Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-02-08

ton hastily interrupted him, his suayity
giving place to rage.
do not deny the charge Of unlawfnlly
.harboring an infant in the sight of the law.
Sir, / demand that my ward be given up Mt
once to my just authority"
"And / refuse 10 give her up 10 n who
has outraged every tie Of honor. ] consider
your contkct TO that defeaceless girl scam
dalous in an extreme. There Is no court In
England that would not release her from so
debasing a guardianship. / would rather
die than give her up TO a bondage that dis
honors her SEX"
How dare you speak so 10 me, sir? /
will make you prove this dastardly accIsa-
ton. Who with any sense would credit the
vile fabrications Of an hysterical girl, who,
In a ct Of childish temper, chooses 10 fling
aside the restraint society puts upon her.
and wanders away from home like a com
mon tramp or a gypsy wench, such as you
once picked out from her native mire?'
"YOur immoderate speech betrays your
own base heart; you insult yourself more
than you do me. Your ward was driven
from home by your insults. Your W con-
science is the best accuser; / see by your
towards eyes you know / speak the truth.
II you are sensible you will go away in ST.
lence, and leave your ward where she Is"
II am not quite an idiot, Mr.. Penfold.
You are a young man, and may like to play
the part OF a Don Juan. Unjust protect M
ward from such unfair influence. Where
Is she? Insist upon seeing her. She has
given me trouble enough, l must assert my
authority. You know Of course that she Is
under age?'
II know that IL she were Of age you wonld
not rule n moment nj Castle Cover. You
cannot see her; she has been very III, and Is
in no fit state to see anyone. She gave me
4 message, which was that she will not EN-
ter Castle Cover while you are there"
"1ll health Is only a paltry excuse; she
must and shall return II ! have to take her
away by force
'.You would have TO lift her over my dead
body If you carried her away by force"
'tSir, | nave no time to handy words with
you. Let me see my ward at once. 1 hare
authority, and evidently must exert it,"
II tell you she is i~ll-totally unfit to be
bothered by you. She is not a child, aud she
STAYS here nj her own desire"
II have only your bare word for that"
The door opened slowly and Dorothy err.
tered, q light in her eyes Pierce had never
seen before. She toyed with the jeweled
cross at her neck with the hand that was
adorned by her fathers masonic ring.
The two men looked at her as though she
was 4 being from another word.
Pierce said entreatingIy:
For Gcd's sake. go to your room, Dor
othy, and leave me 10 deal with this man
alone!'
Il will go, Pierce, when / have told him
that | stay here of my own free will. You
sa ed me from being frozen to death; my
life, my love, are yours. i am your promis-
cd wife, by that jear bond l beg You to pro-
tect me from that mans misuse1 power
He has tried TO make me a shame TO my sex
lie has betrayed every tie OF truth, ant
friendship.
''To save myself from worse than death
left my home to wander away l knew no
whittier. until you foCnd me, half-dead II
the snow-drift, when he made me desperate
By the wicked wrong he would have wrough
me had | been q weaker woman"
Dorothy looked hardly earthly, as sh'
stood like an accusing angel before the maj
her dead mother had counted as a Kin.
among his fellows, and his bold eyes droCi
ed beneath the scornful FIRE of hers. Hi
voice was hoarse as he Kissed:
You must come home with me that MAJ
has a wife already"
at is false! Oh, P.erca, my darling, tel
him il is false" she cred in agonised &c
cents as she sank upon her knees befor'
them"
Pierce took her hand kindly, and, assist
ing her 10 rise, said:
ggNI- 4 -as 4 hnA n xrIfa by,t tiaa Ia Ia ba
freed me from her for ever, or l should no
have dared to sue for this dear hand, Stan'
up, my love, and keep a brave heart, no on
shall harm YOU"
"But yourself, | suppose, sir. Don't lister
to him, Dorothy, he is telling an untruth.
saw his wife but a few days ago"
You saw my wife, as YOU choose TO ca,
her-you saw Alison Lee? For the love o
mercy tell me quickly, bad she my litti
child with her? Where is she??
Horace Middleton laughed unp.easantly
while Dorothy bent forward, her lips apart
her hands claSped, as though TO d 70 tn
fathers entreaty.
Il knowing nothing of the child. tn
mother Is q fine woman, with plenty o
spirit in her. She told me where to find m
truant ward. Come, Dorothy, be quick an
sensible: the carriage is outside, puton you
cloak and come. have no time TO spare.
II will not come-wild horses should no
drag me back 10 the awful fate you wish I
doom me TO-"
You would rather stay as this mans mis-
tress. since you cannot be his wife. But
will not allow you TO drag the name yor
mother bore with honor into the dust. Come
j say; II you will not shall carry YOU"
Lay not a finger on her, IL you vain
yonr life, and beg her pardon on your knee
for the insult you have offered her befor
me. Down, l say, or / Will force you, yo
cowardly liar!"
Pierce threw himself upon him, and ;rie
to force him down on his knees. Blows wer
struck, and curses exchanged, when a qute
vo.ce said calmly:
Gentlemen, gentlemen, you are reall
too cid 10 play at leap-frog, and before
lady too. Come away, my dear"
DR.. Steel hastily led Dorothy out of tn
room. then returned and said, as he tried I
part the two combatants:
Come, gentlemen, you can't keep all til
fun to yourselves. / like a fight rs well {"
ANYBODY; 90 and have ii out I'm the road, th
servants will hold your hats aud enjoy th
fun. It's greedy TO keep all the excitemen
bottled up IN n bit of a place like this"
BY dint Of much struggling and getting
few blows, the doctor succeeded in partin
the two men, who glared at each other lik
two bulldogs when their collars are twiste
to choke them of.
Gentlemen, l do believe I've got IA
worst OF the battle, the moral of which Il
never NEEDLE with what may not concer
yourself Now I have a word to say Will
you pull yourselves together, and that
that If this row Is about Miss Cover, as he
medical man, l say She Is In no fit state (
be removed. Nowsc can't you brother-mason
come to termsT'
Il would never treat with such a scour
drel," said Pierce.
'My remedy is in the hands Of the law,
said Horace Middleton.
Then let it remain there; the remed
may prove worse than the disease. MI
Middleton, leave your ward in my hand:
Pierce, dear boy, show the gentleman tn
door,"
"But I refuse to go unless my.ward goe
with me-"
Refusal Is ridiculous; an Englishman'
house Is his castle, he can kick you out. RI
member Miss Covers horse, are wait ns
don't prove an unjust reward"
Horac, Middleton went white; DIR. Stee
had said the last words with q strange SIC
nifcance that made the man vince.