Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-09-24
Iuestionably clever ather business. Natural.

respectful 1rankness, with this sallow-skin-
ned, crafty-looking Frenchwoman.
remember that night Mr.. Garden was at
the Orange, and i wondered whether my
prejndices were growing strong through Sc
clusion in the old house, because / disliked
more than ever his confident smile and his
easy talk. For, as days had gone on and /
saw more OF this man, my a~ntagonism grew
frmer. The idea that Mr.. Gascoigne's Sc
crets were confided 10 him was hateful To
me; and he never lost an opportunity of re-
Winding me that everything knew and
more besides was known TO him, that We
were In league as the old mans informers
while l felt certain that on his part con
fdences' was but another word for lies. I
knew that he and Mathilde had met more
than once as he was leaving the Grange.
and i presumed she was also a spy. either
in the service OF Mr.. Gascoigne or Mr.. Car
den-the latter, / faneied, for Mr.. Gascoigne
had a hatred Of everything foreign. and
would not, i thought. with all his eccap-
tricity, sink 80 low as TO encourage the tale
bearing OF a servant.
j said nothing OF what / saw. Anything
was preferable 10 taking part in the detesta-
bic and to me insupportable system OF espl-
onage maintained over the three uncon-
sc.ous girls and the nephews OF Mr.. Gas
coigne. | could convey no warning 10 them
without breaking my promise to my en-
ployer.
As ! look back, l almost wonder how |
bore ih0se dreary evenings, the perpetual
chess Of which / was sick, and which seem.
ed TO have absorbed almost all the faculties
and senses Of the old man. and | began 10
thfnE lnnatfpaaa ,rantl 81. q -
1t chained my thoughts and my mind for
hours, while behind the play lurked the
figures OF those who were 10 be checkmated
intbe game Of life-my friends. Once and
again " seems TO me even yet hat j must
go back into that wainscoted parior, and sit
down by the Queen Anne chess-table, in the
~high-backed chair, and watch the thin white
hands OF my master poised over the ivory
pieces, or the fire in the great hearth with
the history OF Joseph on the tiles, the gloomy
tapestry, and the shining armor, and the
dark treacherous face Of Crawford Garden.
In those days a nervous dread OF Garden
crept over me. / shrank from the touch OF
his hand, and detested the sound Of his
voice.
II fear" he said softly one night, as he
parted from me at the door to 90 his wind
ing way through the shrubbery-'I fear Mr..
Gascoigne Is getting angered with his nleces,
Miss Hilda and Miss Annis. Poor girls.
We must pity them, Miss Thorne. Is IL TO
be wondered at that they should not always
do what Is wise? Do you think the old gen.
tleman is seriously vexed with them%'
Il know nothing" answered. What
right you have To speak in this way of the
Miss ~Farquhars | do not know"
Perhaps you are wise, my dear Miss
ThOrne. We cannot be too cautious how
we speak, for WI might be heard. We who
have nothing 10 conceal must be careful for
the sakes Of those who have much"
lie laid sinister emphasis on the last SEN
tence; but | was not alarmed. did not be-
lieve he, with all his craft, knew of the
meetings by the lake in Gabriel's Walk, nor
did | greatly care.
My worst fear / fought against for long;
but at last il had to be acknowledged. Craw-
ford Garden was trying to weave his tolls
round me, To make me a victim Of his hand
some face, his fiattery, his fair speeches, his
soft voice. He was a clever man, skilful,
audacious, INSCRIPTIONS. l was a young
ignorant girl. II my heart had been still
free and untouched as when | came to the
Grange, / cannot be sure that his constant
efforts would not have been successful, and
/ might in different circumstances have been
brought 10 fancy myself in love with him,
lonely as | was, and seeing him night after
night in the presence of only the eccentric
old man who reposed his strange secrets in
US. In love with him, All, Heaven help
the woman who should love Crawford Car
den!
Why should he trouble to entanele me?
Was il merely pour pdsser d temps, or only
the desire to tirt with any woman who came
In his way, heightened perhaps by the an
tagonism he must have pereeiyed n my
himself into Mr.. Gascoigne's favor, and sup
plant the three helpless girls, as he had al
ready helped 10 Gust the two young men,
one of whom was now his partner.
was safe from all his compliments and
his snares, because / had given away my
heart TO one worthy of its devotion. l had
learned TO love Gilbert Gascoigne; and, as
the shadows Of the old Grange grew darker
and the whispers OF coming evil louder, he
stood out brighter and clearer In an atmos-
phere of sunshine and truth and beauty,
and, while 1 was with him, the haunting
figure Of Garden and the whispers of the old
oak room faded and died away.
Yet these two men, different as night and
day, were partners. In Gardens business
Gilbert had invested all the fortune he had.
i chafed and fretted at the thought but that
was, woman-like, all l could do. Gilbert,
in his young trusting light-heartedness,
laughed at my prejudice, and, so far as
knowledge went, my lips were sealed.
There was never a spring like that spring,
never a leafy June like that one in which
my love unfOlded. / could not help but love
Gilbert Gascoigne; and, before l we'll knew
why the days had grown so bright, why life
was so sweet, and why | loved the lake and
the low gray wall and the narrow lane, l
learned that he loved me.
"How can you care for me?" 1 said to him.
''What is there In me that you can loye?"
There was none like him in the whole
world; but what was that l could be
worthy OF him?
"You are the dearest and best and lowell
est woman on earth TO me, ViOla.' he an-
swered.
.But | am not lovely, like Hilda, nor
clever, nor rich. l wish l werer'
"Dear, l do not want you like Hilda. do
not want you different from what you are;
and | would not change your dark eyes and
your frank face for all the golden hair and
all the heiresses in London. | cannot live
without you, Viola! Look up and tell me
Thai you care a little bit for me-"
And | told HIM falteringly that l did love
him.
II do not think you conld deceive me-"
he said, his earnest eyes on my face. There
Is truth in your eyes" And i looked up
suddenly and asked him a question.
..If you should find any time-tha: I had
deceived you-that l had concealed any
thing from you, would you cease to love
mey'
IL was q passing thought of Crawford Car
den Which rose up IN my mind. Even then
the memory Of him seemed to bring a fore
bodlng of evil that he, Gilbert's pa,tner,
might do us.
Il can trust you" he said, smiling.
There was no foldness for mystery or
secrecy about my lover; he was loyal and
upright and true. I was to tell Mr.. Gas
colgne Of my engagement that same after
noon, and was to return to my Owl home
until the few months had elapsed in which
the marriage arrangements might be made.
Il am not a rich man. Viola" he said;
but we shall have enough, and it will not
take me long to get a home at Norbury ready
for ma hr,.Ia