The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-11-28

down ar1stocrar Vino d5Scanted on
politics and wrote pieces to the paper
telling the president how to run the
government. II was mother who dress
ed In wornout velvet gowns n sat In
state at the dinner her daughter had
cooked, and II was I who cooked the
dinners and played sonatas and noe
turnes for the amusement of our
guests. God, why did | not see you
as you were? Yes. and these are the
hands, she cried in anguish and scorn
holding them toward me that | might
see them, that have cooked your
meals for the past four weeks. and
these are the same hands that played
for you while you smoked your pipe
and heard father descant on politics!
How poor and miserable we must have
seemed TO You. All that | could have
forgiven. but you dared to soil my skin
with your kisses, They will burn
deep here" she said. pointing to her
fingers. long after your ingratitude
has been forgotten"
ELLEN. for Gods sake have pity!" |
cried. II have laughed at your power
ty as IL il were my own. | am rich-l
never told this to you beforehand !
felt that the only use OF my wealth in
the future would be to relieve the bur
dens Of those you love. This night
nay, this very af%ternoon-I was going
to ask you to be my wife. from which
moment your father. mother and broth
er would have been mine also. 1t vas
this very poverty and the fortitude
with which you bore it that have made
me love you, After you spoke this aft
ernoon | could not tell you of my love
until | had confessed first that | was
the author Of the letters which wound
ed you so deeply"
IL am glad you spared me that last
humiliation. | can never forgive my
self for being happy In your company
or for spurning the hand stretched out
to lift us from this degradation"
Squire Hawkins" / said in bitter
ness.
Eyes, Squire Hawkins, whom you
would have insulted as you have us
And to think that just because / had
listened to him l believed myself un
worthy OF your love! You must eS
cuse me now" she added in cuttin.
tones, "for | must go to prepare yom
dinner. l suppose there will be one
less to provide for tomorrow"
She started to leave the room. but !
stood In front Of her.
"No, l will not go. You do not un
derstand. 1t was with love yelling i'm
my heart that | wrote that last letter
I had been ordered home, and / wrote
that letter hat l might stay another
fortnight. After you had promised to
be my wife | would have told you all,
and together we would have read II
and In the richness of the future we
would have laughed over 1t together.
No, l will not go. / will stay and
tell Bud and the colonel. They will
understand and plead for me. And
II you love me-
"If V did you killed It the mo
ment you confessed to have written so
about one you professed to love, one
whom you should have protected and
have helped to hide from the world
that which she feels 50 degrades her,
instead OF which you hold 1t up to
publicity and to the scorn Of the world
You cannot stay here longer. Don't
force me to tell father or my brother.
That would be more than l could bear
She put her hand toward a chair as
II to keep her from falling. | came
a step nearer. but she drew back In
voluntarily, s~teadying herself and look.
ing me In the face, and with n voice
vibrating with emotion said:
Don't touch me! | never want to
see you nor to hear OF you again.
She swept past me, and | sank into
a chair, overcome with grief and NOR
tiication. How long | sat there | do
not know. Every time | heard Il foot