The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-04-29
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as IL his arms were of iron. /
fought him. 1 tried to get away, l tried
to scream! He had not kissed me since
we We're little children. and oh. it was
so different. He said he'd kill me II l
didn't keep still. But l wouldn't keep
still, vas so afraid Of him I thought
| hou die. At last I got away from
him and ran out of the oom. He fol-
lowed and caught me In the hall. I
was so weak. SO dreadfuly scared l
could hardly stand. but l tried to beat
him off. He was holding me tight
and kissing me-Oh! Obi" She closed
her eyes before going on. His breath
was so hot. SO awful with cigarets. 1
was s~uffocating. l couldn't breathe.
He Kept saying, owe and over again,
that 1t would be all right and that l
must never tell. Then the hall door
opened and Aunt Rena came In. I
didn't see her. at first. but I knew
something had happened. for he sud-
denly let go Of me. 1 heard him say
q horrid word. under his breath. When
I saw Aunt Rena I flew to her and
tried to tell her what had happened. I
begged her not to let him come ear
me. But-Eric! Eric!"
She stopped short. her hands
clenched. He was trembling like a leaf,
and his jaws vas working Hike that
Of an animal. Veins stood out in his
forehead. He was seeing things red.
Eric" h moaned, Aunt Rena
wouldn't listen to me. She turned on
me and pushed me away. calling me a
'hussy.' a 'wretch,'-Oh, worse than
that! / couldn't make her understand.
l couldn't make her believe that l was
to blame. She accused me of
everything dreadful. She said 1 was
leading Chetwynd into-to do wicked,
low things. oh. I can't tell you all she
said. was so stunned, so helpless. I
couldn't believe it was really true.
When l begged him to tell her the
truth. he only grinned and told me to
shut up and take my medicine He
was through with me. I couldn't trifle
with him. That's what he said, Eric.
And h believed him. She called him
her o boy. her angel-Oh, 1 shall
never live through this. Eric. 1 want
to die"
Eric could not utter a word. His lips
moved. but only hoarse, inarticulate
sounds came forth. She waited awhile
then went on. drearily.
Aunt Rena wanted to turn me cut
into the street, but he objected to that.
He said was not altogether to blame.
In a sneering sort of way, he made out
blame, h called him noble, gallant,
self-sacrifictng! You should have
heard her. In the library he got her
70 romtse not to say a word to Uncle
Horace about 1t. If 1 left the house. he
said. he would go. too. 1t scared her.
She SAID 1t was best to keep 1t all to
ourselves. l was to be given another
chance. And I was locked in my room
because l said I would run away. She
kept me there all afternoon. all through
the storm. until Mrs. Presbrey came to
talk to me. +"
Her brother leaped to his feet. glar-
ing about like a wild beast.
Damn himt Damn bar,,
furiously. I'm beat her brains out!'
He started toward the gate, stageer-
ing blfndly. Mary sped after him
grasping his arm in frantic alarm.
Let go of met" he snarled. "Do
you suppose that cur can treat YOU
him." NIL
You must be sensible! Listen TO
me. Eric, dear. Listen! Don't saw
such things. For my sake,"
He's not fit to live! I've always
hated him. 1t would serve Aunt Rena,
right. If l were to kill her angel. her
darling. Let go. Mary! Just think Of
what he did to YOU"
But she chung to him In desperation
murmuring over and over again
through white. paralyzed lips: "You
must not xiii him. Thou shalt not KIM
Thou shalt not KILT"
What good does 1t do to preach?'
attention to the 10 commandments
nowadays. Why should I?'
II do. Eric. I am not going to be
what they say I'll be. Why should
you? Why should you commit mur-
der? Do o want old Presbrey to saw
I told you So when he goes to see
you in the goal? Do you want to be
hung. as that man was in Riagely
county? The n they always tell YOU
about? Oh. 1 shouldn't have told Won
what Chetwynd did to me. I wouldn't
have told you If I'd thought you'd take
1t like this"
The boys struggles and ranting
ceased abruptly. A pallor spread over
his face. The words murder" hung
"Presbrey," a together In his brain.
creating a tumble put Of which a cold
deathly calmness emerged. His mind
began to work in an entirely different
direction. Somehow. inexplicable to
cunning. tool the place OF blind rage
and despair. He suddenly realized
how near he had been to doing the
very thing that would have proved
their estimate OF him even to their
own cost. To Mary's amazement, he
broke in upon her renewed pleadings
with a hoarse. unnatural laugh.
Wouldn't it be a horrible Joke on
them If I did commit murder. with
Chetwynd as my victim? Good heavens.
how Uncle Horace would look! He'd
have to be surprised at that. And
Aunt Rena would have something to
talk about all the rest of her life. And
say! Old Presbrey and Julia! They'd
just die OF shame to think that they
hadn't let me go my own way long ago,
SOS I might have killed someon else
before I got Chetwynd."
Eric" h cried in distress, 'how
strangely o talk"
He grasped her by the hand, moved
by an impulse to run wildly. Come
on" he shouted. I've got to do some
thing. I've got to wear 1t off. Let's
run! Let's u to Stone Wall"
Stone Wall was the name given to a
rocky stretch OF .coas beyond Tod
vile. a secret and unlovely place where
the surf beat with incessant roars or
signs, as the case might be, always
pounding. A resting place for gulis,
abhorred by man. useles and scorned
as a place unfinished by the Creator
Thither Jared all those who sought
solitude Tor reflection. all those who
contemplated suicide. or those who
pursued Love when it was least timid
Hours afterward. Mary and Eric
came away from the moss covered
rocks Of Stone Wall. and slowly ma a.
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