Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-04-27
WHO WAS TO BLAME?
u ELEAxoR KIRK.
cHAprER I.

- ~ @N
an attractive young gentleman ofsix ant
twenty, dark, 1.-THE and very graceful
His face was clear cut, and his heav.
mustache encircled a in~ely-shapet
mouth; but just now the lips we're firm
" closed, and q scowl on the broad
handsome brow gave an ugly and almos
repulsiye expression to the whole face
The click Of the night-key brought hi
favorite servant to his side at once.
"Come right along to the dining-room
Massa Court said the old colored man
who had been for half a century in the
Cunningham family. "Missus tell the
cookie keep allthe things nice for you.
and I'll wait upon you myself"
'.I've had my dinner, thank you," the
gentleman replied, kindly; "and I'll &c
to the library a while and read the eve,
ming papers. Where is Mrs. Cunning
ham, William"
Tor sakes, Massa Court, the missus
has had a day Of it with callers-just al
many, seems to me as reception
days; and now that little Miss-Miss
Gloster is here
go up. please, and tell my wife l am
home.n
And now the gentleman rolled his
armchair in front of the fireplace, with
its old Fashioned brass andirons and bla-
zing logs, and sat down.
aShall I bring your slippers, Massa
Court?"
The old servant fingered by the door,
No, William, I am going out again"
Hadn't you better have 'em while
you stay, Massa Cou,V!"
The old mans voice was husky, and
there was a. unusual tremor in the
sweet tones. 1t struck his weary COM
panion like a wave OF inconsistencies.
He hadn't head that pathetic QUALITY
in his old friends voice since his mother
died. 1t seemed someway to bring his
childhood and youth most wildly be-
fore him, and, in his present mood, itan.
noyed and exaspcrated him.
You are worse than an old woman,
William" he remarked, with some
sharpness; but William did NOT hear it.
He had left the room, and closed the
door without q sound.
"1f q mans servant didn't have to
know all his business, there would be q
little more comfort in fighting it out"
he said to himself, bitterly. civilian
knows its all wrong as well as I do,n and
now Mr.. Court Cunningham kicked lis
chair back, and fell to examining the
books on the library table.
There were magazines and newspa
pers-French, German and English.
There was a volume of Taine, a pamph-
let on the Vibrations of Light, a charm
ing little edition of Tacitus, a Latin
grammar and lexicon, and, last of all.
Whateley's Logic. This book was held
open at nm abstruse place by a gentle
mans kid glove.
1t was q very Misunderstanding little
thing, stretched to lim--shapelessness in
order to fulfll its destiny ..as a book
mark.
A strangely subtle and penetrating
odor met the gentleman's fastidious nos
trils, as he opened the book. i
Mi. Cunningham had looked for some
proof Of something, some hint of the
probability of ~treachery, some s.trife
light as air""-and here it was, quite as
volatile az air, IN the form of q recog-
nized perfume.
But for this he might have mistaken
It for one at his own odd gloves-he was
always dropping them here and there,
he said to himself. But this particular
odor was as tangible as q love-letter.
Mr.. Cunningham took the glove be-
tween his thumb and finger and tossed
it into the fire.
At that moment the door opened, and
q lady entered. She was Of medium
height, slenderly built, and of an un-
usual dignity of manner and carriage for
60 young a woman. She was certainly
not over twenty, and was probably q
year younger. The fluffy golden hair,
worn in loose curling coil at the back Of
her neck, made her look like a child;
but her large, expressive gray eyes, full
o fintense purpose and power, the pose
of her head indicating direct
ness and independence, her mouth,
firm as Seane D. Arcs when command
ed to deny her convictions, spoke of a
strong, resolute nature.
Certainly Irritation would be impossi-
bic to such q woman. This had been a
conviction of her husband, till all of q
sudden
But here was the glove. whitening and
writing The crue! flames, looking like a
snake IN Its convnlsive moments TO the
man who watched il 50 narrowly.
"Good-evening, Court Mrs. Cunning.
ham remarked, pausing a second tc
touch her lips to her husbands forehead.
II should have come before, but I wal
80 tired that I had to take my last caller
to my sitting-room, and you know folks
never 60 there"
Mrs. Cunningham looked an angel a.
she seated herself in her small rookie,
and turned her eyes to her husband.
go 3 AS hnryo 80 = {. {, - II ., -... LII
this evening, Amy
MI. Cunningham certainly acted like
the guilty party now, for he looked every
where but at the sweet upturned face.
"Literaryl" the lady replied. "Wby, ]
don't know. You see, / started THU
morning with excellent intentions, ]
we going to study hard all the after
noon"
"Well2n
st wasn't well. TWAS veryill. Some.
body came in, and then folks kept com
ing, and the day went by"
do you receive your callers in thf
library, usually?"
The gray eyes struck fire.
In my own house,: Court, I receive
my callers wherever it best suits my
wish and convenience"
Was Lawrence Gage your first Wis
itor?" he asked.
Marriage is a singular institution
Mrs. Cunningham replied. ut gives g
man such infinite privileges of insultan
torture
tion2" he said.