The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-02-05
MISTAKEN FRIENDSHIP.
Rx Elise Louis.

~ IL .SN'S'
Copyright, 1904, by w. r. Hearst. Great
Britain Rights Reserved.
You are mine, heart, body and soul;
you belong to me for better or for worse"
and a pair Of strong arms folded the girl
to his heart.
They were married and were at last
alone in a tiny apartment that they had
spent days and days in making cosy, yet
far from luxurious. They had spent hours
In planning to spend the small sum Of
money to the best advantage in fitting up
their future home; their little nest, as
they called 1t, made secure by the vol
hme Of love it contained.
In marrying the girl had sacrificed a
fortune and all the luxury money pro-
Yides and that she had been accustomed
10 from infancy. She had been brought
up by a maiden aunt who had humored
her in every whim but the selection Of a.
husband. She had married against the
strict wishes Of her aunt and therefore
had been dislnherited.
Undaunted and brave in her great love
Tor the man, she was repaired to face the
Inevitable and begin life with him on a
small income.
He on his side had grave fears Of the
future for her, as he was SO unprepared
to provide the luxuries she had been ac-
rustomed to and which she had tried to
make HIM believe were not essential to
happiness, and from here we will follow
Them With hopes and doubts for the fu-
lure.
In the evenings after dinner, which she
had, In all earnestness taken such pains
to prepare, they presented a perfect nic-
ture or domestic happiness with faces
lull OF contentment in their quiet married
hfe. With laughter they would tell little
ftor:es OF their personal sacrifice in order
70 be able to drop a few coins in a small
box Tor the occasional trip to the theater.
For six months this pleasant state of
affairs continued without a moment Of
ascension anywhere.
One evening he came in late to dinner
WITH a friend who was Of great advantage
TO him in business. and with her usual
h1nlahllity she made the evening one to
be membered
she mad such a sweet manner OF making
people feel perfectly at home that her
husbands friend called often to enjoy the
privilege of a perfect evening with a
woman whose influence was so whole
some.
They driftcd into such a pleasant
friendship that the c%loseness was hardly
realized by either one of them until one
main away, but laughingly told her his
friend would be with her, and she would
not feel so entirely alone.
In his absence the tive friends decided
to read aloud to each other, and for
a while the evening was very enjoyable,
but q little pathos In a story he was read
ing to her prompted him to look at her,
and he found her eyes full of tears, and
he at once closed the book and came over
to her.
She started porceptibly as he held out
! his hands to take hers, but drew herself
away. with a dignity that could not be
misunderstood. Nothing daunted, he sa.
| GnN hnc51n how ava t-.~1 - ~.
toward him.
| She did not say, "How dare you?" or
what do you mean?" but kindly and ST.
lently drew herself away from him with a
sweetness of manner that did not fail to
meet with it's reward.
Il am ashamed, forgive me-" he said
and walked TO the other side of the room.
When he had composed himself he came
back to her.
you have targl-s me to care" he said,
you ave taught me to believe in and APP
p%reciate a wonlaE's sweet companienship;
until tonight thought we were comrades,
but something in your eyes just now COM
PEELED me to fancy that there was more
than that for you and me, but I was
wrong-I know that you will say that ]
was wrong"
Yes, you were wrong" she said. "Oh!
so entirely and cruelty wrong. How you
have m%isjudged me in my simple little Of
II o i 1t we'll CdI lIlCtlOSllip, pdG !
am not going to censure you; it was q
mistake, a grave one. perhaps, but never
theless it shall be forgotten.
"You probably wished me to listen to ar
undying devotion and had I been the
weak woman in stories, I should have
cried or fallen, whatever way the deptt
of feeling may have swayed me-, and yot
would ave been disappointed either way
mo, my friend, there is nothing any
man can offer a woman to compensate TO-
the loss of a kind and good husbands low
and belief In her. even allowing that thu
romance might have fled with the mar
riage tie.
Even had you inspired me into an II
licit love, what happiness would there b.
for either of us? What strength coult
you have commanded to lift me from
degradation? None. Am I not right
Now, my friend, as I am SO secure in m,
love and devotion for my husband, I cal
afford to be generous to one who ha
erred, and 1 am going to command 20
to forget everything hat has passed be
tween us tonight, and though the water
may not be as smooth hat we hence
forth sail, in justice to him and all con
cerned, silence will be appreciated; Their
Is my hand in friendship; can you and vii
you accept it in the full sense of tn
word?"
Eagerly and gratefully he grasped he
hand and held 1t firmly. "If it had no
been for your strength and sense I wou1,
have been denied the privilege of eve
holding it again. Thank yeu," and be
fore she had time to say another word h
was gone.
A little later her husband came home