Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-12-24

entered a quiet and secluded path
which led past the rear of the farm.
He had not consciously determined
what he should do next; but his heart
impelled him irreSistibly toward that
little bridge where he had encountered
Pepeeta on his return from the lum-
Der camp. 1t was at that place and
that hour, perhaps, that he had passed
through the deepest experience of his
whole life, for it was there that the
full power of the beauty of the woman
in whom he had met his destiny had
burst upon him, and it was there that
for the first time he had consciously
surrendered himself to those rich emo
tons which love enkindles in the soul.
He threw the horses bride over the
limb of a tree, leaned over the hand
rail of the bridge and looked down in
to the water. The stiffness of the
world, the slumber-song of the stream,
the haunting power of the past super
induced a mood of abstraction so COM
mon in other. happier days.
Obliyious to all the objects and
events of that outside world, he stood
there dreaming of the past. While he
did so. Pepeeta, following her daily
/, custom, left the farmhouse to take
XII S'iIh vain. III lis SOuSill liz
little bridge. Perhaps she was sum
moned to this spot by some telepathjc
message from her lover; perhaps It
was habit that impelled her, perhaps
1T was some fascination in the place
itself. She moved forward with tho
quiet step peculiar to natures which
are sensitive to the charm of the great
solitudes of the world. and came noise
lessly out from the low buses behind
the lonely watcher. AS she stepped
out into the road, she caught sight of
the solitary figure and her heart, an
%ticipating her eye in it's swift recognl-
ton, throbbed so violently that she
placed her hand on her bosom as if
to still it.
David" she said. in a low whisper.
She paused to observe him for a
moment and, as he did not stir, began
to move quietly towards him as he
stood there motionless-a silhouette
against the background of the darken-
ing sky. She drew near enough to
touch him; but so profound was his
%reverie that he was oblivious of her
presence. 1t could no nave been long
that Pepeeta waited. although it SEEM
ed ages before he moved, sighed and
breathed her name.
She touched him on the arm. He
turned, and SO met her there, face to
face.
1t was an experience too deep for
language, and their emotions found ex-
preston in a single simple act. They
clasped each others hands and stood
silently looking into each others eyes.
After many moments of silence David
asked: why do you not speak to me,
Pepeeta? 2"
My ayes have told you ALL" she
said.
but what they say is too good to
be believed! You must confirm their
mute utterance with a living word" he
cried.
Il love you. owe you. love you," she
replied.
You owe me! I bless you for it.
Pepeeta. but there is something else
that l must know
What can it be? Is not everything
comprehended in that single word? 1t
is all embracing as the air! 1t enfolds
life as the sky enfolds the world!"
"Ah! Pepeeta, you loved me when
we parted but you did not forgive
met"
She dropped her eyes.
Have you forgiven me now?"
1T Is not true that I did not forgive
you," h replied. looking up at his
face again. There has never been in
my heart for a single moment any
OF a wrong which I could not
pardon. 1t has been one of the awful
mysteries of this experience that I
could not feel tina. wrong. When I
tried to feel it most, my heart would
say to me, you are not sorry that he
loved you Pepeeta. You would rather
that all this agony should have be-
fallen you than that he should not
have loved you at ALI It is this feel
ing that has bewildered me, David.
Explain 1t to me. Let me know how
I could have such feelings In my heart
and yet be good. 1t seems as If I
ought to hate you but 1 cannot. I
love you. love you, love you"
But. Pepeeta, If you loved me. why
did you leave me? I do not compre-
bend. How could you let me stand in
he darkness under your window and
then turn away from it into the awful
blackness and solitude to which l
fled?"
DO not reproach me, I thought it
was my duty. David"
Il do not reproach you. I only want
to know o. inmost heart
II do not know! There has been all
the time something stronger than my
self impelling me. I grew too weak to
reason I felt that the heart had rea-
sons OF it's own. too deep for the mind
to fathom. and I yielded to them. 1
was only a woman after all. David.
Love Is stronger than woman! Oh! it
was I who wronged you. 1 ought not
to have forsaken you Ought 1? 1 do
not know. ever now Who can tell me
what il right? Who can lead me out
OF this frightful labyrinth? III did
wrong in seeking you. l humbly ask
the pardon Of God. and IL I did wrong
IN abandoning you, l ask forgiveness
In all lowliness and meekness from
man I wronged."
No, Pepeeta, you have never wrong
ed me-; I alone have been to blame.
The result could not have been really
different, no matter what course you
Q The scourge would have fallen
anyway! All that has happened has
been inevitable. Justice had to be vim
dictated. II It had not come in one
way, it would in another. for there are
no short cuts and ~evasions in tragedies
this! Every result tina is attach
Cd e these causes nus be drawn up
BY them like the links In q chain, and
eve knows when the end has
come"
His solemn manner and earnest