Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-01-05

NhiN iioholf hllAAlN ~ sS al tDiIjiiiuh}2v
rs well as a congregation, since it COM
promises the good names of two of our
members. | feel it a duty to afford an
opportunity for a full explanation. The
congregation are invited TO meet ut the
parsonage tomorrow evening at y
o'clock. | hope that every member of
this congregation viii be present."
After that it mattered little whether
the sermon were a marvel of briIliancy
or the dullest disquisition that ever
bored a long-suifering audience. No
one paid the slightest attention to il, ex-
cept old Maj. Dorr, who was so deaf
that he only caught about one word i'm
ten, ana had thus missed the story Of
the love letter that the school-teacher
had written to Mrs. Downs. He always
went regularly to church, however, and
affected TO receive great satisfaction
therefrom.
After the conclusion of the services,
Mrs. Cowles. Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Martin,
and Mrs. Jeffrey stopped in the aisle tor
a moments conference.
Il shall take Beatrice Cenci out of the
school" said Mrs. Jeffrey. mo child
of mine shall be under the instruction
of a teacher who writes love-letters to "a
married woman
And to think that Nh. Snow shoula
attempt 10 cover it up and excuse it,"
added Mrs. Cowles. Il don't know but
we shall be obliged to withdraw from
the church. My husband thinks thera
is a great deal of corruption among
ministers themselves, nowadays"
Certainly 40 one was better able to
detect corruption anywhere than Mr..
towles. If half the stories of his own
immoral cscapades could be relied up
on. But Mrs. Cowles' friends remained
discrectly silent on this point.
al shall not allow Cora to 90 TO the
parsonage tomorrow evening" inter
posed Mrs. Brown. II think the dis
cussion of such subjects has n most de.
m~oraiizing effect on young people. II
is n deplorable affair all round"
But when the evening came Cora did
go. More than that, to her mothers
great horror, she crossed the room ana
sat down by Jack Downs and his wife,
who sat alone together OF the long sofa,
although a great many were standing
up all around the large pariors.
This was not SO much from sympathy
with Mrs. Downs as a professional in
stinct such as that which impels n sur
geon TO investigate all sorts of patho-
logical monstrosities. She wanted to
observe for herself The ravages Of re-
morse, humiliation, and unhappy love,
the better to finish her poem.
But Mrs. Downs was as pretty, as gay,
and rs nonchalant rs ever. Once OF
twice she whispered behind her fan to
her husband. and once she actually
laughed, which 50 outraged the sensi-
bilities of the more severely virtuOus
matrons that they shuddered with hor-
ror at her audacity.
Mr.. Cotton was 4 romantic looking
young man. with disbeveled hair. and
a look of general shrewdness. He had
lately come to Pine Falls rs a teacher,
and now stood leaning against the man
tie. His romantic appearance, SO Al
t"rac!iye to the ladies, was due TO his
hair, which he wore long OF account OF
his ears, they being enormously large,
and an interesting paiior which was
caused by dyspepsia and not unhappy
love, as the young ladies supposed.
II have here" said Mr.. Snow, "a let
ter which has been n theme Of much
severe comment. The envelope is ad-
| dressed TO Mrs. Downs. and it was pick
ed up in the street by Mrs. Martins lit
tel son, who took ii TO his fathers gro-
Gerry. The contents arc in a different
~penmanship, with Mr.. Colton's name as
a signature. | will ask Mr.. Cotton 10
make an explanation. which will no
doubt be satisfactory"
satisfactory" repeated Mr.. Cowles.
with more spirit than politeness. 1T
seems to me that when a man writes in
that style to another mans wife, calling
her husband n base wretch"-here he
cast an indignant glance ut Jack Downs
land urging her to run away with him,
a satisfactory explanation is not an easy
matter"
You are mistaken, sir" answered
Mr.. Cotton. IAN explanation in this
case is very easily made. | am a men,
Der of an amateur theatrical club. and 1
wrote out my part at Mr.. Downs one
evening. copying it out Of a book OF his.
Mrs. Downs gave me an envelope from
one of her letters that lay on the table to
put the manuscript in, and | unfortu-
ualcly loSt IL ch NY WY uoLuC. i VIZ
now read the lines, if Mr.. Cowles will
look over the printed pages and see if
read them correctly"
Shamefaced, Mr.. Cowles looked Oh
while Mr.. Cotton read. with much dra
matte effort:
NV angel, fly with mel
Afar In other lands beyond the sea-,
Wen build a home sacred to love and thee.
| Snnru tho haze WFfoh VINO I'm YOUR htfmh f
Profanes the name of loye--ah, be my owDf
And heaven is not SO high, nor earth so ynsi
But that its treasures at thy feet Ill cast.
There is a full page Of ii, with m,
name signed Mt the bottom, but this viii
suffice, / think" and Mr.. Cotton coolly
sat down, while a look of CONSERVATION
went round the room.
Mrs. Downs went up to Helen Gran
and kissed her.
Thank you, dear, for your faith il
me. heard all about it, and I'll nevel
forget it as long as l live"
She looked SO gentle and girIish i,
her dainty white draperies, with tina
look of childish gratitude in her blu
eyes, that ~kind-hearted Mrs. JefFre,
went up and put her motherly arm
around her and said, with tears IN he
eyes: Forgive me-forgive as all
won't youp"
Jack answered for her: 'She forgive