The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-02-12
SYLVIA.
BY May Harvey.
HVCJ ----
1904, by w. r. Hearst.)

Wlnsome, merry face, framed in glorl-
GUS masses Of bright, brown hair; soft,
violet eyes that had SO often gazed at
him with a tender lovelight shining In
them. A long sigh broke from him,
which caused his friende to turn to
him N say:
What Is it, Leslie, old chap? Any
thing the matter? BY the by, Sylvia is
the name o were always shouting
when you had brain fever SO badly in
India. Is there anything connected
With it ?"
A pause ensued, during which time
Frank Leslie seemed to be engaged in a
mental struggle. At last he exclaimed:
You I'VE been q good friend to me,
when l had the fever, so | will tell you
what | would impart to no other per
son living; hat is, my loye story.
Light a cigaret, old fellow, let us sit
down on this beach, and here goes:
when l was quartered at Marford, a
horrid little country town, made the
acquaintance Of MI. Barns, vicar of
the country parish Of Wartham. lie
was very kind, and invited me to his
house. | went, and met his daughter,
Sylvia Barns. Oh, Stuart! can
never tell o how 1 loved that girl,
and fully did l believe she owed me in
return. l was always looking Tor OPP
~portunities to go to Wartham vicar
age, and it was comparatively easy,
for she and l became inseparable com
p%anions. At last the day came when
l received my orders fro India. l went
straight to Wartham, saw Sylvia, old
her of my love, and asked il there was
any hope for me.
1 have never cared for any one save
you, Frank, and never SHALL
Those We're her very words, Har-
court, but how false they proved! l
then went to Mr.. Barns to tell him of
what had taken place between his
daughter n myself.
You are both too poor. to be mar
ried,' he replied. I don't approve of
long engagements, but if you both think
the same when you come home, Leslie,
l will give my sanction to the marriage.
If in the meantime should either of you
change your MIND write and appriSe
the other of the fact. but no other cor
~respondence will | allow; in this l trust
to your honor
Not being able to make better terms
than this, | consented.
Il had been i'll India bou a year
when l received a note in Sylvia's
handwriting which ran as follows:
II have changed my name to Durn-
ford and by the same mai a news
paper arrived, on opening which my
eye caught a paragraph commencing
thus:
THE little village Of Wartham was
en- fete on Tuesday, on the occasion or
the marriage of Dr.. Durnford with Miss
Barns
IT read no further. II was indeed
insult added to injury. Not only Sylvia
proved false in the little space of time,
but she la also sent me a newspaper
account of her baSenesS. You know the
rest. How I got brain fever, and how
on my recovery we both obtained cave
and came home"
A few evenings after Franks confess
sion he and Stuart attended the Infirm-
airy ball. While walking around the
room criticising different bellies,
Stuart's attention was suddenly at
tract by an exceedingly pretty girl.
who was gazing at his friend with earn,
est attention. He saw Frank glance at
her with q. look of sudden scorn, then
the fair face paled n she shrank be-
lind a lady who was standing nea
Later in the evening Frank, who had
not danced many times, was accosted
by one Of the stewards whom he knew
slightly.
There is a lady friend of mine here
who hardly knows anybody, so do come
and dance with her"
So saying, he took Franks arm, led
him up to q group near the door, muir
mured a few indistinct words of intro
duction, and hurried away to another
non-dancing man, leaving Frank face
to face with his false love, Sylvia
Barns.
why have yon not spoken to me all
the evening"" she asked in an appeal
ing voice. What have 1 n to offend
you?"
Need you ask replied Frank stern
ly, when you think Of our treachery
and baseness?"
"Treachery and b~aseness!" Sylvia
faltered. Frank. 1 don't understand
you"
This is no place for a discussion;
come into the conservatory" said
Frank.
The conservatory was empty. On ar
irving there Frank turned to Sylvia,
and said in a scornful tone:
You don't understand, Mrs. Durn-
ford, what I mean by treachery? Do
you not call promising to marry one
man and then jilting him for another,
base?"
Yes, Frank, I should call it so; but
what has 1t to co with me? And why
do you call me Mrs. Durnford? I am
Miss Durnford!"
Miss Durnford!" calculated Frank,
in anaZement. How SOP"
why, Door old Aunt Durnford died
when you had been away a year, leav-
ing us her money, providing we should
take her surname. Did you not receive
the paper with IN account Of Marks
wedding in it, which beautifully ex-
planned it all? My father said I wasn't
to write a letter. I wrote a note,
though, letting you know Of my change
of name"
A light flashed across Franks mind.
Then it wa Mark who was mar
ried, and, Of course, I remember, he al
ways was in love with his cousin, Bes-
sic Barns. Oh, my darling, my darling,
can you ever forgive me for doubling
| you?" murmured Frank, passionately,
when he had explained his fears.
What Sylvia answered I know not:
suffice it to gay that the little village of
| Wartham was again en- fete shortly af-
terward, on the occasion of Miss Durn-
ford's marriage with Captain Leslie. OF
the Royal Heavies.
Incomprehensible.
From the Chicago News: "Tor
should have seen me jump up and
down this morning when I discovered q