The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-02-19
"'The Shadow Between"
SILAS K. HOOKING.

love anybody else. But what did love
matter in comparison with all the
other advantages? John Ballard was
pleasant and kind and always In q
good humor. and he promised me ev.
erything I asked. and assured me l
should regret it, and declared
that he loved me so much that 1t
would make up for any lack on my
part; and somehow I believed l could
be quite happy! Well, we'll, the dream
is over now. I loathe my husband,
and l think he is pretty tired OF me;
and l don't wonder"
ooh, Ada, but this is terrible! You
must remember now that in spite OF
everything you are his wife"
"His wife," she answered, in a tone
Of scorn. Yes, legally l am; and
there is no escape for ME. But what
am I in the sight Of heaven? If love
alone can make marriage. then In
Gods sight We have never been mar.
ried. 1t is the shame of the thing
that is eating into my very soul. II
love alone a make a m a wife,
lucu I'LL I1uSH llSN AoSoSS "AASS
though l never feel again his kiss
upon my lips. Oh, Esther, thank God
every day that you have escaped from
such infamy as mine"
Esther went with her to the door
and saw her into her magnificent mo-
tor: saw the sunlight fash on her
splendid jewels; saw the weary smile
that stole over her beautiful face; and
then she turned back into her dull,
time-worn, and almost shabby draw
ing room, and closed the door.
For a long time she sat staring at
the empty fire CRATE without moving.
Then she rose slowly and made her
way upstairs to her own room. and,
falling on her knees by her bedside,
she gave thanks to God.
Meanwhile Tom Grayton was fight
ing his way back to life and health
on the slope of one Of the great
Yorkshire hills. His home stood a lit
tie outside the village, and was sur
rounded by a small plot of ground in
which a few stunted trees struggled
hard for life.
1t vas a typical Yorkshire village
hard and bleak and solid. 1t was
| stone everywhere. The cottages We're
built of stone, the gardens were,
fenced with stone, the fields divided
by stone. There was no relief or va
riety. The great wide sweep of hills
was gashed with stone quarries. The
valleys were full of huge stone mills
and tall chimneys built Of the same
material. The houses in some in
stances were rooted with stone.
Grayton spent as much of his time
as he could out of doors. The local
doctor told him that the wind and the
sunshine were better than medicine.
even in the summer time the wind
seemed austere and cold. He would
| climb slowly the bare hill at the back
of the house and look wistfully across
the wide stretch Of country. There
were hidden valleys and glens he
knew, rich in timber and underground.
But up on the high slopes the eye
| ullSS0u Iucul 1u0 SOuAIly lOOhOV
bare and cheerless and unfriendly.
He would sit for hours In the eye
of the sun dreaming of other days,
and wondering what the future had
locked out Of sight. He pinned for a
sight of the sea more, than he knew,
longed for the green lush meadows,
the softly rounded hills, the narrow
rambling lanes. the deep silent heart
of the woods, and above all for a sight
Of Esther Mawgan's face with a deep
er longing than he would confess to
himself. +.
He often wondered what Esther
thought of him and his sudden and
passionate confession Of love. He
knew it was an awful impertinence
on his part-he. stranded in health
and fortune, daring to speak of love
to one SO far above him In all re-
spects.
He had pictured her anger, her
scorn, her contempt, occasionally her
pity. but he had neve thought Of her
loving him in return. He thought so
little of himself that it was almost
impossible to imagine that he could
be the hero Of any woman. He told
himself a hundred times oyer that he
had done a foolish thing-that he had
made even friendship impossible-that
II he had only put the curb on him
self at the last minute he might have
enjoyed the luxury Of a friendly let
ter now and then, but that because
he had lost control Of himself. and
spoken wild words when he should
have been silent. he would have to
pay the penalty to the end Of the
chapter.
He would probably have got better
more rapidly under more inspiring
surroundings. His mother was his
only companion from morning till
evening. and unfortunately for him.
they had not a great deal In common.
And somehow, also, he had lost touch
with the rough, strong. aggressive
spirit that ruled these Yorkshire hills
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