The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1904-01-29

| Nice old David! I'll make it as easy
for You as l can"
Her voice broke a little, and a great
faintness came upon her. She could
hardly see him when he lifted his face
| and laid his head against her breast.
Then she recovered. Her heart leaped
against his ear.
Il am a. brute" he muttered, "but.
Marah, hot could | go on with it when
| found l was caring for her. She is
SO young, so fresh and guileless and
sweet. | hated to take her hand and
look into her clear eyes. /"
81 know" said the woman, brood
ing above him softly, Il know it all,
David. Intuitively. maybe, but very
surely. Will you go now" she added,
YEARLY, Just go without saying any
thing more. Come to my little house
tonight, and we will talk things over,
only go, now. I'm going TO try to get
this special through. They are short
handed below and the work must be
done
She talked so cheerily that the man
rose and looked al her amazed. She
stood before him in her gray linen
gown, a tall and slender creature,
beautiful for the by reason Of
the shining light that lay in her deep
eyes. and the wild crimson OF her
cheeks, and the dying sunlight that
shifted through her deep brown lair,
clarifying it. All the faintnesS had
left her. and she was strangely strong.
The man held out his arms. She
shook her head, still smiling stiffly.
Nov, David she said. how foolish!
Why keep this up? l know you like
me and"
Never so tenderly." his voice tDoh
a curiously soft cadence, %"neyer} SO
tenderly as now in this momens Of
parting. Oh, my girl!' he struck out
and tramped up and down the room,
why is it tina I tire so easily? Why
is it that those I love deepest and most
tenderiy pail on me when | am much
with them? Will il be this way With
her?"
She looked at him. The thought
that he was a cad slid into her mind.
She beat it back stoutly, for she was
made c, loyal clay. Because of your
immense vanity" she answered, look
ing steadfastIy at him, because of
the unrest Of your soul, the fickleness
Of your fancy, the vagaries of an i'm
%agination that would lead you to in
sanity were you not saved by the mag
niflcent judgment and will-power in
that splendid head. Unfortunate man
that you are! from my soul l pity you!
| pity this other woman, | pity myself
for having loved you. You are a poor
thing, after ALL she cried, her nature
lcaping to it's full altitude above his,
"a poor f1imsy, tawdry creature! a
half-souled man. All, go away, &C
away"
She walked to the window and set
her face against the pane. The glory
of the dying day encOm passed hel
slender figure, frightened her brown
hair. He stood looking at her. A rec
flush had come to his sun-burnt cheeks
His eyes g1istened.
Say what you like to me, Marah,'
he spoke, but say a kindly good-by.'
Wont you go?" Her entreatins
voice was fast breaking.
, Not until you say good-by
Marah," he said softly.
. The turned and fed to him
He opened wide his arms and cau.sh
her. All the poor soul of her broke in
to signs and sobs and wild crying, a!
, she leaned against his breast for thu
! last time-for always.
"Good-by, David, my David, nae
/, hody's mon but mine'-that's what
used to call you, David-my stroni
sweetheart, my big man! Good
by, David. | was very fond of you
I David" ~
i So she whispered against his breast
His eyes lost their brightness. "Il
I be coming back, Marah," he sait
! IN be coming back"
But she said, ''Good-by. David
and Poor Dav.l!y and at last. lif.
ing her poor blurred face-.Kiss nit
I %good-by, as if you were kissing littl
y old Marah in her coffin
Then she pushed him from the roor
= At ten minutes to six Johnny Di
Ion, the elevator boy, knocked upo
her d~oor--after his custom-to tie
: her he was making his last trip:
" faint voice called out cheerily enough
Don't wait for me, Johnny. I'm worl
ing late tonight"
= "All right" The footsteps clattere
away. She heard the cage az sh
j used to call it, clap doors and go rusl
ing down, the printers shouting to or
another, and whistling and laughin
!, as they left work. Then, as she Sc
!. tied to her writing, a pair OF gra
gloves caught her eye. She took the
up and looked at them, turning the
= softly in her fingers.
il Nice hands David has, she mu;
INJURED, and nice gloves. Away
those sofs gray ones. | don't think
!, ever saw David in any other but era
doeskin gloves"
I, Then broke a wild cry, "Dav
s. gone. David gone out of my life +,
j ever! Oh, heayans!n
Marah sat back in her chair.