Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-12-04

il "A plant | came down here to get
away from all sorts of bothers; met
Lizzie; found that she was rich; saw
that ! could win her. ] suppose 1t was
destiny"
Destiny repeated Gresham, Bit
terly. "A ruined spendthrift deceiv-
ing a noble woman and giving it that
fine name.''
Now you are going TO be sarcastic.
! shall 20 in and take myself to bed
said Dudley, laughing lightly.
He threw away the end Of his cigar
and walked toward the house. and
Harry Gresham followed him.
Lizzie got into the house at last-up
to her room. Then the stony apathy
passed, and she wrestled with her an
guish as each human soul must do in
its turn.
In the chill dawn she sat writing a
letter to Clement Dudley. When it was
finished she crept away to her bed and
lay there rs completely exhausted rs if
she had been living through a long i'll
ness instead of a few hours. When
they knocked at her door she said only
that she had a headache, and lay still.
down to ~Dudley-no, let him go away
and il should follow him.
Neither Aunt Rhoda nor Miss Glare
disturbed her. and there she lay, doz-
ing "A little sometimes, only to dream
that she heard Clements voice calling
her, and waking suddenly to remcm-
Der al that separated them now for
ever
1t might have been the middle of the
forenoon when the quiet old house was
disturbed by Il sudden tumult-the
rushing to and fro of hurried feet-the
sound of eager voices-terror and
grief. Four men carried into the hall
the PROSTATE form of Clement Dudley.
and the white face that lay upturned
seemed the face Of It dead man.
He had been told of n horse for sale
in the neighhorhood, and il had that
morning been sent over to him. He
had mounted the vicious creature and
ridden away down the avenue, leaving
Gresham and the two ladies on the
veranda looking after him. The
horse was q beautiful one, but cele-
brated throughout the whole country
for his bad disposition, and Aunt Rhoda
had been in despair AT the idea of his
purchasing it.
So he rode away with laughing words
on his lips, down into the high road,
aud in less than an hour he was
| hr>ynht h,,L nr,cInl and Ix;,x an.
they believed.
The men who had seen the accident
told them of the struggle between the
horse and his rider. Dudley had man.
aged him well enough. but at last he
reared and fell backward, carrying
Clement with him and crushing him
under the fall. The physicians came
grave enough they looked. There
were internal injuries-he might die
soon; he might live for months or
years, but probably would be u help
less cripple all his days.
Who was to tell Lizzie? For once
Aunt Rhoda's courage gave way; she
was utterly helpless, and Miss Clare
not much better; SO the painful task
devolved upon Harry Gresham.
Lizzie heard their cries outside her
door; perhaps some premonition OF
new trouble came over her, for she
sprang out of bed. wrapped Il dress
ing gown about her and, open
ing the door, suddenly appeared before
them like the ghost of the happy crea-
ture they had yesterday thought SO
beautiful.
What is it? What has happened?''
she demanded, in a sharp, strained
voice.
Aunt Rhoda could only cover her
face and sob. and Gresham. gently as
he could, told her what had hap.
pened.
us he dying?' she asked in a whis-
per, that seemed to her listeners as if
it would ring in their ears forever.
Gresham knew that the whole truth
YVES best, so he told her exactly what
the physicians had said of him.
Without IA word, she went back to
her room, dressed, knelt down and
prayed, that at least she might stand
by his bed without one bitter feeling.
Her first impulse had been to tell them
the whole story. Now, ut least, she
could save his memory from %reproach.
Hours after, when Dudley returned
to consciousness for a brief space, Liz
zic was sitting by his bed. There vas
much that was good left in his nature
still. and the pang of remorse that
wrung his heart was worse than the
agony of death would have been.
Weeks after, when he was out of
danger. could talk and be talked to, the
burden of his secret was more than he
could bear. He broke out suddenly rs
Lizzie sat beside him:
Il shall be a cripple all my days.
Don't be sorry, Lizzie, be glad, for
was not fit to marry you-l meant to
do you y great wrong"
Il know. / heard your %ccnversa-
ton with Mr., Greshem that night" she
said.
He turned away his head. After a
brief silence he said:
You meant to have left me-
Yes | never would have seen you
again" she answered.
How YOU must hate me, Lizzie! and
you have been so gentle, SO good! the
doctor saws your nursing has done as