The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-12-13

est changes In you as do mine can't
be altogether without sensitiveness.
What's the other reason-the reason?
That O think O love some n
else?"
Thank you for saying it for me-
she replied.
You can't imagine how pleased 1 was
at having earned her gratitude, even in
so little a matter. Il have thought of
that" said 1. 1T is of no consequence"
But you dom understand" she
pleaded earnestly.
"On the contrary, / understand per-
fectly," L assured her. And the rea-
son am not disturbed is-you are here,
and you are not with him"
h lowered her head SO that 1 had
no view Of her face.
You n he do not marry" l went
on, because YOU are both poor?"
NO" she replied.
Because he does not care for your"
"No-not that" she said.
Because you thought he hadn't
A long pause, then-very family:
"No-not that"
And then it must be because he
hasn't as much money as he'd like, and
must find a girl who'll bring him
what he most wants.
She was silent.
THAT is, while he loves you dearly,
'OtfSy 'pA@ $aliNS ~ y w y
TO see o go to another man, be the
wife of another man, be-everything to
another man. l laughed. I'm take
my anc against love of that sort"
You don't understand" h muir
murured. You don't realize-there are
nan things tina mean nothing to you
and that mean-oh. SO much to people
brought up as we are"
"N~onsense!" said I. What do you
mean by We? Nature has been bring
Ing US up for a thousand thousand
years A few years of silly false train
ing doesn't undo her work. If you and
he had cared for each other, you
wouldn't be here, ~apologizing for his
selfish vanity
mo matter about him" she cried inn
patiently, lifting her head haughtily.
The point is, / Low him-and always
shall. l var you"
And l take you at my own risk?"
Her look answered "Yes!"
"WelP'-and / took her hand-'then,
we are engaged"
Her whole body grew tense, and her
hand chilled as it lay in mine. Don't
as bad as all that. If you will be as
generous with me as I shall be with
you. neither of us viii ever regret this"
There were tears on her cheeks as
I slowly released her hand.
Il shall ask nothing of you that you
~ Hot iCady llSGly 10 give. / SAID.
lmpulslvely She stood and put out
her hand, and the eyes she lifted to
mine. were shining and friendly. I
caught her In my arms and kissed her
once but many times. And it was
not until the chill of her ice like face
a cooled me that I released her,
drew back red and ashamed and stam-
mering apologies. But her impulse of
friendliness had been killed: she once
more, as / saw only too plainly. felt
for me that n of repulsion, felt for
herself that sense of self degradation.
tered.
You can-and willard must" T
cried, Infatuated by her look.
There was a long silence. I could
easily guess what was being fought out
IN her mind. At last she slowly drew
herself up. Il can not refuse" she said,
and her eyes sparkled with defiance
that had hate in it. you nave the pow
er to compel me. Use it, like the brute
you refuse to let me forget that Won
are" n looked so young. so beauti-
full, SO angry-and SO tempting.
so I shall!" I answered. "Children
have to be taught what is good for
them. Call in your mother, aud we'll
tell her the news"
Instead, she went into the next room.
I followed, saw Mrs. Ellersly seated at
the tea table in the corner farthest
from the library where her daughter
and l had been negotiating. She was
reading a letter, holding her lorgnon
up to her painted eyes.
Wont you give us tea, mother?',
said Anita, on her surface not a trace
of the cyclone that must still nave been
raging in her.
Congratulate me, Mrs. Ellersly," said
I. Your daughter has consented to
marry me-"
u Tv,cfaoJ re cy,a,ly;,r NJ. ry..-3-
began to cry-real tears. And for a
moment I thought there was a real
heart inside of her somewhere. But
when she spoke, that delusfon vanished.
You must forgive me, Mr.. Black
lock-" h said in her hard. smooth,
polite voice. 1T is the shock of re-
alizing I'm about to lose my daughter,
And ] knew that her tears We're from
Joy and relief-Anita had come UP
to the Scratch" the hideous menace of
''genteel poverty had been averted.
do give us tea, mama,'' said Anita.
Her cold, sarcastic tone cut my nerves
and her mothers like a razor blade. I
looked sharply at her, and wondered
whether ! was not making q bargain
vastly different from that my passion
was picturing.
XIV.
SOME STRANGE LAPSES OF A LOVER
But before there was time for me to get
a distinct impression, that Ugly shape OF
cynicism had disappeared.
ut was a shadow / myself cast upon
her" I assured myself: and once more she
seemed to me like a clear, calm lake of
melted snow from the mountains. Il can
see to the pure white sand of the very bot
TOM thought I. Mystery there was, but
only the mystery of wonder at the appari-
tion of such beauty and purity in such a
world as mine. True, from time to time,
there showed at the surface or vaguely
in the depths. forms strangely out
of place in those unsullied waters. But I
either refused to see or refused to trust
my senses / had a liked ideal Of what a
woman should be; this girl embodied that
ideal,
II you'd only give up your cigarets,n I
remember saying to her when we We're q
little better acquainted, you'd be per-
feet"
She made an impatient gesture. .Don.tl''
she Commanded limos angri1y. You
make me feel IKE d hypocrite. You tempt;
me to- be q hypocrite. Why not be con-
tent with woman as she is--a human be-,
And-how couldI-any woman not
an idiot--be alive for twenty-five years
without earning Hing ur two Why
should amy man want it?s
Eecause to know is to be spattered and