The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-11-28

Il bit0l NllttiNH QAUiSGlW WdSN uUlyG ASIhHl0W
OF her levity. Not one word could she
be induced to say about Robin. Az
tonished at her indifference, Peggie
tried In a variety OF ways TO entrap
her into some expression OF feeling
about him, but she became impatient
under questions, and received any sug-
gestions of sympathy with cold Zip.
pancy or even more provoking silence.
All the afternoon, a stream of visit
tors poured through the little house In
Mayfair. superb equipages and stump
uous sedan-chairs blocked the thor
~oughfare, while their occupants, In
gorgeous array, offered their congratu-
lations TO the Lady Prudence, and
slipped weak tea and chocolate out OF
her grandmother's egg-sheIl ''chaney"
cups. Lady Drumloch did not venture
into such a crowd, but, decked In her
priceless cashmeres ms laces. received
q favored few in her dressing room.
her pale face to he praises of Prue's
beauty and the prognostications of q
future even more brilliant n event
full than her past.
You must persuade her to marry
well and settle down, dear cousin"
Lady Limerick advised. Twenty-Five
Is quite old enough. even for q widow,
to give up frivolous firtations and
choose a husband. The men are all
wild about her, I know; but II she ji1ts
a few more Of them. the rest viii get
frightened and leave her in the lurch,
and she will have to be satisfied with a
crooked stick, like many another spoilt
beauty
she must please herself" Lady
Drumloch replied. "The harder she
finds IL to choose before marriage, the
less likely she will be TO repent after
ward
For all that the old lady took oc-
casion TO read her granddaughter q
sharp lecture upon the necessity of
mending her ways before too late. TO
which, Prue listened r~everentially, and
promised speedy amendment. Five
minutes afterward, In the privacy OF
their room. she was making PEG
gle die Of laughter at her ~caricature OF
herself as a reformed character. with
all her fascinating caprices exchanged
for the cares of the nursery and still
froom, obedience to a tryrannical
spouse replacing her sway over q score
Of s%uitors, while she welded Mrs.
Grundy's birch instead OF denying 1t.
Not n solemn or ~repentant thought
clouded the laughter of her blue eyes,
and when her cousin kissed her good
night and hade her sleep WELL she
cried out:
why, I'm two-thirds asleep al
ready and turned upon her. pillow
with a sighsof voluptuous drowsiness
But in the night, Peggie, who always
slept with the communicating door
open between the two rooms, was awak-
ened by a sound so strange and unac-
customed, that her heart stood still
for a moment, with awe. From the
little white bed, wherein Prue usually
slept as calmly as a child, came sounds
of grieyous weeping, signs and sobs
land broken words OF self-reproach, and
prayers for pardon for herself and
II pity for one In extremity. &#@t+
Peggie started from her bed and
crept stealthily to the door, where she
was not long discovering the cause Of
this unexpected outbreak.
"Ohi il / could only once ask him
to forgive me-" Prue sobbed, "Ohl
Robin, Robin, / did not want you to
love me; I did not mean to be cruel.
My God! he will die without knowing
oh! me, OIL me-
Poor little Prue. how unjust I have
been" thought Peggy remorsefully. IL
was past all patience with her heart
breaking her heart Over a frolic mar
riage with a highwaymani"
She crept in quietly, and lying down
beside Prue, put her arms round the
little quivering form and drew the
tear-damp face upon her kindly bosom.
cry so d~readfuIly,"' she. said,
soothing and petting her There.
there, be comfofted, darling
You are not to blame. We per-
suaded you, and after all Robin
is none the worse for knowing he leaves
some n behind to weep for him" f!
But he doesn't know 1t. low can
her" sobbed Prue. HE thinks me q
heartless, mercenary coquet-just as
Sir Godfrey does. and you, too. You
know you thought so, Peggie-"
Margaret was conscience-stricken
but could not deny 1t. II know you
are q dear little thing, Prue, and
though / tho 4ght yesterday you did not
care, ! know better now. I'm so sorry
for you, dear. Your poor head Is Sc
hot and your hands are so cold. You'll
be sick tomorrow, and after all. it isn't
your fault"
Prudence threw her arms round her
and buried her face on her shoulder
in a fresh burst of tears.
"Oh, Peggie, / am a very wicked
woman, / fear" h sobbed. rCan any
thing be worse than to make a solemn
vow before God to love and honor a
man ! do not mean ever to see again
to swear to keep him In sickness and
poverty. when all I wish for Is that he
may die a violent death to save me
from my just debts? Oil no, no. j
do not wish II. Peggie. The man loves
me! IL ever / saw love in a mans
eyes, 1t was when Robin held me in his
arms and prayed me give him one kiss
and then forget him! Alas, Peggie, ]
can never forget himl He will haunt
me with those eyes that can look death
In the face without blenching, and yet
will be closed forever in a few hours.
Oh! Peggie. Peggie, he must mo- die
for me-"
ne does not die for YOU. dear Prue.
He dies for his crimes: Faith. I'm
sorry for II, thought he isn't my hus-
band, But think what a plight you
would be in II he Were to liyel" Peggy
demonstrated.
Prue looked at her like a child sud-
denly reused from sleep and finding
Its way back gradually from dream
land. &E
''Tis true" III gasped. What would
become of me?" vi
"You are his wife," Peggie went on,
"and as long as he lives you can not
marry n one else. AS to your debts
If he were not to die. he would have
to pay them or go to prison;
ooh, Peggie, stop, Every word you
say makes me hate mysteif worse and
and worse. I must have been mad to
marry a robber--a nan who forced q
kiss from me at the point OF a pistol
as II were, and yet now he is my nus
band ! can not, dare not. wish him
| dead"
"Tf you wished II ever 80 much, dear,
you could neither help nor hinder it,
A Do~~fn Aa~o- onwonIfn-I,, $4,000 t#Tr.