Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-11-05

ttANts NINA WI htA1 " NFN III W WI WI .
IF you only knew 1 cried. Gilbert,
lave pItyl tell You. as truly n, II-aven j.
above us, that, II YOU knew. you would not
blame me for a moncnt!'
III 20, you would TELL RE. What sh1tsd
keep you silent? Don't you understand
what this Il 10 me? 1 have loved yon as stem.
dpriy and a. pass.Onateiy rs ever man loved
a woman. II yoa had told me IL was NOS
you whom ] saw last night, | should have
believed y0u in spite OF all that ! have hearl.
Yes, | have been waracd; but / lyel and
trusted on. But with y0nr own liTs you NC
knowledge that ii was you-yOlan d Garden.
Ttere can be only one meaning to It,"
what can say? Gilbert. YOU are unidst
lnl cruel, and yet ! know. If you Will MT
ynl ~ condemn va. W.,
helpless last night; I cannos def'ai myself.
| ain helpless now. BIZ. | have done noti-
ing wrong. ] hate Crawford Garden! l have
never had a iIOlght di,lOral to YOU"
Ideas OF right anl Loyalty d fer STRANGE
~" he said, In 4 tola which stabbed mi u
the heart. Did you no. meet by appoint
Iuent? Did lac not give you a bundle OF let
terS?'
"Yes."
"And those letters were the letters that
had PASSED between Your
"No, nor
Thea whose were they?'
81 canno tell yot."
Letters hat bad passed between you"
he repeated. You had persuaded him 10
return them 10 yon. s..iLed at last with some
thought Of me-. You succeeded in dcce!yiEg
10th of us with yGur dark eyes and your
soft voice. He must have known yOu were
engaged 10 me. unless indeed he was the
first you duped. / suppose the love of one
man is not enough for a I'M Now you
can have the satisfaction OF knowing that
you have spoiled my life!'
In misery and despair | wrang my hands.
Gilbert, you cannot think so OF me!I
cried.
But he never looked back nor needed; and
i was left alone.
| stood still, and stared at a great fern
near me, aud noticed how ii was .errated
and how II was gemmed with yellow spores.
Sense and feeling must have left me utterly.
For a time that seemed hours | could not
think, | could NOT move; and then 4 violent
shudder seized me. and | sank down ON the
little iron chair and burst into q miserable
wild food Of tears. There was no ray OF
hope or help. The more | thought of it all,
the more | recognised that nothing could
help me now. Reason and sense were all
on Gilbert's side; there was only love to
speak for me.
How could | expect he should trust me
after what he had seem? I had been betray-
ed, | had been laniered. and ] cHuld DO
nothing to save myself. For Gwendoline's
sake / could not report what l had done; /
knew of no other way 10 help her. Ny lie
would have been a cheap exchange for her
happiness; but this was worse 10 bear than
death.
For the rest Of that day Gilbert stayed
away from the Grange. When he next
came, | would, / told myself, plead with
I him till he must believe: love must have
power and would convince at last. IL lie
really cared for me-, he would not believe
even his eyes before my word; and, il he
did not believe me, | wolld go away and
hide myself for ever, so that he should have
the Grange.
But he did not come. The nest day mote
in lis writing was brought to me from the
lodge.
colbert has gone up 10 London, Uric
saws" Annis told me as | took the letter.
IL suppose only for q day or so on business
and he has written to tell you about it.
Living next door. we don't get many love-
letters, do we, Viola? So ii Is as well for
him to seize any opportunity"
drew away from her into the deep win
, dow-recess, and with trembling fingers broke
the seal-the Gascolgne seal, a mailed arm;
but no mailed arm could have struck me a
heavier blow than the words OH the paper
within.
IL have been thinking II all over" he beyan
-'ali that mas happened. of what you said 10
me. You SAID | WAS unjust and cruel. Per-
haps So. cannot remember what ! sn.d." /
could have tod him tvery word was turned
INTO my mt morv. But IL was because ! lov-
ed you so well: ! could not bear the thought
that sou were false. ] have tried TO be moro
Just. l do not ,hink now that you meant 10
be false. believe you would stiiI have mar.
ricd me. and thought even IL was for my
coed. 20 give me the Grange. But I has been
a terrible III stake, Niols. | give you your
liberty, thankful that | know In time 10 pre-
vent lfe,ong misery TO both of ia. i viii not
speak Of Garden; bun. 4 he makes you happy.
Iwi try by-ind-by TO forgive MIN. DO not
imagine ] grudeo you the Orange. Ii is you
aud on alone ] ~gruire. shall never inter
fcIe with you; pcrhars shat never sec you
TO 90; hut ! lhink OF going out 20 Egypt with
a frieEd. l cave yen TO say what you Ike. l
have said roth nx, except TO tell I re that /
rad ma cf r 20 SHIRE in IA expedition 10
Egypt which ] thought OF accepting. Good
~"GILBERr GAsCoIGNE"
Viola, what Is the matter? Are You Ill,
dear? Is there bad news? But no-UIric
would have told me. What is itY'
tired to nerve myself, TO be calm and
composed.
''rlle matter? Why do you think any
thing is the matter, Annis!" | inquired.
You turned so white. There must be
something wrong, dear, your voice sounds
so strange. Won't you tell me what it is?'
| shrank back from the touch Of the gem
tie little hands that were laid on my arm. l
...-. 49,. t4.-ls - ~. n.I -
sweet voice brought choking sobS 10 my
throat.
| made an effort to smile, q CHASTITY effort
enough, | dare say.
''iIe Is going away" ! said. ale has been
pressed 10 join sons friends who are going
to Egypt"
1 could not tell the truth. i could o bear
TO think he had really left me. lie must
come back.
'Ob, Violar' cried Annis. "Gilbert-Gil-
~bert-going away! l wonder he never told
us-I wonder il Uric knows. But, if he
goes, he will come back. to bid you good
bye.
III don't thlpk so.''
II shouldn't ike Uric to 90 off in that
way; but you know men never like a fuss.
Perhaps it's best, dear. He wanted to go,
and he was afraid you wou!d object, i ex-
pect.'
did not nswer
But | am surprised. 1t seems so strange
he should go suddenly and keep itquiet like
this. Poor Viola! / don't wonder you felt
rather queer; | know l should Ii Uric went
SO far away! But never mind; he will send
You loads of letters, and bring you back q
heap of pretty th.r.;s."
Later In the day she cross-examlned Uric.
And do you know. dear" she Old me,
.'Gilbert had explained TO Uric. l fancy it
is a very nice opportunity, and he had
! though it better not TO let you know till the
very last. And Uric thinks" she added,
lowering her voice u little-"Ulric thinks
that it is perhaps rather a good thing. You
see uncle's will being so queer put him in
an awkward I~osition. He has nothing to
do here. and no home; so Uric says he had
better travel a bit until you can get mar
ried."
Does Uric think that was his Gilbert's
reason
Annis nodded wisely.
".And / expect Gilbert told Uric every
thing, more than he could very we'll explain