The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-11-30

and saw none but clouds of gold In ne
long vista OF their future.
could only sit and gaze longingly
and eagerly while the phantom faded
away from my gaze. Another picture
now rose before me.
saw myself clad in cheerful NORA
ing robe. Charles had prospered In
| business. gold poured into his Golfers,
and with gold came fashion. with am
| billion ana pride and score Of demons
In her train. It whispered:
You are young and you are beauu-
fu. In the great world you would b
an acknowledged queen. Put your
husbands wealth to use. Let not your
beauty fade out In the nursery. Your
child will get on well enough In the
nurses care. Live In the world and
shine like a queen"
And this was the beginning Of the
shadow which darkened the picture.
saw the glitter of the ball. the splendid
| furniture, the silver plate, the gey
eQuipage and the stately apartments.
and amid 1t all through the opened
door OF a neglected nursery saw q
pale. drugaed 4-year-old child slowly
! dying. The end came. The tiny rose
wood casket was closed over the fea-
lures OF the child who died Of metherty
neglect I saw a strong man bend In
cenvulsed grief over his dead boy and
then go out silently and, growing grav-
er day by day, turn to his business
again I heard frantic bursts Of grief
| from the stricken mothers mouth and
clasped my jeweled hands In anguish.
| A long pause fell between, and then
another, the last, picture fell before
me. I recognized its faithfulness at
once. Ten years interviewed between
this picture and the preceding one. I
had not changed save to fuller and per-
fected beauty. Everything was as plain
az day-the magnificent furnishings
OF the home. with the Persian carpets,
costly tables. bronze and marble stat
res and china and silver wares, and
through these walls I moved. a cold
and beautiful woman Of ice. I shrank
from the portraiture with dismay. But
while / sat and gazed into the picture
| glided a pale, careworn man wearing
the same expression I had often seen
upon my husbands face. How
] changed he looked from the hopeful.
manly Charles Gordon who had stood
| before me In the moonlight! He. had
| been grave and silent man ever since
| his boy died. but there was now fresh
| trouble eating away his life.
What has brought this aboutf" I
| asked.
In moment my question was an
swered. Into the magic picture came
shadowy finger which pointed to the
band sat. / gazed and beheld revela-
ton, and mechanically my eye ran over
every paper he opened. The catalogue
was fearful--a long array Of bills
! plate, furniture, statues, jewels, silks,
long array Of which / recognized dis
tinctly my own agency. and balancing
| this catalogue stood a tangled trade,
| empty Golfers, with the word PANEL"
written as with a pen of fire. While
he sat and unfolded each paper and
lafd 1t aside l stole nearer and gazed
Upon the one he had just taken. 1t
was my latest bill, the bill for my ball
ess. / made a movement to snatch
1t from him, and the spell was broken.
What is 1t, Daisy? You asleep here
and dreaming?" I started and to find
myself seated in the great velvet chair
and my husband standing beside me.
did fall asleep? must. But you.
Charles, you have not s,ept!" I said,
| for just then l noticed that he was In
his coat and full dress.
II have been up late, looking over
| some papers l brought from the store.
But / was just going up stairs. You
| should be asleep before this" he added,
| half reprovingly. his eyes wandering
with sort Of panied look over my
toilet.
, why do you not speak to me,
| Charles? You are in some great trou-
| BILE. oh, Charles, / have had dream
this evening that has shown me myself
| in my true light, / am nothing, more
| than nothing. / am drag instead OF
helpmeet. Speak to me. Charles, and
tell me that you do not hate me-"
| Can you bear the worst, Daisy2" he
asked hoarsely. lifting his eyes TO
| mine.
Anything. anything. my dear hus-
hand. 1 have been blind. but the scales
have fallen now. Tell me everything.
| Are we ruined?"
1--WE are," he whispered in a thick,
unsteady tone. THE crisis has carried
me down. i have dragged away the
\ long hours Of this night trying to de-
v.se some loophole of escape, but all In
vain. / do not care for myself, but for
you--you. Daisy" and he groaned In
bitterness of spirit
I could not bear II without burst
Of tears: he SO thoughtful so selfish.
] pressed my lips to his burning fore
cad and said. amid my sobs. mo,
Charles, not ruined, for we have saved
our love from the wreck"
Charles looked at me steadily, and,a
| weight seemed to have been lifted off
his head. His lips lost their grim ex-
preston and there was ripple OF tears
h: his voice.
DAISY, you have saved mel" he said.
"Maddened by the thought Of the NOR
row, / know not but the result might
have been this-see!" and he drew
forth little vial labeled "laudanum"
| from his vest pocket. But you have
! saved me- darling"
Charles, we have both been mad!"
I said, with pallid lips, and striving for
his sake. to sIbdue the terror that be-
/ grit my whole being when I realized
how nigh my husband had stood to the
wretched guilt Of suicide. And God
! forgive me for my want Of sympathy
/ in all your troubles and help me from
this hour to be your faithful wife"
And sitting there late in the night,
my husband kneeling beside me and
( with his head upon my lap, bent nay
cheek to his, and the tears, baptiziug
| our reunion, fell upon the folds Of my
last folly-my ball dress.