Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-01-05
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY)
,-- BY Francis Lynde. --

" O. fA' NoAA~ w ~~N
down to wait as we must; and when the
silence and solitude had wrought their
perfect work, we fell TO talking in low
tones TO match the place and circum-
stance: and / do think in those quiet
hours. walled in as we were from all
the d~isturbments OF the outer world,
we came closer than we had come for
many months.
And while we sat and talked the long
day wore on to evening and a storm
anne on, as we could determine, though
no otherwise than a muffled rolling of
the thunder which, since we could not
see the lightning nor hear the rain, we
took at first for the booming of dis
tant annon
l cannot tell you all we spoke of in
that d%ay-long immuremcnt. There was
some talk of the great struggle for in
dependence, now, though we knew II
not, drawing "a to it's close; and
there was much of "reminiscences, bark
in back to the exciting and tragic
scenes I'm which we two had had our
entrances and our exits. Also there was
some talk Of the great struggle for in
dependence, now, though we knew it
not, drawing near TO its close; and there
was much Of "reminiscences, barking
back 10 the exciting and tragic scenes
in which we two had had our entrances
and our exits. Also there was a trib-
ute paid 10 the memory of u +
old friend and trusted comrade in arms,
Ephraim Yeates, so lately gone to his
own place. 1t was at this time |
learned of the old mans gifts and pc
culiarities / have hereinbefore set
down; for Richard had known him long
and well.
From speaking of old Ephraim and
his sudden taking-off we came to things
more nearly present. and at length Dick
would lay a finger gently upon the
mystery In which he was as yet walk
ing as n blindfolded.
TITS not a shameful thing; don't tell
me 1t is that. Jack" he would say; and
/ gave him speedy assurance upon that
head.
mo. It's never shameful; so much /
may lay an oath to-
Yet you said once-in that black
night when / went mad and would have
killed you-that your life lay between
Madge and me-"
$50 1t did-and does. And God will
bear me witness, dear lad, that | have
worn that life upon my sleeve
Nay" he said, very gently; you
need not go SO high for a witness; have
| not SEEM"
We fell silent upon that. and there, in
the candie-yellowed gloom Of our dun
geon harbor, l fought the fellest battle
of my life; fought it and won it, too,
my dears, once and for all. There was
a cold sweat on my brow when l be-
gan in low tones to tell him the story
of that fatcful night in June. AT rising
forty tbs no light thing to lose a
fricnd-aay, TO turn a friends love into
sco-n ard loathing and litter hatred,
lie heard me through without a word;
and at the end, when I looked To see
him spring up and Lid me draw(and
iet aim nave ais ;Cr poor chance fcr
satisfaction, he still sat motion}css.
winking ana staring at the giutteFSng
candle. And when he spoke twas With
a quivering OF the liz that was NJ OF
anger.
Dear God" HI said it's / who stand
in the way
No; for she loves you, Richard. as
dearly as she hates me. And tbs not so
hopeless now. else had never screwed
together the courage TO tell you all this.
She has at last consented to the
church's undoing of the incomplete
marriage-'twas this she wrote me
about when we were at the Cowpens,
and twas her letter that set me upon
going to Winnsborough to see the
priest. / missed him there, as you
know; but l am here now by her own
appointment to meet him in her
fathers house"
He shook his head slowly. You've
killed the hope in me, Jack. i do think
you are all at sea; tbs you she loves
not me-"
1 could afford to smile at~that.
IF you could see how she has ever
gone about TO prove that she did not
love me, you would rest easy on that
score. lea lad"
But he would only shake his head
again.
Twas to a V your life she rode in
on US that morning under the oaks In
the glade" om.n,, ,orror ,.,
and bloodshed. more belize" said /.
But she has saved your life thrice
since then. as you confess"
Yes: from a strained sense of wifely
duty. as h o 0 good care to tell
me-"
None the less-ah, Jack, you do not
know her as / do; she would lever have
consented TO stand before the priest
with you had there not been something
warmer than hatred In her heart"
Twas a bitter necessity. fairly
forced tpon hcr. Tell me; had there
been a spark OF love for me In her
heart. would she have treated me as the
dust beneath her feet on that long in
faring from the western Mountains?
She never spoke a word to me, Dick,
In all those weeks"
(which may prove no more than that
you said or did something TO cut her
to the quick. 'Twould be well in your
way, Jack. She Is as sensitive as SHE
should be, and you are blunter than
which is the worst / could say of
you"
mo, no; you are far beside the mark.
You forget that the breaking OF the
marriage is OF her proposing-at least,
/ should say l only limited at IT,.
There may be two sides to that. as
well. Have you ever told her that you
love her. jack"
Surely not, / have been all kinds OF
a poltroon In this matter. as ! nave con-
fessed, but this one thing 1 have not
done
Well said he, speaking slowly, as
one who thinks the path out word by
word, what IL she believes tbs you
VINO want your freedom? What II
you have made her h a bitterest thlne
In all the world--a woman scorned?'
II would not listen TO him more.
This IS all the merest folly. Rich
ard. as l will prove TO you beyond the
question OF a doubt. Do you mind thai
little interval In the Cherokees' torture
play when they come to bind US afresh
for the burning?"
II mind no more of that horror-night
than ! can help,
Wen. In that hour. when death was
waiting for all three OF us. h wrcts
q little farewell pot to the map she
loved. Twas for you. Dick. but her In
dian messenger Numbered Ind rave II
10 me-"