Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1914-11-20

as YOU" The wistful words slipped
out.
He stepped closer to her.
"Kazia, this has got to end"
Yes"
You must marry me tomorrow"
Life. and with 1t pain, fickered once
more.
!. You are trying to give something
now. But I'm glad you said that"
I'm asking you to give something
more. You will?"
Why do you ask it?" ~"
Because I've hurt you enough.
did hurt you when l let you-led you
to sin, even though we kept It a sscrei
from the world. l want to make you
happy-you said yourself we've broken
a law. l want happiness-and can't
have it. knowing that for all I've taken
from you I've given nothing"
She tried to smile; the sight of IT
cut to his heart. Every reason but
the one. But I'm glad you wouldn't
lie to me new" The smile faded. You
see. can't" @
"kazia, DEAR" he pleaded. I'VE
started wrong-let's begin vel again.
Let's give love a new birth"
His voice rang with a longing she
could % understand, but he could not
touch her. She shook her head spir-
itlessly.
There can be no new birth SO long
as there is memory. You could never
forget that THAT I am not clean"
DO you think me so small as to
hold my own fault against you? 1t is
my sin, too" He stepped closer, reach
Ing out his arms to take her. Come.
dear, you poor little reasons aren't
enough"
She shrank away from his clasp,
trembling. Into the tired white face
came a look of fear and despair. She
glanced this way and that, as though
she sought an escape. Her hands went
to her face. Then she forced them
down and her eyes to his.
Il thought thought you under
stood. -. II wasn't clean-before
we sinned. The doctor who helped
me, l." She could say no more.
Suspicion had not prepared him for
this. He stared f%oolishly at her, show
ing how he recoiled from the fact her
broken words had revealed. He did
not then think 1t strange that the
shame Of q woman he did not love
should stab so deeply.
"Kazia, how could you-how could
you!"
After q while he forgot his own pain
a little in pity for the silent stricken
woman. Again his arms reached out
f0~ nro- ma ,r,o,,11 W.T. IN Jo-{ol
1T must make no difference" His
sternness was all for himself. What
am I to blame you? You sold your
body to live. l gave my soul to feel
others squirming under my feet. You
hurt only yourself. I've hurt every
one l touched. / hurt you. If l hadn't
been a coward years ago when ~e
first loved, o would never have been
tempted. Your sin Ia only q part of
mine. Il Is you who have NEST to
forgive"
Slowly she raised her head to look
at him. "And you.'' came a broken
incredulous whisper. "and you would
marry me-even now7"
"All the more now!"
For an instant a faint pitiable hope,
defying knowledge. shone in her eyes.
"Have l been mistaken? Only love
could ignore-ah! don't lie to me now.
It wouldn't be kindness. 10 1t Just pay
or lover"
He tried to look away from her and
could not. Her. eyes held his. seeking
through them to hunt out the last
truth hidden In his soul. With a rough
convulsive movement he drew her
head down on his shoulder.
How can I know what 1t IL? It
must be love. since I need you and
want to make you happy. II 1t isn't
now. surely love will come when we
start right. Kazia, don't refuse me
this chance to make up to you . little
Of the harm I've done YOU"
Her answer was a stifed sob. He
felt her body relax; her head rested
heavily on his shoulder.
She released herself. He did not
try to hold her. They faced each other
In q heavy %throbbing silence.
His soul Quivered with the cruelty
OF 1t; it would have been infinitely
easier for him II she had been the
unfaithful one. His words echoed
mOCAAuSly III HE 00I0p VOIIuIlu& ulm
with their hopeless futility.
"You will mott"
you couldn't say it-and l don't
want pay"
The sight OF her had become more
than he could endure. He turned away
and dropped into q chair. letting his
head fall to the table.
After q little he felt her hand gently
smoothing his hair. And soon she be-
gan to speak In q voice unsteady at
first but gathering strength as she
went on.
you mustn't reproach yourself. 1
know you'd love me II you could. And
you mustn't think / refuse Just for
your sake. I'd do what you want
since you want 1t 80 much-only It
would be misery for me always. You
wouldn't want that . And thie-it
seems I've always known It would
come. It was . chance l took for q
few months happiness. I've had my
happiness. ... You haven't harmed
mel beg you to believe you haven't
harmed me-"
"Kaxia-
But the hoarse cry died away. There
was nothing to say His humiliation
was complete. Magdalen that she was,
he looked up to her from depths Of
reimbursement she could know.
The voice was growing unsteady
again When l think how It might
have ended-if you hadn't come to-