Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-05-20
DOWN IN BERKSHIRE.

TwoTears hsd passed. The
moon had long since been forgotte1, ~
remembered only to be thought of az
too many waned moons recalled with
wonder.
Yet they were happy as the world
goes. They had their little tiffs, and
Reggy had more than once been ieal-
Gus, but not of the Count Tourier, her
"uncle." of course, The idea of such an
absurdity had never entered the honest
soul of Reggy Gardner. Mrs. Trent
ham brought him no money. Her first
husband had squandered it in gaming
and speculation. Reggy had plenty,
and he felt proud to settle handsome
sum on his wife, and to allow her for
pin-money the income of Duchess.
The will which he made in her favor
was worthy of his most generous i'm
pulses.
"If we do have a little misunder-
standing now and then." he said to me,
while we took MONDAY rest in the
stubbles at his princely place down in
Berkshire, "that's the common lot, and
it gives zest to the fun of making up."
He wouldn't for the world have &C.
knowled that he was unhappy and she
had peculiar power over him which
could charm him into any mood she de-
sired. If her occasional bursts of ILL
temper or indiscretion of manner to-
wards other men were thunder-clouds
in his domestic life, her smiles were
summer, her acted affection was sun
shine. She knew that / saw through
oil II v<1v y,
At all for Reggy's sake. They lived in
curious way, constantly travelling,
coming to town only for a month in the
season, and going to Berkshire for the
LIST Of September. Reggy's mother
kept her own state in town.
Two mothers-in.law she would say,
could not be expected to get on we'll
together, and Reggy's wife preferred to
have her own mother with her; and so
between the dear old lady Of Mayfair
ard her son there had grown up an es-
arrangement which Mrs. Gardner junior
promoted with insidious persistence.
Count Tour.er had latterly been rare
visitor at Reggy's owing to misunder-
standings with the head Of the house;
but he often wrote to his "dear niece
and made . journey now and then to
see her.
.No. I don't know where the Count
lives or how" said Reggy one evening
ct the end Of our weeks shooting when
We were smoking after dinner. HE ID,
a. you say, rather q mystery. Maries
mother il italian, you know, on her Il.
theirs side, and the Count belongs to
that branch of her family. At Milan
he 10 an authority, I believe, in chemi-
cal science"
"You don't like him, fear"
Like himy ! hate himl"
Mrs. Gardner entered the room on
the word.
my dear. I thought you had gone to
bed" said Reggy.
She had been listening to our con-
versation.
II have come to smoke cigaret with
Jon, il you don't mind,r was the an
swer.
Her suspicions had been confirmed
(fOF oar conversation was long cne)
that her strange influence over her hus-
band was in danger OF weakening; that
his confidence in her was on the wano;
that her hideous secret, whatever Il
was, might be oozing out
"By all means--delighted.s said
Reggy, and she sat down by his side, ;
superb looking woman, ii yon did not
exAmine her face critically for indica-
tions Of feminine gentlensss
DURING my acquaintance with her
neither ahe nor hal eveR alluded TO
the incident at the Zoo, though she.