The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-01-24
|(hI The Minister'S Wife
y BY MRS HENRY WOOD
BY MRS. HENRY WOOD

OI SlT ENeTdTu Dut Sut Shiduh lioAu lhc
prospect of doing this. and when she rose
in the morning she was as much perplexed
as when she had gone to rest.
| The subdean was engaged that evening
to a clerical dinner, and Miss Dynevor
departed with her nieces. They had
scarcely gone when Sir Eyerard Wilmot
entered. And now came Marys task.
She did not know how to begin it. She
was absent and agitated. Sir Everard
could not fail to observe her strangeness
| Of manner. "IVhat is the matter?' he
| inquired.
A strange, wild rush Of red illumined
| her cheek, and she clasped her hands
tightly ore over the other; so tightly as
to cause pain, had her mind been at ease;
| then she got up and stood by the fire;
| all in the effort to nerve herself to her
| task; it must be done. Now, or never.
| II have communication to make to
you, Sir Everard-"
'.Sir Everard ~ he interrupted, stand
ing near her.
/ "And / don't know how TO do IT," she
| continued, unmindful of the reproof.
HAD you been any other than--than-
what you are, l could not have made it.
have been very wicked very wrong. l
| have let things go on, suffering you to be-
lieve that l would--that ! was going to
marry you; and find ! cannot do So"
| A dead pause. Sir Everard thought
that he had never seen any one so con-
| fused; so painfully agitated.
II do not. understand you," he said.
"But / think you had better sit down"
he added, gently leading her to the sofa,
on which he took a place beside her.
1T is your coming home which has
awakened me-" she continued, scarcely
knowing what she spoke. Indeed, did
not mean to do wrong, or to act dishon-
| orably; but when you came yesterday
| evening them found-that l could not
marry you. Let me tell you all, she
| resumed, gathering some courage now the
| ice is broken, as nervously sensitive peo-
| pie will do. 81 found did not love you;
| that it would be wrong TO myself, and
doubly, doubly wrong to you, if fulfilled
| my engagement and married you; and /
| lay awake all night, thinking what ought
to be my course. l did not dare tell papa.
he is very severe; and decided to
| tell you; to ask you to give me up. 1t
| is what ] am now trying to ask you to
do. Oh Sir Everard," she added, burst
ing into tears, Il do like and esteem you
/ very much; and it nearly breaks my heart
to have to say this
"You must forgive Inc if / repeat that
/ do not understand you," he said, in a
low, kind tone, "and your last words less
than all. You like and esteem me- but
| you do not love me? am quite content
to take the esteem and the liking, Mary;
to trust that the love will follow"
| 1T never will," she almost vehemently
| answered, lifting her eyes TO his for
moment in her eagerness. 1T cannot do
| So"
"You love anotherr
"Oh, forgive me-" she whispered. at
was not willingly done It seems to have
come on without my having been aware
of it. He did not know it, either-until
last night when you came. AT least--at
| least-he had never spoken of it,
| You have betrayed yourself, / sus-
pect, unwittingly. You speak of Mr..
Baumgarten Why did you accept me 2"
''Why, indeed.' she murmured. But
/ did not know that was doing wrong.
i liked you very much, admired and
/
| superior to the frivolous men we mostly
| meet. 1t is true i did not love you, and
| even then l knew that liked-only liked,
mind-Charles Baumgarten; but L
| thought it would all come right in the
| future. l was acting in species of
dream or bewilderment, which was the
| effect your offer had upon me. had
| taken wrong view of your frequent visits
to us. fancied you came for the sake
| of Gertrude Baumgarten."
Gertrude Baumgarten !" he repeated
| in curious intonation. Gertrude would
| uot have cared for me. Nonsense, Mary
She was rapt in that Italian prince-who
had more money than brains"
| Mary shook her head. "She did not
| care for him; and when he asked her to
be his wife she refused. After it was all
| over--I mean when l had accepted you
| and we were away, and on our return
home again., an idea came over me that it
was you Gertrude had really cared for. I
| was not sure; and l judged ii better not
| to continue the train of thought but this
| I know--Gertrude has never been quite
the same girl since. / suppose l ought
not to tell you this; fear am forget
ting myself in more ways than one."
| Everard Wilmot paused. "Do you
know, Mary" he said, that this commu-
nication in regard to yourself places me
| in a very painful position?"
IL can only throw myself upon your
generosity; only plead for your forgive
| ness"
"You wish me to understand that you
and Mr.. Baumgarten are irrevocably at
tached to one another? Then will it not
be better to tell the simple truth to DIR.
| Dynevor? do not suggest this TO avert
unpleasantness to myself, but"
| 1T is the very thing that must not be
DONE" she interrupted, in agitation.
Charles Baumgarten is as yet too poor
to ask for me, and papa would go wild at
the bare idea of it. He, of course, con-
| . hla oh