The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-08-31
The ROMANCE OF PUMP COURT
THERE is NO LIMIT TO A woMAN,s ExrEcrA

Ralph Uideastie is OVERRIDING it. He'll break
ao"n, F" one barrister remarked to another, as
the tall, gaunt form of a we'll known O.. G.
passed out of The Temple, He works all day
ana writes all might, and 20 man can standsthat
sort of thing very long. He looks positively i'll
to-day" ~ ID @S ~ :
mo wonder. haven't known him to take Il
holiday for fifteen years; il he don't take care
he'll cave suddenly. IT'S mistake for & man
to pursuo two professions when he can live
comfortably by ether - aud the speaker sighed
fegre'fSlly Besides. Oldca-tle is rich man,
ne has no need u work at all, and, as a matter
81 course, every good thing falls in his way. I
near ae'a retained III the great Clifton swind-
ling case
yes, hs'- certainly lucky: but he's uncom-
monty sharp, 100. However, judging by his
Appearance To-Day. he won't last long-ho's
had been standing under the Temple gateway
from q heavy shower, nodded compiacently
Aha went their several ways; the removal of
even one successful man from among them
would give each' a. chance OF filing his place. q
Ralph oIdcastle meantime walked hurriedly
c,itywar!, Wmd of the drepching raiu.
AT tue ;op Of Ludgate hill he wheeled around
suddenly and walked back again-a tall man,
ronnd.shonldered and gaunt, with thin,
straSsly gray hair and bright deep-set eyes; a
Keen, honest, repe!lant man, with a hard
mouth, that never smiled He was intensely
respectable and respected, but he had few
itlclus ana FEWER acqnalntRnces, and no amia-
bic weaknesses. He was charitab bic, never be-
hind III subscribing TO legitimate 'relief''s
funds, never refusing a donation when de-
maDded IL due aad proper form, but no one
ever saw him buy a penny flower in the street,
or a "ftth-edition special of an. evening
paper. He never went homo encountered with
Useless motions" or novelties"
Stock brokers and bankers might purchase
dancing dolls and terra Gotta monstrosities,
live nice and patent purses, as every one knows
tunV 40 tlge uhv. abnJ,IIl thu van1nru of a,,nh
wares multiply and flourish outside the stock
exchange and the bank. Ralph Oldcast le
never even cast n passing glance at such
trnmpery, nor was he ever seen with u bass
basket containing fish or fruit, or a fern in a
pot He never thought of such things, never
carried loose pennies i'll his overcoat pocketfo -
emergencies, never oyernaid 4 cabby-in
short, he bad no visible Weaknesses at all. His
inner litegwas as hard, cold aud uusvmpa-
thetic rs his outer. @ Il
He had chambers in Pump court, close to
where "a white stoue flashes over Goldsmith's
ashcs'-a stone white no .ongar, but smirched
aud stained with the grimo Of the city-but the
lawyer never gave 1t a passing glance. Had
you mentioned the name he would possibly
have TUNED to the Law List to see who Oliver
Goldsmith was. 4
KetUTuipa from his hurried, aimiess walk up
And down Fleet street. Ralph Oldcastle entered
his sitting room and rang Il bell, 1t was An
swered by a clerk, a slim. dark-eyed, obsequious
youth, whose history was u romance. Born in
wee, ccadled and nurlured III iuiquity, edu-
Gated among a gang of thieves, he miraculously
escaped bsms either a bouso-breakeSr
or convict Oldcastlc picked him up
one day twhen his heart was softer, fed
him, clothed him, took him INTO his serv-
ice, expected nothing in re.urn, and was paid
by the warmost gratitude and esteem Edward
Little could not owe his master, but he nearly
worshiped him. He hal served him faithfully
for seven years, and would serve him to his
life's end. The lawyer smiled grimly. He did
mot hallnva II tp.tIttIla. "a md apn,n ,lau rrhn,
it suited him, Lutte would turn round and
rend HIM. Bat he cannot hurt me-" he said
to himself, with bis bard, dry laugh. "No one
can do that now. I've given Little nothing but
the bread he has earned. ] expect nothing in
return" The dark-eyed clerk looked at his
master attentively, and waited his orders in
silence 81 shall be occupied all the after
neon, Edward; do not allow me to be disturbsdi
on any preienac whatever he said, shortly,
and Edward withdrew puzzled, but silent He
mover answered his master; no one did.
