Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-08

Nu'H SiiS taiDc Wholly ib lFtISetl aAdlIl,
she looked at ne notwithstanding lest I
should question her again; and | thought il
better 10 let my questions rest.
''Annie,' | said, do you feel strong enough
to 20 now,
"les; | must take you with me to my
rooms. can't leave yol herc!'
She was too iii to Offer much resistance:
so, after ! had paid the few shiilings Tat
she was owing, we left that miserable den
tosethcr-Anuic still faint and very wcaE,
leaning heavily upon me. After be had
brought IN The bread and wine. John RIdd
had qui,tiy kept IN the Background, think
ing tba' bis presence might serve 10 further
upset Annie. lie now Is mobirusiyely took
his departure. after having whispered in my
car that be would call for VS. ia the morning.
l took his hint, and determined 10 act Upon
II.
The night was very cold, and rs we left
the houses anu passed down the street. fac
ing the chilly wind, | felt Annie trt!uble
violently, 50 | hurried her along and we soon
reached the house where | had taken INV
roOns. Had | not crert into such good dior
through my acquaintance with honest John
Rudd, ] should have been almost afraid To
take poor Annie into the house; as il was. /
exDectei a cold greeting; bat to my amaze
menI We were received with open arms. /
atterwar, discovered that John l,udd had
been before us, and had prepared the way
for our coming. So when ihe door was open
ed the laHdlady, who was q good Kind soul.
came forN ard and almost took poor Annie
In her arms. ard led her, ha.f-faluting, up TO
tue i've sitting room
gave her NY bedroom that night, ard,
rolling myself in a rug, lay down Oh the sofa
10 my little sitting-rOOn and tried 10 Sleep;
bui it was Impossible, and after n wllie / got
up ind began - walk about the room. An
ME, room adjoined mine: 50 ! could hea.
that he, too, was awake and crying bitterly.
Once | thought OF going in to her: then re-
Trained. Ii was better 10 let her ease her
heart so; in the morning she would De more
herself, and could talk 10 her.
III the morning, however. matters were
considerably worse: poor Annie was deliri-
OTIS. Her pale face was flashed, her eyes va
cant, and she cried pltiiU.ly on some one 10
come 10 her.
At ten o'clock, John Ruid's wagon stop
ped az the door; a few moments later honest
John himself was before me. | took him TO
thr bedside and showed him my poor cousin,
and rs eyes filed with te1rs as le looked at
her. Then we both went Uack 10 the other
room.
"lIeaster Hugh said John, what doc
zee mean TO daw, sir
81 shall wait here til Annie gets BETTER
| sad; then | shall persuade her TO come
home. You will be back again on Thursday,
won't your
YES: and may.ap she'll be well enough
by then to come. Well make her a bed i
the avid wagon ana take her careful, Meas
ter Iiugh!'
Ncger in my life had | thought so much OF
the Lonest-bearted carrier a, now. when |
saw him shedding tears for my poor cousin.
| TOOK his hand and grasped it warmly.
God bless you. | sand.
H. turned his head away. and drew the
back of his hand across liis eyes: then lie
turned again to me.
'MCaster Hugh he said, II dawnt mind
tellin' YOU, cause you aint like Somc as nd
laugh at me. I'm a big rough fallOw. ard a
biz stupid p'raps, but I've gawt a heart like
the rest on Us: ana that dear lass found her
way to II, and made me love her. as | can
never love any body in my life again. She
don't khaw this any more than you did afore
this minute. She never thought anything %
me. and | didn't blame her for it: fortwarn't
no fault o hern; but | went on loyiu' her all
the same. | thought, Melster Hugh. she
might ha' married you; and il she had, and
lad ha' been happy-why. | should Ina been
contentct. But when she went away il
Almost brawke my heart
siI YssS = s.aM t. az 81 as, Ged grant
'Meastfr Hugh, | amt told you this to-da,
for the SAFE o talking. | want YOU 10 nm.
derstand that II can help her nav, when
she wants help, It's all l ask for
So saying, he opened his purse, took out a
few soyercigns, and offered them 10 me; but
/ shook my head.
Il don't want it," ] said. Il have still got
some Of my own left-when that Is done, 1t
will be time enough for me to come TO you.
Poor Annie shall be well looked after, be
SIRE of that: and | hope that by Thursday |
shall have her well enough 10 take her
home"
Looking rather crestfallen, he pat the
money back into his pocket, and turned 10
go.
Very well, Measter Hugh" said he; I'm
come again on Thursday
He had given me 4 warm hand shake, and
had got halfway down the stairs, when l
called him back.
IF you are calling at the cottage" | said,
don tel them anything of this. Don't let
them know that Annie IS here, or that YOU
have seen her. 1t will be better to keep the
secret yet
IL he could not induce me 10 take money,
John kudd determined 10 render assistance
in some other way. About half an hour att
er he had left, a doctor arrived to see Annie;
then came several bottles of wine, and some
fruit; and | had strong reason 10 suspect that
the landlady had not been quite so averse 10
accepting his money rs had been. AT any
rate, she was untiripg in her attention to
Annie, who rapidly recovered.
When John Rudd came on the Thursday,
he found her sitting up in bed, able to recog-
nize him and talk to him, but still too weak
to walk into the adjoining room Nothing
was said about going away that day: bus 1
judged that she would be able to make the
attempt ON tic following Monday, tile day
OF the carriers return.
On the Sunday morning, therefore, when
she had left her bedroom, and SIT IN the ann
fAs'e ~ tfN stA " NV u " aNe 49,
thin RAID ia mine, and said:
Annie. my dear, do you feel strong enough
to a a journey
For a moment she turned her frightened
eyes on mine.
a journey, Hugh?' she asked, family.
saw her cheeks grow very white, but l
knew that what | had TO say must BE- said;
so I went bravely ON.
'Joiin nudd will be here Tomorrow
said, and | want to take you home.r
Ii was pitiful to see her face. ''Oh. Hugh!
l can't go!' she cried. Il can't face father,
it would kill me. You go, and leave me-
try TO forget you have seen ME; and they
will never know"
saw it was a hard task l had before me,
but l tackled II as brayely as / could.
"Annie," l said, ''the time has come when
you must tell me the whole truth. When we
met in London, you said You were a married
woman. Was that true or falsey'
She shivered. and turned away her face.
Don't ask me. Hugh. don't!w
But | persisted. and at last she replied:
"When l told you, l thought it was true.
He said l was his wife. We wen before .
sort OF lawyer together In Plymouth, and
though l Prayed sore TO be wed In church,
he said 1t was the same thing. Afterward,
when w quarrelcd. he told me that the man
was in his pay, and that 1t was no marriage
at all. That was why l left him, and wen
into the streets to ~starve."
~ ,w, answer me" | cried, who Is the
man who deceived YOU? Ii he is living, he
shall make amends! r