Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-04-29

He brought out small phial, and poured
into Il from bottle he took out Of locked
cupboard small quantity Of liquid. Then
he put on the accustomed label announcing
IL was poison.
"You will be very careful with 1t, ma'am,"
he said. There Is enough TO kill two peo-
pie even in this small bottle"
"We only want to kill dog, OF course"
she answered sweetly. And here Is Miss
Moore. Ruth dear, have obtained what
we wanted. DO You need anything elseg'
"No, 1 think not" replied Ruth.
And they left the shop together, the as
sistant bowling them out with the grace OF
an ancient chevalier troubled with corns.
1t was not until they were out OF sight
that he remembered he had forgotten TO OBJ
tain Vida's signature In the ''Sales of Pol
son" book In accordance with statute i'm
Parliament made and provided.
But 1t can't matter with people like
that" he thought. Lord, how handsome
they both are! IL had ten thousand year,
l."
But II would not bear thinking of. He
had not ten thousand, nor one hundred, and
In kind OF frenzy he seized hold OF the
pestle and mortar and pounded nothing for
ten minutes just TO let the steam off.
Vida, not entirely unconscious OF the ef-
feet of her beauty OH the chemists assis-
tant, but supremely Indifferent to II, drove
home with Ruth, chatting gaily, but with
the fell purpose Of murder in her heart.
Asa lie often necessItates another. so
crimes Of a deeper dye have their following.
The crime from which Basil suffered led
10 the Staying of Bardolph Dmsey, and now
for her safety she must remove Phoebe.
"Pll bury every atom of my secret in the
grave" she said TO herself, and II score OF
people had stood In her way she would
readily have sacrificed them all.
AS they drove up to Gordonfells the boy
with the afternoon post-bag appeared.
Barker, the butler, was standing at the
door to receive II, and with his accustomed
air Of solemn importance took it into the
hall and unlocked Ii.
'0ne for you, miss" he said 10 Ruth land
two for Mr.. Moore-that Is ALL"
What fearful scrawl r. exclaimed Ruth,
examining an envelope addressed to her In
struggling hand
Some begging letter. said Vida con-
temptuously, and passed upstairs to her
room.
She had not been there ten minutes, when
Ruth with wild light in her eyes appeared.
She held the letter with one hand, and the
other pressed to her beating heart.
Child" said Vida, what Is the matter
with you?"
"Close the doorw gasped Ruth. II have
secret TO tell you. / must confide In some
body or must die. But only ourselves must
know itw
Vida closed the door, and as an additional
precaution locked il. Then turning TO Ruth,
she asked again:
What Is the matter with your
"Basil-my own Basil, is aliye-and true
TO me p said Ruth, In tones that went like
daggers to the heart Of the listener.
"Impossiblew said Vida. "He was mur
dered."
You may think So"
Everybody says So" returned Vida.
But listen. this Is from him-here inside
It is his own handwriting. but the direction
another wrote, because he cannot come to
me yet"
1T is all delusion. Somebody Is impos-
ing upon you, Ruth"
mo, no. Listen:
"My OWN, own DARLING L am alive, but
! cannot come 10 yon yet. Believe and trust
in me. Wait! shall soon be free. | write
TO ease your loving heart. Mine will ache
until meet you.
Keep my living secret, or II you must
tell anyone, let II he Vida. who is dear
friend TO us both. Trust In ne. ! shall not
fail. Your loving and devoted, BASIL"
There, there" said Ruth, with wild
eagerness, ''you see he is true. Look, 1t is
his writing. Look, Vida, loOk''
Il tell YOU" cried Vida, half beside her.
self with amazement and terror, that ii Is
impossible. The grave does not give up IFS
dead.
VINO says that he is in his grayew asked
Ruth triumphantly, ''Oh, Vida, do not try
TO cl.sl this happy hour. Basil is alive and
loves me, and is true. Oh, let Inc rest in
your arms, for am bowed down by weight
Of my joy.'
Let me look at the letter" said Vida.
Ruth gave Ii to her and knelt at her fee,
with tears OF happiness running down hei
cheeks. Vida looked at the paper and saw
that Ii was indeed BasIl's writing, or I
splendid forgery of it, better than she her
self had ever been guilty of.
This does not tally with his last letter
your valentine" she said.
The last was "A forgery and cheat" +" sob
bed Ruth, II used TO think so, but am sur'
of IL now. have only to wait for Basil ant
he will come TO me-
Vida's brain was in turmoil. She coult
not believe IL to be true. But If Basil hat
not written that letter from whom did /
emanate?
Can have committed another forgery
In my sleep?' she thought, and with hasty
movement took the envelope from Ruth's
other hand. 1t bore only the postmark o.
Gordonfells.
1T must be So" she thought with sigl
of relief; Il have taken TO writing and post
ing letters in my dreams-but IL not, car
Basil be alive? If so, may not Bardolph
live also? Am awake or dreaming, or an
going mad?"
Then she looked down at Ruth, who wa,
brushing away her tears and looking up.
"R'lth," she said, Il will keep your secre
well, and mind you keep 1t too-untll Basil
comes"
"when he comes--oh, what Joy, Vidav'
"Yes, Ruth. what JOY! But it is too much
for you. Lie down on my bed little whil
and compose yourself"
She gently forced her upon the couch, an,
leaving her, turned to the letter again. Scan
ming the envelope closer she saw some col
orless raised letters on the fiap-the nam,
OF the stationer who sold it.
Brown and Jones, York." she murmur
ed, THAT Is no envelope of mine or anybod,
here. Basil Is alive!'
With fierce gesture she turned to Ruth
who lay with her eyes closed, as II asleep
But he shall never claim YOU" she mur
INJURED; II will spare the maid, and 1T tn
last moment kill the mistress. After tina
they may do with me what they please
She went to the window and sat down
The landscape without was bright and fair
but she saw nothing, mist was before he
eyes.
"Bardolph deceived me-" she muttered
''he was not dead. and the fool paid th'
penalty of his deceit. Do l regret Shat sin
No; not as live, and will 20 ON. Basi
shall never claim his BRIDE"
CHAPTER XII.
ANOTHER LETTER.
How Ruth managed to keen her secret 1