Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-02-18

| matter in comparison with all the
other advantages? John Ballard was
pleasant and kind and always in a
good humor, and he promised me ev-
| erything | asked, and assured me
should never regret it, and declared
| that he loved me SO much that it
| would make up for any lack on my
part; and somehow believed could
be quite happy! Well we'll the dream
is over now I loathe my husband
and think he is pretty tired of me;
and | 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 tone
of scorn. Eyes, legally | am; and
! there is no escape for ME. But what
am | 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. If
love alone can make woman wife,
then am Hugh Treviscoes wife,
though | 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 flash 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 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
| full nf HUGO Ctn mil 1S
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.
The sunshine was grateful to him, but
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
| missed them. The country looked
bare and cherries 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 sight
of Esther Mawgan's face with deep
er longing than he would confess tc
himself
He often wondered what Esther
thought of him and his sudden ane
i 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, he
scorn, her contempt, occasionally he
pity, but he had never thought of he
loving him in return. He thought S,
n little Of himself that it was almos
= impossible to imagine that he coul,
} be the hero of any woman. He toll
himself hundred times over that h.
had done foolish thing that he ha
, made even friendship impossible-tha
if he had only put the curb on hin
self at the last minute he might hav
J enjoyed the luxury of a friendly LEI
ter now and then. but that becaus
; he had lost control of himself, an
spoken wild words when he Shout
: have been silent, he would have t
: pay the penalty to the end of tn
! chapter.
He would probably have got bette
!. more rapidly under more inspirin
/ surroundings. His mother was hi
only companion from morning ii
t evening, and unfortunately for hin
/ they had not q great deal in common
i And somehow. also, he had lost touc
d with the rough, strong, aggressiv
t spirit that ruled these Yorkshire hill
]. and dales. He felt like stranger ]
s a strange land.
}, The days passed away very slowl
~. CS-h Ln4 y, F..