Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-12-01
CHATTER VII.
"A wAIlING CRY OF GRIEF


At that moment the sound Of ii woman's
voice fell upon hs ear, and turning in the
direction FROM which it came, he saw two
shadows at what appeared to be doorlead-
ing from the "Wiiderness." as that part Of
the grounds was called, into the lane with
out.
II was the voice Of an elderly oma that
Greengraycs first heard, and that woman
was non other than the "Aunty" Of whom
he lad just been thinking.
Il must be going now" she said; "ard
you must try and bear with it, dear, rs pa
tiently as you can, and all viii ONE right
in the end. | feel sure Of that. Only pray
be careful. II you made the leas: slip of
the tongue, you don't know what trouble
you'd get me into about the character.
They're SO severe now over that sort Of
thing"
"Oh, you nay depend upon mo, mother.
j viii be careful for my own sake as we'll"
Yes, dear, | ain sure you will. Seeing
all You have gone through too. This was
your only chance. Oncedown, always down.
/ know that!'
They were silent for a moment, and then
the elder woman spoke again:
I've been thinking over what you were
telling me, Hester, about that man. You
say when you met him in the passage he
did not appear the least surprised, did not
even seem to recognize you. Are you quite
sure he is the same person? One hears of
cases of extraordinary likenesses."
There is no mistake, MOTHER
But do you mean to tell me lie was not
at all taken aback at meeting the woman he
had so wrongei, 50 heartlc>sly deserted?
DID he not even change co!Or?'
"lIc did not move 4 muscle. have been
thinking that perhaps rs | had been in the
house some hours he might have seen me
before, although | had not seen him, and
that he had prepared himself for what must
happen. For my part, the shock was so
sudden, so terrible, | trembled like a leaf, /
should have fallen if | had not clung TO the
blluNtrado. lie looked straight into my face
straight into my eyes, and passed on
~ Gu say he calls himself Craven, and lie
is a sort Of c}erh?'
'Cu,hhcrt Craven his name is supposed tG
b., AID ic Is ST EcAarl's stc.et,ry. Tie
name | knew him by iour years ago--the
name lie gave us-Was most like.y a fa,se
one"
'Or," sGid the elder wcm7u qa'ctly, 'the
name ne uses here may Ge siam. one thing.
though, 9 pretty plain 10 me-. Ii he is
really me same man and yOu are not mis-
tlken, he j. not likely TO interfere with YOU.
iou leave him alone, and he wiz leave you
a.onc. re nothing 10 you now, and YOU
are nothing - h m. And now ! must go, or
i shall lose my last omnibus, ] MA afraid."
The detective, standing in the deep shad-
0w OF the trees. heard the women exchange
a kiss, and then he listened 10 the sound of
the mother retrca.ing steps upon thegravel
path Of the lane without. ana as they died
away at length in the far distance, a pro-
found silence feel. upon the garden, and It's
surroundings, and the still green surface Of
tie ghCSriy pond.
A moment later a soft wind WHISPERED
plaintiypiy among the naked branches, and
bowed the heads OF the talleSts biaocsof TIE
rank grass growing round Tie trunks Of the
trees, and. following il, deep Sob3 and II waii-
Ing cry If grief.
Cautiously advancing his head. and cram
Ing his necn - get a better view OF what Was
passing, Gr3cngravcs's eyes rested upon the
slim 1.-The figure Of n woman who could bare
ly have reached her twenty-first year, with
a face that al times must have been q pretty
one, but now WAS distorted by ia sion rs
she kl.elt there among the grass, that the
slender fingers Of her hands twisted and
dragged up by the roots. whilst in a half
ch0kcd voice, yet perfectly audible 20 the
sharp ears Of the spy, she KEEP: repeating:
"NGthinS TO ~me-nothing 10 him! Moth
Ing. nn;hing!' and then in what seemed 70
b. a tur,t OF uNcontrO!lab,c agony, shecricd
aloud: 'Oh, Heaven! / love h,m-I love
him still! cannot help IT,
And as she spoke she flung herself face
6oWnwlrds upon the earth and burs; into q
tCvrent of tears.
Mr.. Grtengraves drew back his head
aga II, rcioctive.y strOled his chin with his