Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-02-01
CHAPTER xxl.-(continued).

Eyes, too late, alas! | hope, indeed,
: that by tomorrow he will not have left
/ England If"
Audrey! Audrey" called Miss Ell
ingham, in a gentle voice of reproof.
Where are you, dear? You ought to
be resting"
81 am here, Aunt Marian, in the din
ing roem,'' was the reply. THE re-
prieve has not been granted"
oh surely, dear, you are not trou-
bling yourself about that wicked man.
Forget him and every one connected
with him
There was no answer. Audrey
sprang to her feet and hurried up to
sent her aunt word by one of the
servants that she felt herself unequal
to any further exertions that day.
But on the morrow she was the first
to get up and the first to appear at the
breakfast table. Very little did she
eat-scarcely anything, and the de-
scription that the parlor maid gave of
her harassed appearance caused the
cook to regret her loquacity of the
day before.
Without waiting to see her aunt,
without giving any information regard
ing her movements, Audrey left the
house and walked to the station.
Doesn't look strong enough to go
anywhere alone" said the cook, in a
distressed voice.
But as she walked into the inner
room of Reggies chambers, half an
hour later, he exclaimed in a voice of
infinitely greater distress: you, Au-
drey! And how i'll you look!"
ooh, Reggie, have come to tell you
how grieved am at your unhappiness
and all your trouble. cannot believe
that what they tell me about Guy is
true-is it,"
Yes; would to heaven it were not"
In a voice choking with emotion he
spoke to the girl he loved, and very
tenderly he clasped her hand. and
you, darling-oh forgive me, that
word of endearment slipped out mad
vertantly. But how i'll you look"
yes, and feel i'll. Shall tell you
what alone will make me feel better?"
Her hands were on his shoulder now
YES" he said, fearful to hear her
next words, but craving to know that
she still loved him.
"For.you to call me darling again,
and-and-" she hesitated, then low
ingly and shyly kissed him.
His face was no longer pale. Color
rushed into his cheeks, JOY into his
eyes-both to die away the next mo-
ment. Sadly and solemnly he shook
his head. you are as exquisitely dear
to me to-day, Audrey, as you ever
were perhaps dearer, If possible! But
the intensity Of my love for you pre-
vents my being SO cruel to you as
docs it not prevent your breaking
my hearth" she interrupted, in quiv-
ering voice. Reggie, listen to me.
When you wrote that unkind letter
knew it was some honorable reason
that ranked as all powerful in your
eyes which was separating u.s. Now
| know what that reason is and l de.
cline to let it separate us. Reggie, I
emphatically refuse to release you
from your engagement to me-
not be- 1t cannot be- he said, gently
and lovingly. Il will not let one so
precious share the dark cloud that
must forever lang over my life
But it requires two to break off
an engagement, and | absolutely re-
fuse to break off mine. To condemn
me to pass my life in solitary misery
is not acting as a man who loves a girl
should act Again she kissed him.
tell me, Reggie she continued,
slowly and persuasively, have you
never thought Of me during these
weeks of terrible anxiety? Have l been
wholly absent from your troubled
mind?"
Absent? Good heavens, no! You
have been nearly always present Yet
have striyen to forget you, because
to think of you was to treble my own
unhappiness, and to treble my resent
ment to Guy and to make it tenfold
more difficult to act with forgiving
generosity to him. You don't know
how greatly still love YOU" Now
Reggies arms were round her and he
was straining her to his breast What
WOulU uOI SiyG W nave IuC 10
call you wife? But no, darling, that
right is forever denied me-denied by
the unwritten law which demands that
all men should screen the women they
love from sorrow. Too we'll do i know
that, morally speaking. every ones
: hand will be against me; and If you
were my wife 1t would be against you,
too shall soon learn to accept my
altered position. Insults directed
against myself shall always fall short
OF the mark, but directed against you
they would madden and exasperate
me. tremble to think Of the conse-
quences. No, Audrey, a lonely path in
life must be mine forever"
She thought for a moment-thought
with her eyes resting on his averted
face
And mine will be very. very lonely,
too she said, in husky whisper, IF
allow the engagement to be broken
q. Reggie. don't care in the slight