Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-10-08
"viola.o she said. "come,y

that be did not try to avoid her, as might
hayt been expected from his secret visits,
but stopped, and, as i came up, l heard him
say
"What does this meanr"
at means hat / am taking an evening
walk, Mr.. Garden" she answered cOldly-
and 1 did not wonder at the coldness-"with
my friend, Miss Thorne."
ITO be sure !" he answered at once. VERY
pleasant, Is it not? Good evening to you,
Miss Thorne. j hope you will sec that Lady
Martin does not stay out long enough to take
cold. Miss Thorne and / are not quite
strangers, Lady Martin"
II suppose not-so much the worse for
Miss Thorne."
II trust she does not agree with you" said
he, laughing lightly. "Do you think you are
wise to remain out here while the dew Is
falling? Ladies are apt to be thoughtless
when stars and evening-breeZes are the al
lurements. You are shivering now. Will
you fetch Lady Martin a wrap from the
house, Miss Thorneg'
Miss Thorne will do nothing of the kind"
said Lady Martin. what will effectually
preserve us both from shiyering is walking.
Don't let us detain you, Mr.. Garden; it Is a
long way to Norbury. Good night"
Good night" he responded, holding out
his hand, which she either did not or feign-
ed not 10 see.
"Viola,' she said, after a silence of sever
al minutes, while we walked on, Il hate
that man. know he is a spy upon my
movements; but / cannot speak. Remem-
Der, 1 hate him."
IF you know what he is" / said, ''you
r,,ybt 20 lt,nxu aton that ynt,r tnaiI Nafhil1a
is IN his fdsJ BaS; ! haye seen her meet him
She gave me a curious, searching, intent
look; in the half darkness her eyes cleaned
like fire. j felt she was trembling all over.
us she"'-and she laughed harshly. II
am going in. / am cold"
A sudden strange fear seized upon me.
What did IL mean? knew not what it was
that / feared; but mechanically / followed
Gwendoline into the house, and mechanic
ally went upstairs TO Mr.. Gascoigne. We
played at chess until an unusually late hour.
As soon "a he dismissed me, / sought Annis,
and intricacies of squares and mates, kings
bishops, and queens knights still thronged
In a haze about my brain, as though they
were the living present difficulties of life.
Annis was sitting In her bedroom reading,
NdltAhA " IiNI W Jill Atl bh' ilhAl
herself unfastened her hair, which hung like
a yellow veil Of floss-silk around her pretty
fair face, and she had put on her white
wrapper, and thrust her feet into ribbon
decked pink wool slippers.
She was engrossed in her book, but look
ed up with a smile to greet me. We had
had many a pleasant little talk at that hour
in the room, two fond and happy girls as we
,.... Il, tha Iaptha Of amx 1n,n', -...
dream, with the future all in a golden glory
before us; but tonight / had not come for
this pleasant chat.
"Annis," / said, Twill you tell me some
thing about Lord Martin Pomeroy. When
Is he coming back?'
Lord Martini" echoed Annis. what
makes you ask, Viola?'
Never mind that answered. II am
curious, | suppose. Is it wonderful, when
he Is Gwendoline's husband? Why Is he in
India and she in England"
Annis's bright face clouded a little, and a
thoughtful shade came into the downcast
eyes.
II cannot tell you much" she said slow
~. "Gwendoline became engaged to him
while | was ut school, and when they were
in London, the season after their marriage,
they were always out a great deal, and |
didn't see much OF them. When he got this
Indian appointment, she did not warA to go,
and he consented TO leave her.l think he made
it a condition that she should come and live
here with us; and she had been fond Of So
ciety, so she finds it dull"
why did she not van to go to Indiag'
'They said," Annis answered hesitating-
~, lit was her health; but, Viola, | am
afraid their marriage was not very happy"
| had expected as much. Poor Gwendo-
In4-L-Ih did 4nt answer. and nresanflv An
II hate TO think so; il seems wrong to
fancy such a thing, and no one has ever said
as much. | was so proud Of G~wendoline,
so anxious she should be happy, and we al
ways declared she would marry some one
great and grand. In those days, you know"
Annis added, with q fleeting smile, I'VE
used to think grandeur and happiness in
separable; and 10Y / think ], the plain one
OF the family, am going TO be the happiest."
Don't you think Hilda will be happy%?
'Oh, she will be a Countess and rich!
Lord Ormsby is not a bad fellow, and l think
he quite fulfls her ambition. He worships
her, and can cover her with diamonds. But
Gwendoline Is different; she wants some
thing more"
And Lord Martini"
IL don't know" said Annis. 81 never
could understand it. She had plenty. of adj
mirers, and he was a good match from the
worlds point Of view, and is really good and
fond of her. Yes, | am sure Martin Is algood
man. But they could not have parted IL
they had been fond of each other. Is 1t not
sad, Violag"
Ay, sad enough, / thought, IL matters re-
NAMED as they were. But would they? My
sleep was broken and uneasy that night. L
was wondering what / could do to help
Gwendoline, bordering what knew, and
piecing il with what | only feared, until l
scarcely knew what wa real, whether there
was any ground for the supposition that
there was any secret understanding between
her ard Garden as to his visits-what Ii was,
how far it went. He was false and treact-.
erous, he was Clever and INSCRIPTIONS; and
/ dreamed brokenly Of his smiling hand
some face, the ~shrubbery and moonlight,
shadowy rooms and desperate chess-prob-
lens, bishops gambits and knights attacks,
with confused visions of Gilbert and Gwen
doline, Mathilde and Mr.. Gascoigne in I'M
possible situations; then of being held back
struggling intensely, by an unseen power /
knew was Crawford Garden, while Gwendo-
line, with the s~atirical laugh knew so well,
threw herself into the dark waters of the
lake.
/ woke daZed and weary, with aching
head, and, before / had shaken sleep OFF
thoroughly, my still torpid brains were
reused to more definite trouble than the
vague alarm for Gwendoline. Annis came
into my room, pale and frightened.
'Uncle Richard Is very I'LL, Viola! They
SEM for the doctor an hour ago. Wilkins
says he has had a ltP'
For a month after that the life Of the
master of st. Gabriel's Grange hung on a
thread. An able doctor from London was
sent for; we had a hospital nurse, and either
Gwendoline or | was always near him. He
was surrounded by every care, and all that
could be done for him was done.
think we hardly knew how much the
secluded old man, with his strange ~fancies,
his curt speeches. had entered into the lives
of all OF us until he lay Ill and helpless. He
was not unconscious, and his mind remain
ed wonderfully acute and clear. One day
he called me TO his side.
"You remember what told youp' he said.
IF I am not here TO remind you-not till