Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-15
CHATTER XXNI.

~ iAhiihi'4 oit NNIi'h VA htbl W lblElNE uAlu
for his sins.
CHATTER XVI.
II SHADOW IL THE ROUSE.
Thus IL was that poor Annie returned Ia
her home and was received once again as a
member OF tie little circle at St. Gurlott's.
But things were sadly changed for her, poor
child: and sometimes rs | watched her pa
tent endurance my heart rose in revolt, and
1 blamed my self for having been the means
of bringing her home again.
True, my uncle was glad to see her. and
treated her with uniform kindness: indeed,
be was never happy unless she was before
him, and Annie, noting this, was untiring IN
her devotion 20 him. But with my aunt il
was another matter. She, who was usually
the kindest Of women, now became a domes-
tic tyrant, and practiced toward her daugh-
ter a species Of cruelty which in another per.
son she would have been the first to de-
1ouncc. She never let poor Annie rest, but
reproachcd her increasingly about the troub-
les she had brought about, the change she
had wrought in her poor father, and the hap
piness OF the little home; and she never fail
Ell to remind her that it was not until she
had been deserted BY her unknown lover
that she had decided 10 return and admins
ter consolation 10 those whose hearts she had
broken.
All this Annie bore without a murmur. 1T
was only her due" she said; her mother
was right: she had destroyed all their hap
piness, and she should be made to suffer-
Nevertheless. il was hard for her TO bear,
and | very often saw her with traces OF tears
upon her cheek.
But when people have poverty before them
they cannot afford TO eXaggerate sentimental
troubles, and | soon came to the conclusion
that the best way 10 help Annie was TO help
my elf-to obtain a situation, In fact; and
thus by contributing a weekly allowance, 10
give things Z better complexion at home. As
all hope OF obtaining employment in 81. Cur
LOFTS was out Of the question, / turned my
attention to other quarters. After many
heart-rending disappointments and endless
correspondence, | obtained a situation as
o~verseer Of a copper-mine In Devon.
The situation was q suitable one In every
way, and promised to he lucrative. | was to
leave home apq begin operations in a fort
night. Nq,,
Ynsgpy Of my egsass.,eas.hs,s
a part of the 4 Fobe snere nv misfortunes
could not find ne Oh, when J one day heard
a piece OF new Which killed at one blow all
my hopes OF y Rfgjprs. and made my life
mere Dead Sea fruit.
A report spread over the village that
George Redrutn was about TO be married
forthwith to Madeline Graham.
How or through whom the report origi-
mated, no one could tell; but its truth was
admitted on every hand.
The news stunned me at first. then ii drove
me mad; wild, ungovemablo jealousy took
possession of M. ] could do nothing, think
Of nothing now. save one ~thing-that the
woman | loved beyond every thing in this
world was about 10 become the wife Of an
other man, and that man my bitter enemy at
heart.
twas impossible 70 conceal my secret any
longer-they had but to look into my face
"a read it. When Annie heard the news,
/ cried bitterly: and /, blind as usual. be-
lieyed she cried out OF sympathy for me.
ut Is q shame, Hugh.' she SAID, after
having made you love her, that she should
vile away another man."
Don't say word against Miss Graham"
i returned, 'for she is an angel"
"fss, hold yOnr peace.' cried my aunt.
'"Iis nawt to us. and why should you inter
fere? And, after all, lis better as it Is. She
could never have wed wi Hugh; and no good
comes o. young folk dangling after one an
other when they can never COON together.
There was sound sense in my aunt's words,
though nj the time with the fiercest jealousy
and hatred raging iii my heart against the
man who had s%upplanted me, | could not
listen to them. A few days reflection, how
ever, brought Inc 10 better state OF mind
showed ne that | was a fool, and that the
news which had wrought such an as.ound-
ing effect upon me was only whG: might
have expected, If Il wild unwarrantable pas
sion had not made me blind. For, after all,
what was l to Madeline?
During my boyhood, | had dared TO love
her: but when We met again, l saw distinctly
that the episo' which had been all in all to
me had passed completely from her mind. l
had had the good fortune To save her life,
and she, angel that she was, had been CRATE
full; but now tie debt had been repaid-in
exchange for her life, she had helped 10 save
mine. Havins paid her debt, she had re-
moved herself irrevocably from me.
As Thought of all this, | felt my heart
grow haRl, and l cursed God, who, In his
beneficence, had sent me this one ray OF
blessing. But why had il come at aIly Why
had / been shown the light at all, il / was
doomed 10 be cast into darkness again for
the remainder Of my life? With Madeline
Graham by my side, l knew what my days
might be; without her, l knew it would be
better for me to be lying at the bottom OF the
sen.
l had unused thus walking up from the viii
lage one night. and now, standing at the cot
tage gate, | looked across the marshes to-
ward the spot where so many months ago l
had brough: Madeline to shore.
As I gazed, my eyes grew dim, and the iis.
pulse came upon me to revisit once again the
spot where my darling had set her foot; so l
struck off across the waste toward the lone
~ shore.
1t was a fine bright moonlight night, clear
and still. though the shifting clouds I'm the
sky predicted storm. i found the sea as calm
rs a mill pond, fringed with white where
the edge Tapped the stones upon the shore.
The moon was shining radiantly upon it.;
also upon the ~boat-house, which | looked at
tenderiy, remembering how l had carried
Madeline there. Then l fell to thinking Of
her. l felt again as il her head were lying
on my shoulder-her cold bare arms cling
ing about my neck; and ! felt as though I
would give half my life for such an expert
ence again.
With q heavily drawn sigh l was sbos I to
move away, when q hand was laid upon my
shoulder, and turning. I found myself face
10 face with Madeline herself!
Yes: there she stood, looking more like q
spirit t5an a thing OF fiesl, and blood-her
face was so white, her eyes so sad. She was
wrapped from head to foot in costly furs,
willie a black hood was thrown lightly over
her head aud tod under her chain.
Az sight OF her. all the blood rushed 10 my
temples. aud ! felt my body trembling like .
leaf; but ! commanded myself 10 speak.
'Madelinem ! said: sMiss Graham, you
hero At this hourT'
"yes," Ne answered calmly, smiling :