The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-07-07

not the mere outgushing of Il
nature ~open-armed to make u bosom
friend of all the world; nor any femi-
nine softress on his part. If | have
drawn him thus my pen is but u clumsy
quill, for he was manly-rough aud
masterful. With all native strength and
vigor of the b~order-born.
But on the side of love and friend
ship no woman ever had u truer heart.
a keener eye or a lighter hand. And in
a service for friend OF mistress he
would spend himself as recklessly as
those old knights you read about who
made a business of their chivalry.
With his daily offerings of unselfish-
ness to name me, YOU may be sure l
was tlayed alive; self-tiogged like q
miserable monk. with all he wound
ings of the whip we'll salted by remorse.
As YOU have guessed, l had not yet
summoned up the courage to tell him
low l had staked his chance of happi-
ness upon q casting of the die of fate
staked and lost it. Now that 1t was
opportunity; how had weakly hest
tated when delay could only make the
telling harder.
BY tacit consent we never spoke of
Margery. Richards silence hung upon
despair. l thought; and as for mine,
since the husbands road and the low
er's lay so far apart, 1 could not bring
- - W 'E6th VI l. Iool SAic NdS
always first in my thoughts in that
time of convalescence, as l made sure
she was in his; and at the last the
hidden thing between US was brought
to light.
1t was on a night some three weeks
or more after my fever turn. Our lar
der had run low again, and Jennifer
had spent the earlier hours of the night
abroad-tol little purpose, as it CHANGED.
Twas midnight or Whereabouts when
he came swearing in to tell me that the
Tories We're out again to harry our
side of the river afresh. and to make a
refugees begging of a bag OF meal a
thing Of peril.
They'll starve us out in shortest
measure at this rate" he protested.
They have trampled dow all the
standing corn for miles around, and
this morning they burned the milf. IT'S
our notice to quit, and we'd best take
1t. There has been fighting to the
south OF us-a plenty of it-at Rocky
Mount and Hanging Rock, and else
and every man is needed. If
YOU are strong enough to stand the
march, We'll run the gauntlet down the
river in the pirogue and cut across
from the lower ford TO join Major Da-
vie or Mr.. Gates"
L said l was fit enough. and would
do whatever he thought best. And then
l took a step upon the forbidden
ground.
'I7alconnet is still at .Appleby Hun
dred?!" l said.
He nodded.
And o will join the army at the
front n leave Marge,y TO his tender
mercies?"
His laugh was bitter; so bitter that
1 scarce knew 1T for Richard Jennifer's.
Mistress Margery Stair is well,
Well content, as told you n before.
She has no wish for Q or me, unless
it be to see us Well hanged"
Nay, Richard; you judge her over
harshly. 1 fear o do rot love her as
her lover should"
Say you so? Listen: Tonight l got
as far as the manor house, being fool
enough to risk my neck for another
sight of her. God help me, Jack! 1
had it. They have scraped together
all the Tory riff-raff this side of the
are holding high revel at Appleby.
Since it is still our true-blue border
land, they are scant enough of women
Of their wv kidney, IL 1 saw Madge
dancing like any light O. love With ev-
cry jackanapes that offered"
In her fathers house she could not
we'll do less" l averred, cut to the
heart. as he was, and yet with
out his younger lovers jealousy to
make me unjust.
Or more" he added, ~savagely. ""Tis
as / say; she lacks nothing we can give
her. and we'd as we'll be off about our
business"
L think he never had it in his heart to
leave her in any threat of danger. But
from his point of view there was no
danger threatening her save hat which
she seemed willing enough to rush upon
"a life of titled misery as Lady Fal-
comet. I saw how he would see it;
saw, too, that his vas the saner sum
ming of it up. And yet
He broke into my musings with a
pointed question. What say you.
Jack? 'Tis but a little whiffet of a
Tory jade who cares not the SNAP of
her finger for either of us. The night
is fine and dark. Shall we loaf the
canoe and give them all the slip?"
a yes or no of Aline. l hesttated.
I know not why. In the little pause
the fire burned low between us, and
the shadows d~eepened in the burrow
cavern until they strangled the eye
as mephitic Napors scant a man of
breath. The silence, too. was sitting.
There was no sound to breach it save
the gurgling murmur of the river, and
this was subdued and Intermittent like
d nj 2sash-Ea.s' Z e ~ threat Of ne
I've always made a scott of SUPER
%stition, and yet, my dears, a thousand
questions in this life of ours must hang
answerless to the crack of doom II you
deny it standing room. l knew no more
than l have set down here of Margery's
besetment; nay l a every reason
Richard Jennifer had to believe that
she was we'll n we'll content, lacking
nothing, save, mayhap. the freedom to
marry where she chose.
And yet, out Of the sitting silence
there came a sudden cry for help; 81
cry voiceless to the outward ear, but
sharp and piercing to that finer inward
sense; a cry so real that l would start
and listen. marveling hat Jennifer
made no sign Of having heard it.
In the hardening instant there was a
faint twang like the drumming of a
distant harp string. and then the grave
like silence was rent smartly by the
whistling hiss of an arrow the shaft
passing evenly between US and scatter
Ing the handful of fire where it struck.
Jennifer came alive with a start,
leaping up with a malediction between
his teeth upon our dallying.
"Too late, by God!" he cried. They
have trapped us like a pair of blind
mOleS!" And with tina he caught up