Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-08-05
CHAPTER VIII.
A SERPENT IN TIE GARDEN

A SERPENT IN THE GARDEN.
The thought Of entering the house
revolted me. I needed the high heav-
ems to give room for my happiness, the
moon and the stars for confdants, the
breeze OF the night to cool the fever
IN my veins. To enter the house would
be 10 break the spell, TO bring me back
again TO that earth which my feet
seemed scarcely TO touch. So I re-
traced my steps to the white seat at
the end Of the garden, sat down where
she had sat. and abandoned myself 10
a delicious reverie. I put all thought Of
TIC morrow from nis-of the morrow
when we must separate; ell thought
or that gray future which would never
be frightened by sight OF her, by the
light OF her eyes and the smile OF her
Eps-all this ! put away.
i had only TO close my eyes to bring
her again to my side. What a miracle
she was-what a wonder Of Gods
handiwork! The clear and delicate
skin, the hair with it's CLINT of gold, the
eyes with their arched brows and lash
es turning up at the end, the lips trem-
bling with sympathy or curving with
scorn. the oval chin showing Just a
suspicion OF a dimple, the rounded fig
ure promising / know not what allure
ments and perfections-all these l CON
templated one by one, and seemed to
catch again that sweet, all but imper-
ceptible odeur de femme which had
ravished n intoxicated me as / held
her In my arms. And behind and above
all this, the soul-a woman's sou In
Its delicacy and sweetness. yet with q
certain manliness about ii, too, in Its
high ideals, its conception of honor and
duty, Its courage n devotion, its rev
erence for h pledged word-some-
thing Of the oak as well as Of the ivy,
almost as II she q been raised among
men rather than among women, and
had come to look at the world some
what with a mans eyes. Yes, and
there was something manlike, too, In
her independence, her impatience of
convention, her self-reliance. Not that
all this destroyed or ever clouded the
woman in her-that quality of siren
and coquette which is In every wom-
ans blood. Rather 1t enhanced 1t, gave
II a sauce and piquancy not to be with
stood.
For q moment she had been mine
/ had dared n been forgiven. She
had been kind to me; she had been
moved by my love; she had thrown
me a flower at parting. And at thought
of 1t, | took 1t from my bosom and
pressed 1t to my lips. I inhaled it's
fragrance, which somehow seemed a
part of her; l contemplated It's beauty,
In which / saw hers reflected She had
been kind to me; I even dared to think
she a been kinder yet, did fate per-
NIT, n the thought gave me a throb-
bling toy-a selfish Joy, / told myself,
since l had no right to make her suffer.
too
Yet human nature is but an imper-
feet thing, n love Is selfish In it's
unselishness. In my heart / was glad
glad that h would remember me, that
she would think tenderly OF our evening
In the garden, ami or my kisses on ner
N-- NJ
/ thanked God that / had been brave
enough TO snatch that moments Joy,
that there was that between us! That
there would always be; no stretch of
time nor stress OF circumstances could
alter tit was woven indelibly into
the texture of our lives. Whenever she
thought OF me, whenever she visited
this garden, yea, whenever any other
dared speak to her OF love, she must
recall that moment hen / had held her
close against my n raised her
lips to minei
And I-could I kiss another wom-
an?
1 sat erect with a quick intaking OF
the breath, for / saw In my path a new
pitfall and one OF my own digging.
Must I confess to my betrothed that
my heart was In another's keeping, or
| did honor bid me to keep silent. TO
! simulate affection, to lead her to the
altar In the belief that 1t was she I
loved? Oh, / should not shrink from
confession, n she had the right to
know-yet-yet would I not confess In
the hope that she would set me free?
But IL she should feel as I did about
this marriage, that honor demanded
It's contamination. that duty compelled
her to sacrifice herself. whatever my
offenses. would not such confession
merely embitter her cup to no purpose?
Yet even IL ! did not confess. would
be strong enough. self controlled
enough 10 cheat her woman's eyes?
Would h not suspect that I was de-
ceiving her. and would not the knowl-
edge of that deception be hardest OF all
to bearf
Here was q question not eaaily an
swered; e. dilemma the most awk-
ward; a problem which I felt I could
not solve alone. I could only hone
that during our ride next day to
Il Poitiers. I might have opportunity ia
+ lay It before Mdls. de Chambray. She.
I felt sure. would. with her clear version,
sec instantly where my duty lay. and
would point out to me unerringiy the
path which ] must follow.
So ! put the problem from me and
lay back In the seat and closed my
eyes n lived over again, minute by
minute. hat brief, delicious eyeninr
III recalled every look. every word. ev-
cry gesture from the instant 4 had
first perceived her on the threshold
4 az the drawing room until that ofhey