Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-10-03

And ! have kept you-and now it is
too lute.'
A very little while ago she had hated
the idoa of his going. Luke-a fugitive
from justice--was a picture on which 1T
was intOlerable to look. But now the
wOmanly instinct :ose up In revolt, al
the very thought that he should be ar
rested. tried. and condemned What
mattered IL he Were. q fugitive, if he
were .ostraciZed and despised? What
mattered anything 40 long as he lived
and she could be ear him? A very
little while ago. she would la done
anything to keep him from going; she
almost longed for his arrest and the
publicity OF the trial. She was SO sure
that truth would surely come out, thai
his Innocence would Of necessity be
proved.
But now, woman-like,, she only long
) tradition OF her past life, all the old
lessons of self-restraint, forgetting ev-
erything except his Immediate danger,
she chung to him with all the true pas
SION In her, which she no longer tried
to keep in check.
NO. Luke" the murmured In quick,
1erky e ut is not too late-not at
all too late. You stay in her quietly
n I'll ask father to go and speak to
hem. Hen tell them that you haven't
here for you himself. Father is well
known; they won suspect him of
shielding you and in the meanwhile
you can slip out easily; We'll SEM your
luggage on. You can write and let us
know where you are-it is quite easy
n not too Late"
whilst She spoke, she was gradually
edgtng toward the door. Her voice had
sunk to q horse whisper. for maddening
terror almost deprived her OF speech.
with insistent strength she would not
allow him to detain her, and he. whilst
trying to hold her back, was afraid of
hurting her. But at the last when she
had almost reached the door,, he con-
trived to forestall her. n before she
could guess his purpose he had pressed
q finger on the button Of the electric
bell.
She heard the distant tinkle OF the
bell. n this made her pause.
What is 1t, Luke" she asked. why
For your father, dear" he replied
simply.
Then you will do what wan you
away?"
He gave no immediate answer. for
already the maids footstep was heard
along the passage. The next moment
IN was knocking It the door. Luke
went up to 1t. gently forcing Louisa
back into the shadow behind him.
Mary" he said. with his hand on
the latch of the door, holding it slightly
here. will you"
Yes. sir"
The girl was heard turning away.
and walking back briskly along the
passage. e Luke faced Louisa once
again.
He went up to her and without a
word took her In his arms. 1t was a
supreme farewell and she knew it. She
felt 1t In h CULVER OF agony which
went right through him as he pressed
her SO close-so close that her breath
nearly left her body and her heart
seemed to stand still. She felt 1t in the
sweet. sad pain OF h burning kisses
with which he covered her face. her
Ieyes. her hair. her mouth. It was the
I'M passionate embrace. the irreyoc-
able linking OF soul n heart and mind,
the parting OF earthly bodies, the UNI
Ion of immortal souls. 1t was the end
OF all things earthly. the beginning of
| things eternal.
She understood and her resistance
vanished. All that had been dark to
her became suddenly TRANSPORTED and
illumined. With the merging of earth
" passion into that love which is Gods
woman. Gods most perfect work on
earth-became as God, n knew what
was good and what had been evil.
Neither OF them spoke; the word
farewell" was not uttered between
them. His final kiss was upon her
feyes. n she closed them after that,
the better to imprint on her memory
he vision of his face lit up with the
divine hre OF an unconQuerablo pas
sion.
The entrance OF Colonel Harris
brought them both back to present
reality. He. poor man. looked severely
troubled. and distinctly older than. he
usually did.
Did you want me, Luke?'' he asked.
YES. Sir" replied the latter. ''the po-
lice arc here. and / thought that per-
maps o n Louisa would be 80 kline
as to take Edie along with you. Jim
10 going to sleep In barracks tonight,
ana Edie ought not to stay here alone.'
Yes. Wen take Edie.'' said the coll
one CURLY. she'll be all right with US.
Arc you ready. Lou:"
Yes dear" she replied.
And h passed out of the door with.
out another word. or another look.
Tho supreme farewell had been
spoken. Further WOrds-even another
kiss-would have almost desecrated its
undying memory.
The " men remained alone. and
ICot0nel Harris without any hesitation
held out his hand to Luke de Mount
ford.
''The police are here, SIR" said Luke.
without taking the hand that was Of
fored him.
II know they are" muttered the 9TH
y. that's no reason why you should
refuse an old friends hand"
Then - Luke-hesitating NO longer
t---.placed his burning hand In that OF
bile friend. Colonel Harris said quietly,
almost ontreatingly:
Its only . temporary trouble. Oh.
my ooyl You can easily refute this
ahominable charge. and prove your IN
nOcenoo?s