Left alone the lawyer sat at his writing table
and took q letter from his pocket After a few
moments hesitation 10 read it, reluctantly, as
if it was.a thing he was constrained to do in
spite Of himself; then he smoothed 1t ont care
fully on his table, and selecting a key from one
of the drawers, unlocked the bureau, and from
a secret receptacle drew forth a packet of
letters and laid them beside that other on the
table-still, as q man acting in spite of himself.
His face was horribly pale, his eyes flashed and
sparkled in their sunken sockets, and his
hands, slight and white with well-tended nails,
auivered neryous!y. One by one he read the
letters overland tnere were many of them
once or twice he laughed savagely at some e2-
preston; and when he had got through them
he pushed them aside with a scowl. Twenty
years have l waited for this--livod for it,
worked for it, hoped for it! l knew it would
come, aud it has," he said, aloud; "now, to
make the most of it."
For a long time Ralph Oldcaatle sat silent,
regarding the correspondence before him. On
tl,n ri,r+ tuo. loonp nf 1nnaa lotfpra Uritfou in
= slender, girlish hand and OVERLOOKING with
girlish expressions Of unalterable love and
Sndyirng devotion, begsassas+ 'tMy own dess-
est Ralph,n ending your ever loving Connie"
On the left o blurred and blotted note, con-
tanning q few lines i'll a woman's hand, heavy
with sorrow and suffering. "Dear MIR. Old
castle, I am in core distress; | know no one in
the wide world to turn to for advice and assist
ance save you. L wronged you once, but,
heaven knows, ! have been bitterly punished
sill my life. Will you help me for Aud Lang
SyneF You we're my husbands friend, and
something more than mine. We ere
both friendless an! helpless now, and
have only you to turn to-Constance
Wilton II wonder if she has been as con-
slant to him as she has been to mo-" Mr.. Old
castle said, as he locked up the letters. II
wonder if she has smiled on him with that ten
der truslfulness she p%racticed on me; !
won1er if she softened his heart and turned
his tead with her witcheries aud then drove
him mad by her coldness; sent aim to the
devil by her heartlessness, as she might have
sent me, had I not been made of sterner stuff
than most men. l wonder what she expects
me to do for Henry Wilton, the friend whom l
loved and trusted, and who repaid me by treach-
ery and deceit; | wonder what, in reason and
common Justice, she expects me to do for him
But there is no limit to a woman's e1pecta-
tions, and she knows nothing of reason, and
less Of Justice. However, let her come and see
me by all means, and tell mo her history 1t
cannot fail TO be interesting to me, after
-. van ,-naga far il T. oh yna Ui1
hear the history of Constance and Henry vii
ton by oil means, and try to forgststhat she
was once my promised wife and he my dearest
friend, and that both played me false. tits
perfectly true that everything comes to him
who knows how to wait, and revenge is not the
worst thing in life worth waiting for"
Hard, stern, uncompromising. was Ralph
Oldcastle's face, as he wrote G few lines on
half a sheet Of paper:
8 o'clock on Monday he will be pleased TO
learn il what way he can be Of service to har."
That was all he said. and he smiled with
almost fsndish malignity as he though. howl it
would saislead her; yes, he would be pleased
enough 70 know how he could help her, but
knowing how, would he do it, was n more
doubtful matter. II a man like Ralph Old
castle waits twenty years for revenge for a rear
or imaginary injury, he is not going to forego
i, at a moments notice. IL was foolish Of Con
stance Wilton to appeal TO HIM for aud lanr
syne, for the memory OF those days was still
sore in his heart
CONNIE, UNALTERED BY TIME OR CrRCUM-
STANCE, STOOD BEFORE I'M.
1t WAS on Saturday afternoon that the lawyer
wrote to Mrs, Wilton. and on Sunday morning
he went, according to his usual custom. to the
Temple church. Neither the service nor ser
mon Impressed him very much; his thoughts
we're busy with the past, and instead of going
for a walk, according to his almost invariable
habit, he sat down in his easy chair and began
to think what he would say on the morrow.