Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-08
TIE
Master of the Mine.
BY ropERT BUCHANAN.

friendship and sweet COMPROMISING, when
/ knew, alas! could not long be mine. Rut
as l looked into her face, and thought ~ tho
hopeless distance between US. there ran
through my brain the words OF the beautiful
old song:
Attic thou maun never be mine,
Altho' even hope is denied.
IT'S sweeter for thee Departing
Than aught in the world bcsidcV
After 4 little space she spoke again:
Whether you return there OF not, at least
you will let me help YOU"
Help me? Have you not done so-ah.
far more than | deSeryey'
But / am rich, while sou are poor"
mot so poor a. fhdt,' | answered, eagerly,
not so poor that ! would take money even
from your hand. Aldo not ask me! To
deny you anything gives me pain, but let me
keep my iadependence-all that my ill-iOrt-
une has left me In the world"
Promise me al least one thing"
ayes"
Not to depart from England without let
ting ms know-without seeing me again"
III promise that freely. Then you-you
will permit me to see you once more?'
She smiled her answer. After a few more
words, she held OFT her hand ami said
Goodbye" / walked with her TO the inn
door.
my cousin Is waiting for me in the mark
et-place,' she said. 'Ile is going To drive
me back TO Redruth House"
As she spoke, George Redrutii himself APP
peared. turning the corner of the street In
q high dog-caIt driven by himself, aa5 driwa
by a pair of fine bays. lie came up AZ n
walk, and directly his eyes fell upon lis, his
face grew black a. thunder.
He pulled up, while the groom sprung
down and went 10 the horses heads.
ii couldn't think where you'd got to-" he
cried. Il have been waiting fOrt!le last half
hour"
II came Ia speak to Mr.. T%relawney." re-
piled Madeline, quietly, land TO congratulate
him on his acqGittal.'
$50 il seems. Well, we've a long drive be-
fore us, and it's time we were off,
lie did not even look at me until just as !
had assisted Madeline to her place by his
ride, when orr eyes met, and ! saw in his
face an expression of mercileSs jealousy and
hate. knew then that he was mad at my
tscape-that, in his cold dislike and distrust
Of me. he would gladly have witnessed my
condemnation to a miserable death.
Goodbye, Mr.. Trelawney!' cried Made
line, grasping my hand again. ~"Good-bye;
md do not forget your promise"
A sharp cut OF the whip started Oft the
horses. and | had to draw back hastily to
avoid the caTriage-vheels. AS they drove
away, / saw her turn 10 her companion and
address him-I fancied rep~roachfuliy. /
stood dazed, watching them until they dis
appeared.
An hour or so later, my uncle and M aunt
went away In the wagon, under the escort OF
Jonn Rudd. | promised to follow them
home In 4 day or two, and the meantime Ia
look about for some kind Of employment. SO
| remained in Falmouth for several days.
What wac | TO do? The future was dark
before me, and ! was altogether at q loss
how to act. My only practical knowledge.
as a man of business, was connected with
copper-mining; beyond that | knew nothing.
However, | was fairly educated, and quite
ready to turn my hand 10 anything. search
ed the newspapers. Finding a clerkship Va
cant in a mine somewhere in South Wales, |
wrote in for it-only 10 lind that my misfort-
une had preceded me. and that the owners
refused 10 employ q man who had just been
accused OF murder. The same fate logged
Tic III tNNll AualLNAs ~ III h'iipAI u ~ AdSl
realized the fact that although | was free, !
had been acquitted under such circumstance
a. left undestroyed the black presumption Of
saw no hope row. ave In speedy depar,
ure from England. 1 would cross the sea
under an assumed name, and begin a new
life in a new world. A new life? Alas
every fine fiber of my nature was bound 4
the old life aud the old land. In qulttin.
England, | must quit Madeline, / must par
forever with the only being who had mad,
my wretched lot endurabie, and whom l still
dared TO love with all the passion OF nay soul
was incoming one day on the seashore,
close to the quay, when a hand was placed
OH my shoulder, and, looking up, l saw tie
kindly face OF ms old friend the carrier.
Back again, John?' l said, taking his
great hand in mine.
''Iss. Measter Hugh; | coined in late last
night"
How are all at homer
"Middling, middling. The avid man be
queer still. and folk say the trouble about
Miss Annie ha' turned his head. But that's
what | want to speak on. l ha' seen her
she be here, in Falmouth. Measter Hugh"
"Shef Do you mean my cousin Annle"'
'Sartinly. 1 saw her last night wi my
W two eyes, and | misdoubt she's In troub
le."
Then the good fellow, with tears standing
In his eyes, told me that late on the previou.
evening he had caught sight Of my cousin in
the poorest part of the town, close To the
stables where he put up his horse. She was
wretchedly attired and looked worn and i'll,
as II she had just risen from a bed OF sick
ness. His first impulse was TO speak to her;
but finding that he was unseen and unrecoy'
niZed, he chose rather TO follow her: which
he did, and tracked her to a poor lodging in
. ncigbborhood OF very doubtful reputation.
Remembering my last meeting with An
ME, n how l had found her surrounded by
oil the indications OF comfort and even lux
ury, | was stupetied. What had happened,
and why had she come to Falmouth? On
these points Jonn I,udd could give me no
information. All he could say was that he
had seen her, and was quite certain OF heI
identity.
Ny mind was, of course, made up at once,
] would see my poor cousin, and, II possible,
persuade her 10 return home in my company.
So told John Rudd TO lead the way, and we
walked rapidly up the town till we found the
clcuOOft lOou VI WhiCu lie Iuu spohtH. IL
"as ni,se.able indeed-a place OF dark and
fishy dens clustering close TO the wharves;
the streets narrow and literally ornamented
with drying clothes, suspended on lines
stretched from house to house: the inhabi-
tants unclean and ragged waterside char
acters Of predatory habits.
1t was N of a small row OF houses in Q
lane facing the beach. John Rudd pointed
1t out, and l had hoped to approach unob'
served; but as 1 neared the door, which stood
wide open, ! saw a white face-gazing at me
from the lower window, and l recognized
my cousin.
The moment she saw me she started back
and disappeared; but. with her name upon
my nps, , ran into the house and entered tie
room where she was standing, pale and ter.
Siied, as IL eager to escape.
"Annie!' ! cried.
She uttered a low cry, and, pressing hel
hand upon her heart tottered as II about Il
fall; but striding forward, l caught her In
my arms.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE PHoDIGAL DAUGHTER.
Yes; 1t was Annie, though for q time
could scarcely believe the evidence of my