Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-11-12
"A Dangerous Game.
pY THE AuTnoR OF my DEAREST HE Anr."

carriage came to the porch, she got In and
drove away, without one look back at the
beautiful home she was leaving.
But Annis, who was going with her, c'uny
to me and cried, and said 1t would break her
heart TO leave me; and why could she not
be married from the Grange? And then Size
smiled aud laughed, and declared how de-
lightful it would be when she could come
and see me and / pay visits to her, and we
should always be near each other.
watched the carriage drive down the
broad gravel way, Annis looking from the
window until she could see me no longer. L
tracked it along the road til IL rounded the
lake and became only a dark spotin thedis-
lance, and / could hear the wheels no more.
Then, with q rising, choking sob, / turned
away into the great dark hail, with its
armor and antlers and beautiful groined
roof, and the dreary empty house. All were
gone-Gilbert. ~GwandOline, Aunis--and l
was alone. SO short a time ago that every
thing appeared like n dream l had come, a
simple companion to the Old master Of this
glorious Grange now was its owner. Then
| was full Of hope, life seemed all in future;
now | was full of despair, life seemed all in
the past.
Invent TO my desk and got out pen and
paper to write one last word TO Gilbert.
Your cousins I wrote. "have just left tho
Grange for London. Gwendoline has sailed
for india. Itoo shnll leave here Tomorrow,
and set fcot IN ST. GabficGs Grange no more.
II you would take IL, and set mo frec from
tic burden of my trust. | might have peace.
and some day perhaps you will earn that you
have m.s undcI stood; tut j shall trouble you
with no more letters after this one. leave
! directions that the house Ehall bc kept In per-
| foot order and Ned in readiness Tor your
/ homecoming. II will 30 stay until you come.
whether you return now or wait until 1 am
dead.
Always unchanged arh eh annRS,r
Annis knew / was 10 leave that next day.
She had begged hard that would stag, and
let her remain with me; and perhaps she
thought Ire unkind 20 refuse.
1T is quite natural You should want to go
hOme-I know il IS" she sad. But II L
could only have stayed with you. NiOla!'
had 10 heart to tea her that Gilbert and
/ were parted for ever; j knew how amazed
and indignant she would be, what questions
she would pour upon me, with what loving
sympathy she would surround me, and L
could not bear it. Every one would learn
soon enough.
| suppose the servants must have thought
my manner a litsle st~range-pOssibly they
talked among themselves; but | did not
notice them. and indeed 10 me they main
tanned always the same quiet respectful de-
meanor. So | gave my simple orders, and
packed my small wardrobe, and wandered
all day through the big desOlate rooms, gaz-
ing az the azure ana or of the Gascoigne
arms in the loZenge-pancd, deep-sunk win
dOws, pacing the long ~Oak-pane'led cor
ridorS, walking up and down the long apart
ments, with their tapestries and furniture
and rich cOlors, where the GaScoigne's an
cestOrs looked down repr0achfully and con
temptuous,y at the small dark creature WHO
had no right or place among them.
| had strayed once more into Mr.. Gas
coigne's room, and was standing beside the
little chess-table and the larke leather arm
chair. when the servant sought ms out, G'd
said that Mr.. Garden wished 10 speak Will
me.
II will not see him." | answered quickly,
Tell him / canuot."
The maid went away; but In q few min
ut-s she returned with q slip Of folded pa
per. on which wa written
Lot mc SEQ you, | beg for five minutes. ]
IS Tie iGst Tine. ] have something imporlan
TO say. DO not refuse for your own sake
4 moment more / hC.tated WHITTIER
would see the me- who had ruined my hap
pine.s. Did he know that he had done 30
Did he guess the true meaning OF Gilbert
hasty journey? | was only a girl; and
girl is so easily deceived by 4 man who pro
fesSes TO love her. | did not believe in m
heart that Crawford Garden had any truI
love for me. / dislikcd linn more than ever
Was not his conduct with regard 10 Gwen
doline enough to blacken him In any wo
mans eyes? But still | knew /! had beci
pursued no farther than the verge OF folly
No credit to himl No, / did not credit hi
pr.te ,]tations: | knew he hadl lied. Aud sc
those pr1tcstatiuuS remained in my memory
and | thought. il he had one spark OF honor
4ouni he not let G,lbart know was limo
cent Gilbert might believe him, though h
had not believed ma. lie coud hardly II
fuse 10 believe assurance from Alr. Cdr!eu'
own lips.
SO | went downstairs into the drawing
room to see Crawford Garden.
He crossed the room to meet me, smilin
under his black muOstache and a fash O
triumph in his eyes.
This is kind of you,"hc said. Il hope
you would not refuse
You have something important 10 say?
| asked directly.
Eyes, indeed. Can you not guess what
l., NiolaF'
You have no right to address me in tina
way. Nh. Garden; il is reserved for III
friends"
'Forg.vc me. / thought you knew me {
be one of them long ago. did not mean I
vex you. You have not forgotten wha
passed between US at our last me1ting"!
as that likely?'
! NO. | know il Is not. You were angr
4 with me then-you would not listen 10 me
\ and You have been angry with me eve
since. thinkin, that through me Gilbert Ga
A coigne has gone away. Is that not so"
.Icame to hear what you had to tell m,
Mr.. Garden, not to argue points with you.
'Ah, YOU canno: deny it! | am not su
pr,sed; it is So natural ON your partto settl
things thus. But it IS not the truth. | mu
= sp: ak frankly. Miss Thorne, whether ] o
fend or not. / have to tell you the truth, an
/ fear ii will b. unpleasant; but it Is rigl
you should know"
Tell me the truth, by all means. New
mind The unpleasantness-that, l suppos
will be for me-
Gilbert Gascoigne, then, left you becau:
he thinks he can get the Grange withol
marrying you. 1t has nothing to do wit
you and me-that is the pref XXI. The oth'
Is the real motive. You are very angr.
perhaps you DO not believe me-
II do not~
81 admire you the more for 1t. But listei
/ came TO tell You for yous W sake; W
had better know now than later, and, 500
or or later, you must face the fact. l WI
Gilbert Gascoigne's partner; l told III
frankly ! thought Mr.. Gascoisne might I
yor you Ia his will. though naturally al
not guess the extent. He courted yoh 10 y
g~ratiate himself, met you secretly while ]
knew |, with his unele's sanction, was tr
ing to win YOU for my wife. Nc coaht ye
suppose my reasons were no better than ID
Wait a biz. Mr. Gascoigne Gies;you are h
hairoce -