Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-04-29

rs AAih liiCo W Btl away, 1 lIlSI
to scream He had not kissed me since
we were little children, and oh. it was
SO different. He said he'd kill me IL
didn't keep still. But / wouldn't keeE
still. l was so afraid of him. I thought
| should die. AT last I got away from
him and ran out of the room. He fol-
lowed and caught me in the hall. ]
was so weak, SO %dreadfuly scared !
could hardly stand. but l tried to beat
him off. He vas holding me tight
and kissing me-Oh! OH" She closed
her eyes before going on. His breath
was SO hot. SO awful with cigarets. ]
was suffocating. l couldn't breathe.
that 1t would be all right and hat
must never tell. Then the hall doo1
opened and unit Rena came in.
didn't see her. at first, but 1 knew
something had happened. for he sud
denly let go OF me. | heard him say
| saw Aunt Rena 1 flew to her and
tried to tell her what had happened. ]
begged her not to let him come near
me. But-Eric! Eric!"
She stopped short. her hands
%clenched. He was trembling like a leaf,
and his Jaws was working like that
Of an animal. Veins stood out in his
forehead. He was seeing things red.
Eric" she moaned. Aunt Rene
wouldn't listen to me. She turned on
me and pushed me away. calling me a
'hussy,' a 'wretch,'-Oh, worse thar
that! l couldn't make her understand
couldn't make her believe that 1 was
not 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,
L couldn't believe 1t was really true,
When I begged him to tell her the
truth. he only grinned and told me to
shut up and TAX my medicine He
with I m. That's what he said. Eric,
And h believed him. She called him
her poor boy, her angel-Oh, | shall
never live through this. Eric. l 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 urn ma ont
into the street, but he objected to that
He said l was not altogether to blame
In a sneertng sort OF way, he made out
as II he were willing to AXE all the
blame. She called him noble. gallant
seif-sacrlflcfng You should have
heard her. In the library he got her
to promise 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 tc
ourselves. I was to be given another
chance. And I was locked in my room
because | said I would run away. She
kept me there all afternoon, all through
the storm. until Mrs. Presbrey came te
talk to me. L"
Her brother leaped to his feet, glar-
ing about like a wild beast.
Damn him! Damn her." he CRIED
%furiously. I'll beat her brains out!'
he started toward the gate. stagger-
Ing bltndly. Mary sped after him
grasping his arm in frantic alarm.
Let go OF mel" he snarled. "De
you suppose that cur can treat vol
as he did and not pay for it? III xii
You must be sensible. Listen t,
such things. For my sake,"
He's not At to ldvel I've alwav,
hated him. 1t would serve Aunt REM
right. If 1 were to kill her angel he,
darling. Let go. Mary! Just think o
what he did to YOU"
But h chung to him in desperation
murmuring over and yer again
must not kill him. Thou shalt not XIII
Thou shalt not KILL"
What good does it do to preach :?
he cried angrily. Nobody paws an,
attention to the 10 commandment,
nowadays. Why should r."
!, I do. Eric. am not going to b
what they say I'll be-. Why shout,
you? Why should you commit muir
der3 Do you want old Presbrey to ga,
r I told you So when he goes to Sc
you In the goal? Do you want to b.
hung. as that man was in RIdgel,
/ county, The one they always tell 70,
apoutI on. l shouldn't. have told yo,
what Chetwynd did to me. I wouldn'
have told you II I'd thought you'd tax
, it like this"
The boys struggles and rantin,
Z ceased abruptly. A pallor spread owe
8 his face. The words murder" hung,
"Prssbrey," ran together in his brair
! creating a tumble out Of which a colo
> deathly calmness emerged. His min,
began to work In an entirely differen
> direction. Somehow. inexplicabIe +
) him. q strange 'subtleness. a shar,
cunning. took the place Of blind rag
and despair. He suddenly realize,
. how near he had been to doinK tn
very thing that would have prove,
their estimate Of him even to thei
own cost. To Mary's amazement. h
broke in upon her renewed pleading
with a hoarse. unnatural laugh.
wouldn't 1t be a horrible Joke o.
them II I did commit murder. wit,
: Chetwynd as my victim? Good heavens
how Uncle Horace would look! He'
. have to be surprised at that. An
/ Aunt Rena would have something t
talk about all the rest of her life. An
say! Old Presbrey and Julia. They
just die OF shame to think that the
hadn't let me go my own way long age
SOS l might have killed someone els
before I got Chetwynd."
Eric" she cried in distress, "ho,
strangely you talk"
He grasped her by the hand, move
by an impulse to IL wildly. Com
Q on he shouted. .T've got to do some
thing. I've got to wear 1t off. Let
a run! Let's run to Stone WALL"
Stone Wall was the name given to
g rocky stretch OF coast beyond Tod
vile. q secret and u~nlovely place wher
the surf beat with incessant roars O
: signs. as the case might be, Away
: pounding. A resting place for gulis
abhorred by man, useles and scorne
: as q place unfinished by the Create,
Thither Jared all those who sough
:" solitude for reflection. all those VIII
contemplated suicide. or those VIII
pursued Love when it was least timit
g Hours ~afterward. Mary and Fri
: came away from the moss covere
9 rocks Of Stone Wall. and slowly mad
Y their way through the dense thicket
and across sweet meadows. back to III
hated little gate In the Biagden gar
den wall. They We're calm and utronpaI