Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-12-21

and Celia could 60 on with their sud-
denly interrupted conversation. Pres
emily the conductor came to him ind
said he had found a gentleman who
would give the lady his lower berth and
a her upper one. 1t was already
made up, and the lady might take pos
session at once.
Gordon made the exchange of icketx.
and Immediately escorted Celia to it.
He found her most glad to go for she
was now unutterably weary, and was
longing to get away from the light and
noise about her.
He led the way with the suit cases,
hoping that in the other car there would
be some spot where they could talk
for a few minutes. But he was disap-
polnte. 1t was even fuller than in the
first car. He arranged everything for
her comfort as far as possible, disposed
of her hat and fixed her suitcase so
that she could open it, but even while
ne was doing it there We're people
croWdlng by, and no private CONVERSE
ton could be lad. He stepped back
When all was arranged and held the
curtain aside that she might sit on the
edge of her berth. Then stopping over
he whispered:
Try to trust me until morn
ing. III explain it all TO you
then, so that you will understand how 7
have had nothing to do with these let
tiers. Forget il, and try to rest. Will
you"
His tone was wistful. He had never
wanted TO do anything so much in all
his life as to stoop and kiss those sweet
lips, and the lovely eyes that looked
up AT him out of the dusky shadows
of the berth, filled with fear and long
InP IlNaN 1nn1yaI ,tlnyA tha, n1-c,. l;l-~
the blue tired flowers that dropped
from her gown YEARLY. But he held
himself with Il firm hand She was not
his TO kiss. When she knew how he
had deceived her, she would probably
never give him the right to kiss her.
Il wiz try,' she m in an
swer t< his question, and then dded:
But 'raere will you be? Is your berth
near h17"
No. lar sway-that is, had to take
u place in another car, they are so
, crowded.
Ont" she said a little anxiously.
"Ase 5o& sure you have a good COM
Portable place."
ooh, yes, | shall be all right" he
answered joyously. 1t a so won
derful to have her care whether he was
comfortable or not.
The porter vas making up the op-
posite berth, and there was no room
to stand longer, so he bade her good
night, n putting out her hand for a
farewell. For an instant he held it close,
with gentle pressure, as If to reassure
her, then he went away to the day
coach, and settled down into a hard
corner at the very back of the car,
drawing his travelling cap over his
eyes, n letting his heart beat out
wild JOY over that little touch of her
dear hand. Wave after wave of sweet
/ mass went DNra1. him thrj11inU bic Iarv
soul with Il JOY he had never known
before.
And this was love, And what kind
of a wretch was he, presuming to love
like this Il woman who was the prom
ised bride of another man. All, but
such a man! A villain! A brute, Who
had used his power owe her to make
her suffer tortares! Had a man like
that a right to claim her? His whole
being answered no"
Then the memoir of the look in her
eyes, the turn of her head, the soft
touch of her fingers as they lay for
that instant in his, the infection Of
her voice, would send that wave Of
sweetness over his senses, his heart
would thrill anew, and he would forget
the wretch who stood between him and
this lovely girl whom he knew now
he loved as he had never dreamed a
man could love.
SEduuuIly HIS ulllu SletuleQ ltS6lI
ander the sweet intoXication, and he
began to wonder just what he should
say to her in the morning. 1t was a
good thing he had not had further OPP
%portunity to talk with her that night,
for he could not have old her every
thing; and now if all went we'll they
would be in Washington in the morn
ing, and he might make some excuse
till after ne had delivered his message.
Then he would be free to tell the whole
story, and lay his case before her for
decision. His heart %throbbed with
ecstasy as he thought of the possibility
of her forgiving him, and yet it seemed
most unlikely. Sometimes he would
let his wild longingS fancy for just an
instant what joy it would be if she
could be induced to let the marriage
stand. But he told himself at the same
time that that could never be. 1t was
very likely that there was someone else
in New York to whom her heart would
turn if she were free from the scoun-
drel who had threatened her into a
compulsory marriage. He would prom
Use to help her, protect her, defend her
from the man who was evidently us
ing blackmail to get her into his power
for some purpose; most likely for the
sake Of having control of her property.
At least 1t would be some comfort to
be able to help her out of her trouble.
And yet, would she ever trust a mar
who had even unwittingly allowed her
to be bound by the sacred tie of mar
riage to an utter stranger?
And thus, amid hope and fear, the
night whirled itself away. Forward in
the sleeper the girl lay wid awake for
a long time. In the middle of the night
a thought suddenly evolved itself out
of the ~blackness Of her ~curtained
couch. She sat upright alertly and
stared into the darkness. as If it were
a thing that she could catch n han
die and examine. The thought vas
born out Of dreamy vision of the crisp
brown waves, almost curls if they had
not been so short n thick, that ov-
cred the head of the man who had lain
sleeping outside her curtains in the
early morning. 1t came to her with
sudden force that not SO had been the
hair of the boy George Hayne, who
used to trouble her girlish days. His
was thin and black and oily, collecting
naturally into little isolated strings
with the least warmth, and giving him
the appearance of a kitten who had
been out in the rain. One lock, how
we'll she remembered that lock!-one