Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-10-01

II should have told you yesterday, AZ soon
as I was engaged, IL / had been able. Oil
bert was anxiouc that you should know ut
once, and It was against my wishes that L
stayed a night in the Grange knowingly
keeping the truth from you"
When do you mean to get married-on
nothing, / presuIne?'
Gilbert has his professor. l have my
home, In the meantime"
you propose TO go home at once, l sup
pose?'-"Yes," l replied.
II don't see," said the old man testify,
''why / should be Inconvenience In that
way. / shall desire you to remain until l
find some one to take your place; at least,
you must give proper notice. Our arrange
ment was a purely business one; sentiment
ally, / am aware my feelings are OF no con-
sequence. Since the young gentleman Is
not my heir. they cannot and do not claim
to be considered by either OF you, of course"
They can and always will be, sir. Gill
bert Is your nephew; no quarrel can alter
that. And hearts are truer than gold"
Hilda gave a forced sarcastic laugh. Her
uncle was silent a few minutes.
"Well, Miss Thorne," he said at length,
II have heard the charge, and / have heard
your answer TO IL, which simply amounts TO
an admission Of the facts. AS you have inti-
mated, l have no power over my nephew or
you. / intend to act strictly upon our busi-
ness relationship with you, and, as regards
my nephew, having nothing further TO cut
him off from, | can do nothing. You will UNI
derstand-and he had also better understand
that you stay at the Grange TO fulfil your
engagement with Inc, which was entered in
10 before your engagement with him, and
that j shall certainly not leave him a farth-
ing when l die. Nothing | possess will be
left to either of my nephews. Now is there
anything further, Hilda, you would like me
TO say%'
II should scarcely have expected" said
Hilda calmly, that you would nave cared
10 keep In your house one who has behaved
In this manner"
Very good,' he answered. THAT Is my
own affair. keep Miss Thorne, who has
done her work as my secretary to my entire
satisfaction, as my secretary. l made no
bargain as 10 her leisure hours. IL she were
my niece, of course | should take a very diff
ferent view of the case. Anything else,
Hilda?'
Nothing"
slave you any questions to ask, Gwendo-
liner
"None," said G~wendoline, speaking for
the first time, and in a low suppressed tone.
Then, my dears, you can go back TO your
drawing-room."
They went, Hilda with a slight flush of
triumph on her cheeks, but yet not fully
satisfied. | thought. Neither the best nor
the worst she might have anticipated had
happened.
Gwendoline followed her in silence TO the
doGr; but, instead of going down to the
drawing-room, she paced up the long corri-
dor, her trailing gown, that fell from her
shoulders in graceful folds, reflected on the
polished floor and catching rays Of warm
color from the painted window.
/ proceeded straight to my own room, and
stood at the open easement looking at the
distant CLEAN of the lake.
miss Thorne!'
+. / turned. Gwendoline stood in the door
way, and spoke with ayerted eyes in the
quiet voice so unlike her short passionate
accents more often heard.
II want you to know" she said, that I
have had no hand in this. Why you shield
ed Annis / cannot tell. Our part all through
was mean and despicable, and, had / been
you, ! should have exposed the treachery
and the falseness OF il. But, even had Ino;
lived in a glass house, l would not have
thrown stones at you. Perhaps you may be
slow TO believe. l have not helped TO make
your life very pleasant here, but to this 1
could not have come, and, whether you be-
lieye me or not, | wished to tell you So"
She waited for no answer, but had gone
before l could speak.