Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-02-18
sILAs K. HOOKING.
CHAPTER xxxIl.-(continued.)

"You must have had a gay time
labroad?"
Gay? Oh, well, it is just as you
lElook at it. We went everywhere, of
course; saw everything there was to
lbe seen, spent a small fortune in op-
| eras and theaters, and all that But
one soon gets tired"
II suppose that is so. Even pleas
ures grow stale after awhile"
+ Everything grows stale, my dear
even life itself. But what is this I
have been hearing about you?"
Are you going to scold me? Please
have mercy"
"Scold you. child? I've come to con-
graduate you. Pm glad there's one
woman in Cornwall who has courage
enough to be true to herself. Merci
full heavens, what fools we women are
land worse than fools! | wonder
sometimes what the Almighty thinks
of us. | wonder even what high
souled men think of u.s."
You speak bitterly, Ada"
DO L? So would you if you were
In my place. Look at mel" and she
laughed harshly. Not Solomon in all
his glory was arrayed as I am. And
yet I'm the most miserable woman on
EARTH
ooh, Ada"
You look surprised, OF course, as
you well may; but I'm telling you the
FOREST truth. l married for position,
as you know-for gold and diamonds,
and I've fot them. Heavens! but
what a punishment follows never
pretended to love John Ballard.
liked him, even admired him for
soTe things, but my heart had given
to another"
You loved Hugh Treviscoe?"
Il did: and | love him still. That's
where the tragedy comes in. I'd give
'he world to undo what I have done,
but it's too late. I've ruined his life
and w eTuined my own"
Don't say ruined Time is great
ca er."
There are something's time can
never heal--it can only make the ruin
more complete think of poor Hugh.
lie keeps up bravely, | know; but his
heart is broken. You can see it in his
eyes. | saw it yesterday as drove
past, and l waved my hand and
smiled. All! what hypocrites we
women are! oh, I could have died
for shame and grief"
"You treated him badly, no doubt"
Esther replied, in her candid way.
Paddy! If another woman had
done it l should have called her a
fend, l wonder if all women are
cruel by nature? l despise myself so
much that I can hardly dare some
tines to look In a glass. Oh, I tell
you, Esther, God shows no mercy"
But he does, Ada. He is anxious
to forgive"
all the time and there is no escape
no turning back-no place for repent
ance Look at me! l hadn't been
married a week before l loathed my
husband. Think of it! Think of
| what that fact means to me! It's
l
human or divine, can make way of
escape Suppose | were made free
| tomorrow, should be little or no bet
ter off. Hugh could never take me in
his arms again. He loves me, no
doubt, in way; sorrows for me as
those that have no hope. But in his
eyes am dead and worse than dead
| am accursed!"
Flush, Ada; you should not use
such terrible words"
No words are terrible enough to
| describe the reality. When think OF
Hugh's contempt, loathe myself--and
| he loved me once OH so dearly and
devotedly. OF course, we quarreled
before the wedding came off. want
ed him to quarrel. 1t buoyed me VI
for a few days. His anger was very
i terrible, for he saw me breaking II
pieces all he loved, and would no
i listen to heart or reason. He sale
rude things to me, but true things al
the same, and | sneered at him ant
/ defied him, and went my way ant
tried to keep my anger against hin
| at white heat What pitiful fools w
| are! Now. n see. that we cannot d
| harm without receiving harm.
1 wrecked Hugh's life, wantonly. DELFT
| erately, and in doing SO hav
| wrecked my own"
Its a: sad story, Ada. but you mus
| make the hes tof the situation. Tim
4 may.heal insspite Of what you say"
Thine may harden and blunt tn
finer feelings. and dull the edge {
| sensibility. may so lose my woman
illness as not to care. It is not hea
Ing that will come, only corrosion an
q decay
sBut had you no doubts beforehan'
Ada?'' Esther asked, with trouble
look in her eyes.
Doubts? Well. perhaps had
odd moments. Oh, yes; was not a
3 together happy. But was so capt
waited with the idea that I SCENE
II unable ito think clearly. The though
]. Of marriage somehow fascinated m
1. Hugh and / had looked at marriage {
something In the very distant futur
Int here was the thing close at han