The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-11-24

!!westerine aun which was shining - ~
the high roof windows. that the
shackles were etill on. md thAf@my
temples were throbbing with q most
skuh-splitting headache.
Being fair .agasp with establishment
at this new spinning OF fate's wheel. !
sprang up quickly-and was as quickly
glad to fall back upon the apaiiet. For
with the upstart a heaving nausea
came to supplement h headache. and
for a long time l lay bat-blind and sick
as any landsman in his first gale at
sea. a
The sunlight was fading from the
high windows, and I was deep sunk IN
a sick mans megrims. before aught
came to disturb the silence of the cob
webbed garnet. From nausea n rack :
Ing pains / had come to the stage of
queruloIs self-piety. Twas monstrous.
this burying a man alive, i'll, fettered,
uncared for, to live or die In utter soli-
tude as might happen. I could not re-
motely guess to whom I owed this dis
ma fate. and was too petulant TO spec
ulate upon it. But the meddler, friend
or foe. who had bereft me of my chance
to die whilst I was fit and ready. came
in for a Turkish. cursing-the curse
that calls down in all the Osmanli vari-
ants the same pangs in duplicate upon
the banned one.
1t was in the midst of one of these
impotent fits of malediction that the
wainscot door was opened and closed
softly, and light footsteps tiptoed to
my bedside. / shut my eyes wilfully
when a voice low and tender asked:
Are o awake. Monsieur John?"
I hope you will hold me forgiven, my
dears, if l confess that what with the
nausea and the headache, the letters
n h solitude, 1 was rabid enough
to rail at her. Twas so near dusk in
the M-lighted garnet that I could not
see how she took it; but she let me
know by word OF mouth.
"Merci, monsieur she said, icily.
And then: Gratitude does not seem
to be amongst your gifts"
Gratitude! Mayhap you will tell mo
what 1t is l have to be grateful for.
All I crayed vas the chance to die as
a soldier should, and some one must
needs spoil me of tkat!"
"Selhsh-selfsh always and to the
last" h murlnured DO you never
give a moments thought to the feel
ings of others, Captain Ireton??"
This was past all endurance.
If I had not, should I be here this
moment?" l raved. You do make mo
sicker h I was, my lady"
Yet I say you are selfsh,' she In
sisted: What nave I done that you
should come here to have yourself
hanged for a spy?"
Let us have plain speech, In Gods
name" 1 retorted. you know well
enough there was no better way in
which I could serve you?"
DO !, indeed. mon ami?" she flashed
out: Let me tell you sir, had she ever
a blush of saving pride. Margery Stair
l-or Margery Ireton. IL you like that
better-would kill you with her own
hand rather than have 1t said her hus-
band died upon a gal1ows!"
"A sudden light broke in upon me and
1 went blind In the horror OF 1t.
God In heaven!" I gasped; .,twas
you. them. I do believe you poisoned
me in that dish of tea you sent me last
night"
She laughed a bitter little laugh that
I hated to think on afterward.
You have a most %chivalrous soul,
Captain Ireton. I do not wonder you
are so fierce to shake 1t free OF the
poor body of clay"
But you do not deny TT" I cried.
"Of what use would It be? ]. have
said that I would not have you die
shamefully on the gallows; so Il may
as we'll confess to the poppy-juice Al
the tea. Tell mo. Monsieur John: wal
1t nasty bitter?"
Good Lord!. ! sroansd; -are you :
woman, or q dend?" 4
Either. or both. AZ you Ike to hold
me, Sir. But come what might, I said
you should not die q felon's death. And
you have not, az yet"
Better q thousand times the rops
and tree than that I should rot BY
inches here with you to SIT by and
grid at me. All. my lady, you are hav-
Ing your revenge OF me-"
"Merci. encore. Shall I go away and
leave you?"
mo. not that" A cold sweat broke
out upon me In a sudden childish hor-
ror OF the solitude n the darkness and
the letters. And then ! added: But
'twould be angel kindness Il you would
leave OF %torturin8 me. am but q
man. dear lady, and q sick man It
that"
All in q fash her mood changed ana
she bent to lay a cool palm on my
throbbing temples. =
Poor Monsieur joint" she said soft
ly; Il meant not to make you suffer
more. but rather less" Then she found
water and a napkin to wiring out ana
bind upon my aching head.
At the touch and the word OF woman
ly sympathy I forgot all, and the love-
madness came again to blot out the
very present memory OF how she had
brought me to this.
"Ah. that is better-better." I sighed,
hen the pounding hammers in my
temples gave me some surcease Of the
agony.
Then you forgive me?" she asked.
whether jestingly o. In arm I could
not tell.
There is none SO much to forgive I
replied. One hopeless day last SUM
mer I put my life in pledge to you;
and youth common Justice you have
the right to do what you like with it."
Continued Next Weekly
4 10 ~
Formation Of Gold Nuggets.
Mines and Minerals: Tint go!a Il
formed from solution Is generally rec
ognized. The miner receives the the