The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-10-20
can come to q man." I said. more
especially
well" she questioned tantalizinSly,

can CCH1lS 10 q DlGH, 5&Li, nv
especially
'Well?" she questioned tantalizinSly,
as l hesitated,
l leaned across the cloth and caught
her hands and held them prisoner.
More especially when it is shared
by the lie loves" l concluded,
throwing discretion to the winds. All
then he forgets the danger. mademoi-
sclle; he remembers only that she is
beside him, that he may look into her
eyes as l look into yours, that he may
kiss her hands as l kiss these dear
ores. And when he knows that to re-
store her to her friends is to seYere
himself from her, he may well despond
as he sees the hour approach"
She sat looking at me, the color
coming and going in her cheeks, her
lips parted, her eyes a little misty,
And she made no effort to take her
hands away, All, what a, woman she
WAS, The beauty of her, the white
ness, the delicacy, the sheer grace;
and what With all, a woman's passion
ate heart. a women's power of owing
and desire of being loved. 1t was there
l knew, Just below the surface, walt
ing to be awakened.
You really love mel" she muir
INJURED. You really love me-"
oh. my dearest!" l cried. Can
you doubt it? Looking into my eyes,
car o doubt it? And last night,
looking into yours. I fancied that you
swept aside the veil for a moment
and that l saw into your heart, your
soul, and read a secret there which
made me madly, blindly happy! Did
I read aright?"
Not to value your devotion would
be indeed ungrateful, monsieur" she
answered in a whisper.
=. t. - .z.-:.,S. +I,4 Y oel- ~ 7
broke in. 1T was not gratitude that ]
saw. Did / read arisht?"
Suppose I say yes" she said; what
is it o propose?"
Il propose to take you and keep
you" l answered madly, drawing her
toward me, my blood on fire. You
do love income. confess it! Look
into my eyes and tell mel! l defy the
whole world to take @ from me
nowt'
She swayed toward me for an In
her lips parted, her eyes SWIM
ming in a veil of tears. l had won!
l had won, Then she drew her hands
away and sat erect, a c~onvuIsive sFiv-
er running through her.
And your honor?" she asked, her
face suddenly white. What of 1t? The
word you have given? What of it? The
vow YOU have taken-what of it? And
If I did love you, do you not see that
il is the man OF honor that 1 love?
Do you think I could keep on loving
Q d~isnonored man-even though that
dishonor We're incurred for me2 DO
you think 1 could find any place in
my heart for a nan unfaithful to such
q vow as you have taken? No, no.
you cannot believe that-you cannot
50 mistake me: / have built Z temple
for you in my heart-do not tell me
lG~ Trnnr q 20 ,,n u-npth ~ 70 l-,al1 tl,n,.AlJt
l was struck dumb before her. I
could find no word of answer. She
was right-a hundred times right. And
by the trembling which shook her I
saw it was not I alone who suffered.
On, 1 had been selfish to pull her
down, to entangle her in this net from
which there was no escaping! At least
l should have been brave enough to
spare her that!
Forgive mel" I groaned. "Forgive
and I flung myself forward at
her feet.
But her arms were about me. and
she raised me up and kissed me, on
forehead, and her eyes were shin
ing and her face was very pale.
B b~rave!" she whispered brok-
emily. BE brave, my friend! The fu-
ture will be brighter than you think.
oh, you are worthy to occupy that tenn
pie! Oh, I must"
A sudden rattle Of arms and tramp
Of feet rose to us from the valley.
What is that?" she asked. with
breath.
1 spring to my feet, went cautiously
the edge of the thicket, and looked
down. A regiment was marching
along the road by which we
had come-a regiment, dusty and trav-
Sustained, with tri-colored cockades in
their hats and tri-colered scarfs about
their necks. I watched them until
they disappeared around a turn of the
road. Then I rejoined my comrade.
1T was a regiment OF Blues" 1 said.
That is bad. l had hoped to take that
Now We must take the other;
but We must keep to the cover of this
nickel until We are past the village.
would better be starting now Willie
there is light; then at dusk we can
descend to the road and hasten on to
She was replacing the food in the
hammer before 1 had finished.
I'VE may need it," she said. lyon
shall not risk yourself again"
She was entirely self-controlled and
turned to me the old, clear friendly
gaze; the emotion which had shaken
her a moment before had been con-
1uered and swept aside. What was It
she had been about to say? Should I
know? Should I ever again get
past the barrier of her reserve? +
thought it most unlikely, and a deep
detection descended upon my spirits.
again would the moment be SO
favorable, and, beneath my breath I
cursed the chance hat had broken in
our tete-a-tete.
I watched her as uhe slipped nv
shoes over her w again and fastened
them. Then / took up the hamper ana
At the edge Of the little
she paused and threw a kiss
to 1t.
Continued Next Weekly