The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-11-10

Before her eighteenth birthday, she
had married him against the advice of
hcr mother, and in spite OF the warning
of her friends, endowing him who was
dependent on his pay and stepped in
debt with the handsome fortune left
her by her father. Then came three
years of welded life of varying happi-
ness, at the end OF which time the
ardor on her part remained undated,
while on his it had vanished quite.
His growing indifference made her
woman-like. more anxious to retain his
affection, while her eagerness defeated
It's own ends by rendering him more
careless still. Satisfied now if size
might retain his friendship If not his
love, she eXerted her wit, tact n fas-
cination, straining her heart and
Wounding 1t in the straining and all
in vain. And now she began to realize
how she had in the fulness of her girl
ish love, idealized him; seeing him as
no other had; endowing him with at
tributes Of heart and character he had
never possessed; for no longer did he
take pains to COnceai the hardness,
s~clfshness and lack of honor, which a
brilliant surface manner had once
helped to hide.
Her disillusion once begun, was
quickly completed. Soon came the
knowledge Of his un~faithfulness, his
losses on the race course n at the
gaming table, as well as the perception
that his nature was gradually coarsen-
ing by drink and dissipation, The day
was not long postponed when she
learned her hole fortune had been
~squandered by him in ways that were
wrongs TO her. And when, no longer
able TO preserve patience, she upbraid-
ed him., he brutaily struck her. By
this time he had quilted the army, and
disappearing, he left her and her child
depending on friends, her mother being
now dead.
Then began her struggle for life, bit
ter and long maintained. She had al
way possessed a certain talent for
writing, a facility of expression, pic
turesqueness of description. p"wer of
imagination, and having before her ex-
amples of those who had won indepen-
dence- by the art of fiction seemingly
with ease and without effort. and being
all unconscious of the numbers who
yearly perish in the hard struggle to
gain the shores of success, and are
therefore unheacd OF and unknown,
she resolved to embrace literature as
a calling. To pen short stories for
children, biographical sketches and
articles on subjects Of the day, was 10
n endowed with her gifts out the
least part of the difficulty before her.
~ biSPcSc VI tilSIl DeCdlllp All dlluOuS
task, for no one desired to read, much
less to accept them.
Many a mile she walked from office
to Office. which, with a fluttering heart
and overstrung nerves she entered to
offer manuscripts over which she had
spent much time, always hoping she
might find acceptance. Money was ter
ribly needed by her. The result was
ever the saTe. Each magazine or
journal had it's own staff of contrib
utors: hundreds of stories were waiting
for consideration. The supply was
greater than could be exhausted for
years. And such manuscripts as she
was permitted to leave. or which she
sent by post, were, when not lost or
mislaid, invariably returned to her, I'M
til her spirit was well-nigh broken.
A turn came In the tide Of her af-
fairs when they seemed desperate. A
tale retained by a magazine for over
twelve months at last saw the light
Of publication. Reviews spoke Of it's
truth to nature. pathos. and originality
of plot. A second story was accepted
by the same magazine, and an editor
who had returned her stories and es-
avs unread, requested her to send him
some articles. Those he had previous
ly rejected were posted to him and
paid for within a week.
Slowly and gradually her name be-
gan to grow familiar to the public: with
Appreciation came courage to persevere,
and putting forth all her strength, she
wrote a novel. largely embodytng In
Its pages, her own life. This had been
published by George Bostock. It's
success was immediate, her name be-
came famous independence was won.
And now while lifted out of the
storm and stress OF life, and beginning
to bask in the sunshine of hard-earned
success, her husband, after years of alb
sence. returned to claim the benefit Of
her changed fortunes: returned a worn
out wreck, a hardened adventurer. q
confirmed ogu For her own sake,
and for the sake of her child. she pro-
tected herself against him, and suc-
coed In buying for a considerable sum-,
his consent to a legal separation, which
she could otherwise have obtained had
she brought the incidents Of her life
into court. And for five years she
heard of him no more, until at the
period the story opens. she received a
demand for money to which she paid
no heed, nor had she seen him mean
while until that terrible night-his
last on earth.
The CHASTITY horror Of that scene
came back to her afresh with all it's
terrible possibilities for her future and
her heart sank, weighted by despair
within her. For a momen II seemed
she had no courage to meet the appal-
ling accusation which would be rough
against her; no strength to assert her
innocence until the memoir Of her
child came to her. Then from the
depths of her stricken soul, she prayed
for aid that she might meet this dark
misfortune; that her innocence should
be made plain to the world.
When breakfast was brought, she
drank some coffee, but could not eat;
nor did she talk, her mind was now
busy with plans, surmises, possibili-
ties. fears.
AT last Veronica said:
There Is some one waiting to see
you"
'Who?" Olive Dumbarton said FEAR
fully.
mi. Bostock."
A sense Of intense relief came to the
miserable woman at the SCUM OF that
name, and she suddenly realized that
she was not quite alone in zee. AL
ways a faithful friend and a wise coun-
sellor. he would help her.
How kind of him. Has he been
long waiting?"
About an hour. I did not like to
tell you before. I don't think you are
strong enough to see him, dearest"
4 must, Veronica: he will advise
me-
Then let him come to your dressing
room. the girl suggested.
Very we'll. dear"
Only when she strove to rise. the full
U n 1 rn n hn~ -.-,-