Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-10-09
Meeting the Question
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

- ..-. .
Viola met the postman at the front
door. He gave her two letters; one
was addressed in Diana Colvert's ABB
gurdly angular hand, and was bulky,
with a. fortnight's accumulated effus-
ton the other bore her name In the
familiar caligraphy Of Eustace Van
d1ver, who had proposed to her quarter
" for half a dozen years.
She went out and sat down on the
veranda steps and broke the seal of
the first one with eager fingers; Di-
ana's letters were interesting, if
rather voluminous. She consumed the
first eight pages avidly, then suddenly
the sheets fell from her hands and
futtered to the ground. The roses, the
hollyhocks, the snapdragons, the
yiolets and jessamine, nodding and
dropping in the sun-warmed air, melt
ed swiftly into a hideous rainbow of
impossible color, the matutinal chirp-
ing of the birds grew harsh and mock
ing, the blue Of the sky turned black
At last she stopped and gathered the
letter into her trembling hands and
went on with her reading.
The minister, their minister, going to
he married and move to Cloverda lie !
Billy Colvert, Diana's brother, had had
A letter from him, SO there could be no
mistake about it. And she-what q
little simpleton she had been to waste
her affections on someone who was 60
ing to wed another girl. Surely, in
their intimate relations Of the last
year he must have guessed her morti-
tying secret; probably he was taking
this very step to get clear of her. Burn
ing tears sprang to Viola's eyes and
dripped over her %throbbing cheeks.
But she dashed them away in fierce
self-scorn, and read on to the end, her
lips compressed, the blood scorching
her temples.
There were his exact words, quoted
from Billy's letter: II am seriously
considering making a change in my
residence. I hope soon to marry the
dearest girl In the world and bring
her with me to Cloverdale. But, OF
course, It will rest with her whether
I shall accept the call or not-that Is
q woman's p~rerogative, isn't 1t? How
ever, let us see you in Brookwood
whenever 1t suits your convenience TO
come. etc"
Viola folded up the closely written
sheets and returned them to the envel-
ope. Then she opened young Vandiv-
er's letter with mechanical fingers and
glanced YEARLY at his twenty-ffth dec
laration of love, accompanied by an I'M
passioned plea to marry him and sail
for Europe in June. whittier he was GO
ing to complete his course at Heidel-
berg. Go abroad-away from it all
show him that she had not given her
love unmasked, and that ,
She flung back her head with a quick
accession of pride, and excitement
a smile to her lips, a glow to her eyes.
She would do it; yes, she would ac-
cept Eustace Vandiver and go with him
to the ends of the earth If need be-
anywhere away from this.
IL.
She went to her room and sat down
at her desk, but something seemed to
dull her brain anu numb ner and !;
she could not write d syllable. In
despair she. took her portfolio under
her arm and returned to the yeranda /;
the shade of the orchard beyond entie-
ed her and she ran down the steps and
past the flower beds to the gate on the
other side. Entering, she sought her
faYorite retreat in the fork of q gnarL