Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-02-10
A DOUBLE TREACHERY.
ADAPTED NJ u. X
CHAPTER v.

number Of guests at the Oaklands. They
were chiefly vulgar rich people, and among
them no one who especially interested
Sylvia. The days were beginning to
shorten perceptibly. and the sportsmen
were glad to hasten back from the covers,
and. after hurried toilet, to join the
ladies' in the well-lighted drawing rooms.
AMMO Speed was very reserved and
uuiet-this ill-assorted assemblage was
distasteful to her; but Sylvia was quite
in her element. Her complexion and eyes
were more than ordinarily brilliant, and
she excited great and openly-displayed
admiration. Her success completed
Georges infatuation; but the more he all
vanced. the more she rctreated. From
that moment he swore she should be his
wife. He swore it to himself with that ex-
sggeration Of repetition which charact-
erizes those weak natures who determine
beforehand to fight with those objections
to which they are conscious that one day
they will yield.
This was the most glorious moment OF
"little Chipp's" life. For, above and
beyond her ambitious projects. her insin-
cere and coquettish nature delighted in
this clandestine love affair that she was
bringing to so triumphant conclusion.
No one suspected anything Of it. An
ME was at that healthy and charming
season Of youth when the mind, but half
developed, sees only what is open, and
suspects no concealments or treach-
cry, Mr.. Speed thought only Of his busi-
ness; his wife of dust and cobwebs. 1t
was only Mr.. Gray whom Sylvia feared.
and After all, if he were TO suspect any
thing" she said to herself, "he is not the
man TO betray me-" She triumphed. when
suddenly catastrophe, totally unforeseen
and unsuspected, came To destroy all her
hopes.
One morning Mr.. Speed was brought in
mortally wounded; he had received the
! full charge of his own gun in his temple.
The house was in confusion, and the party
dispersed in every direction. Annie. dis
tracted with grief. WAS shut in her faith
er's room when Florence, informed of the
catastrophe, came TO take Sylvia away.
On this last evening she h@i a final inter
view with George, an interview saddened
and solemnized by the near presence OF
death. They promised 10 love each other
always. and agreed upon plan Of cor.
respondence. and then they parted.
Sylvia returned home under the care Of
Florence who was in despair; for the death
OF his master and friend was 10 him ar
irretrieyable loss. She waa compelled tt
give her mother and the De LScys every
detail! Of her visit. to enumerate the fes-
tivities and the toilettes, and, finally. tc
describe the sad disaster at the end. The
torture this cost her no one ever knew
nor her longing for silence and solitude.
Frank took his old place at her side. and
his words and tender looks nearly drove
her mad: for the youth naturally claimed
certain rights as her accepted lover, and
Sylvia shrank from even the touch Of his
hand. The day arrived at last, however.
when indecision was no longer possible
She had promised to marry Frank when
his salary was raised. He came TO an
nounce that this was now done. She must
marry him. on give reason for her re.
fusal. In this dilemma she thought of
Dora. Although the lame girl had never
opened her heart to her. Sylvia had
OWNED her love for Frank. Had the
circumstances been different, the knowl-
edge, perhaps. that another woman loved
her fa7.ce would have made her more en-
durable TO Miss Chipp; but now she
grasped at this. as furnishing an easy
pretext for releasing herself from her
promise.
1T Is impossible. mamma" she said. one
day. Il will never consent to make Dora
so unhappy. Have you not noticed that
ever since my return she has been pale
and sad. and that she watches me with
eyes full of entrcaty and reproachf No
i cannot do il. Poor Dora"
Although Mrs. Chipp admired her
daughters generosity and kind heart, she
thought the sacrifice too great.
Consider, my child! We are poor, and
q man like Frank does not present himself
every day"
so much the worse. then. for me. At
all events. will not marry him." cried
Sylvia; and she repeated her words with
out wavering to Frank himself.
He grew angry, as she would give no
reasons, either to him or to his brother.
though her mother whispered mysterious
ly to William that she was proud of her
daughter. and added. under promise Of
secrecy, that it WAS on Dora's account.
DO not utter word of reproach, my
boy" said Florence to Frank: .'she is an
angel"
"Yes. an angelrr sighed Mrs. Chipp. In.
such way that the poor fellow decided
To leave London. and he Immediately
sought and obtained post as an engineer
in Egypt He departed, knowing nothing
of Dora's affection. and yet. when he went
to bid her farewell, her love was plainly
10 be read in her clear blue eyes. For
tunately, some suffering souls are endowed
with infinite patience. Frank gone. the
lame girl. with the courage and hope in
herited from her father. toilcd Oh industri-
ously, saying to herself with a gentle
smile. Il will watt" and from that
moment her birds wings were widely
spread. a. if they were about to take flight
themselves.
From Marseilles Frank wrote TO Sylvia
q last letter, letter at once comical and
touching; singular combination of re-
,roaches and tenderness, mixed with the
most commonplace details of the vessel in
which he was to sail.
Sylvia, however, cared little for this
she neither laughed nor cried at this let
ter. for many other things occupied her
thoughts. She had become very anxious
over Georges silence. Since she had left
Oaklands she had not received one line
from him; her own letters brought no
response. 1t was true that she had learned
from Florence that George was occupied
day and night, for his uncles death had
thrown more responsibility upon him than
he was prepared for; but not TO write one
word
From the window in the corridor where
she had again resumed her silent watches
(for she had given up working for Miss
Pixley) Sylvia caught many glimpse OF
her lover; she saw him going in and out
of the factory, and in the evening watched
::.... sntsT n,s carriagc to he driven ~ the
y-am tnat was 10 take MN TO UaKiands,
where his aunt and cousin were passing
their first months of their mourning.
All this terrified her; above all, the
proximity of the factory rendered her
more sensible of the real distance between
herself and George She could almost
have made him hear the sound of her
voice; only few stone walls divided
them; and yet how far of he was.
One snowy night that winter Florence
entered Mrs. Chipp's room.
.Newsw he said; "tremendous news!"
George Speed had informed him. that. in
obedience to his uncles last wishes. he
was about to marry his cousin Annie; and
that, AS IT was impossible for him to carry
on the business alone, he had resolved to
take him into partnership, giving to the
new firm the name Of speed and Flor
ence."
Sylvia never knew whence came the
strength that enabled her to keep her
secret. when she learned that the manu-
factory had eluded her grasp, and that
another woman was about to take the
v.l.on ha ..o..nx..l XCkot x,searo tlo