The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-10-27

there still survives the legend OF Il
heavenly visitation.
My spirit cleared after that. perhaps
as the reward of a good action, per-
haps because I was rid of the hamper;
at any rate. could lift my head and
look about me and take JOY in tho
beauty Of the night There were only
the stars to light US. for the moon had
not yet risen. They looked down upon
us from the high heavens, and it
seemed to me that there was kindness
and sympathy In their gaze--that they
blessed us and wished us well. The
road was much smoother than the one
we have traversed the night before.
and we got forward at a speed which
warranted our reaching Coulanges in
good time. il nothing happened to delay
US. We were both well rested and had
already had good reason to know and
wonder at my companions powers OF
endurance.
l glanced down at her and saw that
she was staring straight ahead at the
road unrolling before us. How near we
were to the moment of parting! With
every step wo approached the place
where / must leave her. Even should I
survive my pilgrimage Of vengeance, 1t
seemed most unlikely that should see
her again-certainly, We should never
be thrown together in this sweet, init
mate, personal relation. And would
wish to see her I'm any other way? TO
gaze at her from distance. to find her
fenced about, to stand silent while some
other gallant whispered in her ear
would not all that be as the rubbing Of
salt into an open wound?
Indeed, she had already applied
that torture with that hooking invi-
tation to Chambray! Why was Il that
had so failed to touch n responsive
chord in her: or, rather. why, at the
very moment fancied had touched il,
should she draw back and deal me n
cruel blow? Perhaps she fancicd there
was kindness In this cruelty: perhaps
She was trying to save me from sink
ing too deeply into the quicksand which
entangled me. Alas! I felt that was
already past all hope OF rescue. So n
real kindness would have been to make
my last moments as happy rs might be,
ere the sands closed over me and di-
vided us fore yer!
shook the thought away. Nothing
on earth should so divide us. Honor
compelled no man to wreck his life
beyond redemption. But as / turned
the problem over in my mind. I con-
fess my heart sank. so long as Mdlle.
de Benseval lived, Just so long was I
bound to her That was the final
statement to which the tangle reduced
itself, and I reflected bitterly upon the
folly OF parents who disposed of their
children without asking their consent
or, indeed, before they were old enough
TO know to what they were consenting.
A boy OF 10 will blithely promise to
marry anyone. or WIN bind himself in
differently with a vow OF celibacy, for
what does he know Of eithe-? or'v
when ne comes to look at the world
and the women In it with man )
eyes does he understand. Then he asks
himself the question, "Am ] bound by
a vow taken in ignorance? Must
stagger on till death under this burden
innocenuy assumed? Must I permit
my life to be wrecked in these rapids
into which another hand propelled
me-"
What is it, Sir Sorrowful?" asked
my companion at last. The old prob
lem?'
1.-The old Sroblem," I answered.
why ponder Il? You have already
said that no man can escape his des-
tiny"
possible"
us escape worth so much worry"
TT is all the difference between hell
and heaven
"Oh, fie, What would the bethrothed
think, could she hear you?"
IT wish she could" retorted bit
terly.
"Ah. NJ. de Tavernay," and her voice
had q note Of sadness In it. II thought
you gallant man. / thought you brave
enough to approach your fate with
smile upon your lips. / thought you
generous enough to make this girl who
Is waiting for you believe that you
really loved her. Consider how much
more difficult Is her task Perhaps
she remembers you only as a thought
tx.&, -.
also has seen some one whom she
fancies she could love better, perhaps
IL is some one VINO Is really better
worth loving. Yet she is awaiting YOU
sitting her misgivings in her BOSOM
ready to keep her oath, although an
oath is not the same thing TO woman
as to man. Nor Is marriage the
same thing. To man 1t is an cpl
sode: to a woman IL Is her whole life.
She belongs to the man she has mar
ried. Do -Ou think the woman to
whom you are bethrothed does not real
ize ell this? BE sure she does--and
trembles at It. And you propose to
make her task more difficult still. You
VIII come to her with a sour and down.
cast face; you Will say to her as plain
ly as II you spoke the words, II do
not love you; take you because
must; IL / were free j would not look
ut you second time; / am making
martyr OF myself by marrying YOU
Which do you think will be the greater
martyr, monsieur, you or she? You
are right in your estimate OF your
self--you are wholly selfish"
I had listened with bowed head and
quivering nerves. Every word burnt
into me as a white-not iron.
"You are right said hoarsely,
when she had finished. II am a cow
ard--a cur. I am not really q man
of honor"
"You are only boy" she said. and
her tone was more tender. "You have
been too long in your mothers lead
ing strings. But you have in you the
making OF man, my friend, and
know that I shall live to be proud Of
you
I caught her hand. and kissed it,
a kiss not OF love, but of gratitude.
swear that ut that moment passion
was as dead In me as though 1t had
never been.
We went on in silence after that.
had my bitter draught to swallow and
swallow II I did without fiinching. All
pretty euphemism had been stripped
away. I saw that / had been dishon-
orable In thought, il not in deed.
had befouled myself, and, worse than
all. had tried to drag another--the