled
then a blow that mercifully seemed tc
dispel all these distorted visions, and a
grateful oblivion that hid everything.
CHAPTER II.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE BARS
The landlord OF the Blueball inn OF
Exton was doing in a corner of his
cafe one morning, modify meditatine
on h dullness of business and the APP
palling temperance. Of the natives, when
he was startled by a deep voice calling
out: