The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-11-24

Wrong again, monsieur. She u
still a. maiden and does not love an
other"
"Come!" I said you are playing
with ME! warn you 1t is danger
ous!" and ! grippcd my arms behind
me to keep them from about her.
She noticed the movement and re-
treated step.
Monsieur" she said, Il will tell you
main where you are until ! have fin
ished."
And after you have finished?"
please"
Il promised" cried. the blood
bounding madIy through my veins.
1t seems that your betrothed Is
, wilful and headstrong creature" she
began, land when the time came to
prepare to marry you, she rebelled.
She had been permitted. it appears, to
form ideas Of her own. She refused
, to give herself to a man she had never
seen, or whom she remembered only
as thin and unattractive boy. So the
/ day before you We're to arrive, having
failed to exact from her father the
promise that the right Of choice should
be left to her"
Yes, he told me-" I interrupted.
But he did not tell you that she
| ned?'
Fled" I repeated. "Then that
is the reason she is not here!"
Il am sure she would never have
| done It," my companion continued;
however irregular her training
would never perhaps have thought of
/ step so desperate, but for a book she
happened to find one day in her fathers
| library. She was attracted first by the
illustrations, which were by Gravelot
and very beautiful; then she became
absorbed in the story. a translation
from the English, which related the adj
ventures of young lady named Sophie
western who ran away from her faith
er TO avoid marriage into which he
would have forced her. The result Of
this Hight proved SO fortunate-for by
1t she won the man she really loved
that Mdlle. de Benseval resolved to
emulate it. So she mounted her horse
one morning and instead of taking her
usual ride dismissed her groom and
spurred away to the house of friend
who she knew would sympathize with
her and perhaps intercede with her
father"
/ "oh, it was with him she was in
! love!" l murmured."
, Not in the least, monsieur; she was
in love with no one, and this friend
! was woman. But that very
evenin. strangely enought, she met
someone whom she fancied she
might love; and in the days that fol-
she was drawn very near to him; for
she saw that he loved her passionately,
devoutedly. And at last, in moment
Of trial, when he held her in his arms,
she confessed that she loved him in re-
turn"
WELL" I said with sigh Of relief,
1T appears to me that need think no
more of Mdlle de Benseval. Let US
dismiss her-there Is another topic"
Wait" she said; Il fear you will
md yourself thinking a great deal
one moment Of utter JOY, she drew away
from her lover, held him at distance
was unkind to him, although all the
while she was longing to throw herself
upon his bosom and draw his arms
close about her!"
What" l said incredulously. "She
did that? Was she mad then?"
mo, she was a woman and she played
with him because that is a woman's
nature"
Yet she knew he loved her!"
Yes she answered. her eyes
glowing more and more "She knew
he loved her deeply and purely, as
she could never hoped to be loved
again; but she resolved to put him
to one supreme test. II he stood the
test, she would adore him, worship
him, she would be his body and soul.
through all eternity. If he did not
stand it-well, she would still love
him."
And did he stand it?" asked,
moved more and more by this story,
to which, at first, I had listened
but indifferently.
Let me finish and you will see.
She returned to her home she opened
her heart to her father. is really
the kindest and noblest O. men, and
he agreed to assist her in the test.
So today--this evening :.
She faltered, stopped and looked
at me. smiling trenulously, her
cheeks suddenly flooded with color.
Yes" cried, this evening"
oh; 1t Is more. difficult than had
thought! How shall I go on? Three
months ago, monsieur. there was a
death in our family"
"Yes?" 1 asked. failing to see what
this had to do with the story.
1T was that of my fathers eldest
brother she continued. unsteadily
without looking at me, 80 that my
been M. de Benseval succeeded to the
title and became-became-"
m. de Chambray!" shouted. see
ing it all as In lightning flash. and
sprang toward her. blind with sud-
den joy.
For an instant she tried to hold me
off; but my arms were about her.
straining her to me. Then suddenly
she yielded, and nestled to me, close.
close against my heart
"Oh, my love, my love, my love. Z"
she cried, and raised her lips to mine
did you call M. de Tavernayp
asked voice. and raised my head
to see my fathers friend standing
upon the threshold, looking at us
with smiling face
Yes, monsieur" answered "a
intelligently as I could. II desire to
announce to you that your daughter
has decided to marry me-
I'm faith" he said a humorous
light in his eye, IT somehow suspected
1t the moment I opened the door"
With which remark he closed II
again and left us alone together.