Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-06-08

seriously excited her g~odfather's doubts oi
his own safety.
When Sir Giles returned, and took hel
| with him TO his house, no spoke OF hi,
which increased her dread Of what might
happen in t Q future. She was a dull anc
silent guest during the interval tina
elapsed before il would be possible to re.
ceive Arthur's reply. The day arrived
and the post brought no relief to her anxi
cites. The next day passed without IA let
ter. On the morning of the fourth day
Sir Giles rose later than usual. His cor
| ~respondeuce was sent to him from the Of
flee at breakfast time. After opening one
Of the letters he despatched a messenger
In hot haste To the police.
Look at that" he said, handing the
letter to Iris. Does the assassin take IN,
for a foolt"
She read the lines that follow:
Unforeseen events force me, Sir Giles. Z,
run a serious risk. j must speak to you. an,
II must not DO by daylight. My one hope %
safety IL In darkness. Meet me at the frs
milestone, on the road to G lrvan, when the
moon sets at 10 o'clock tonight No need I,
mention your name, The password is: Fl
deity"
"Do you mean to go2" Iris asked.
"Do | mean to be murderedI" Sir Gilei
broke out. my dear child, do pray tr,
to think before You speak. The Sergeant
will represent me, of course"
And take the man prisoner" Iris add
ed.
Certainly"
With that startling reply, the banker
hurried away To receive the police in an
other room. Iris dropped into the near
est chair. The turn that the affair hac
now taken filled her with unutterable dis
NAV.
Sir Giles came back, after no very lonG
| ohuanna pnGaH md smiling IT..
course Of proceeding had been settled Il
his complete satisfaction.
Dressed In private clothes, the Sergeant
was TO 20 to the milestone at the appoint
ed time. representing the banker in thu
darkness, and giving the password. II,
was TO be followed by two Of his men wh'
would wait In concealmeut, within near
ing OF his whistle, il their services wer,
required. 81 want 10 see the ruflian wheI
he is safely handcuffed," Sir Giles explain
ed; "and ! have arranged TO wait for til,
police. tonight, at my office"
There was but one desperate way Ina
Iris could now discern OF saving the MAJ
who had coniided in her g~odfather's hon
or, and whose trust had already been be
trayed, Never had she loved the outlaweC
Irish lord-the man whom she was for
hidden, and rightly forbidden. to marry
Us she loved him ut that moment. lie
the risk be what II might, this resolut'
woman had determined that the Sergean
should not be the only person who arrived
at the milestone aud gave the password
There was one devoted friend to Lore
] Harry. whom she could always trust-anC
that friend was herself.
Sir Giles withdrew, to look after his
| business ut the bank. She waited unit
| the clock had struck the servants dinner
hour, and then assembled the stairs to hel
godfather's d~ressing-room. Opening his
| wardrobe, she discovered in one part Of II
a large Spanish cloak and in another parI
a high-crowned felt hat which he wore on
| his country excursions. In the dark, here
was disguise enough for her purpose.
AS she left the dressing-room a meas ure
Of %precaution occurred To her which she
| put In action at one Telling her maid
that she had some purchases TO make In
the town, she went out aud asked her way
to Garvan of the first respectable stranger
whom she met In the street. Her object
was to walk as far as the first milestone Ia
daylight, SO us to be sure Of finding il
again by night. She had made herself
familiar with the different objects on the
road when she returned TO the bankers
house.
AS the time for the arrest drew nearer,
Sir Giles became too restless To walt pa
tiently mt home. He went way to the
police Office. eager to hear IL any new
counter-conspiracy had occurred to the
authorities.
1t was dark soon after 9 o'clock at thai
tune of the year. At o the servants AS
3emDled at the supper-table. ihey were
all downstairs together, talking and wait
ing for their meal.
Feeling the necessity OF arriving mt the
place OF meeting in time TO keep out of the
Sergeant's way, Iris assumed her disguise
as the clock struck Q. She left the house
without "A living creature 10 notice her,
indoors or out. Clouds were gathering
over the sky. The waning moon was ONLY
to be seen at intervals. rs she set forth on
her way to the milestone.
Thu wind rose a little, and the riffs n
the clouds began To grow broader ~ Iri,
gained the high road.
For a while, the glimmer of the misty
moonlight Lit the way before her. Al
over more than half OF the distance be
tween the town and the milestone befor,
the sky darkened ag'iu. Objects by tn,
wayside grew shade and dim. A few
drops Of rain began to fall. The mile
stone, as she knew-thanks to the discov
cry Of 1t made by daylight-was on tn,
right-hand side of the road. But the dul
gray color of the stone was not easy to Sc,
In the dark.
A doubt troubled her whether she Nigh
not have pissed the milestone. She stop
ped aud looked ut the sky.
The threatening OF rain had passed away
signs showed themselves which seemed I,
promise another break in the clouds. Sh,
waited. Low and faint, the sinking moon
lih.it looked its last at the dull earth. II
front Of her there was nothing to be see,
but the road. h looked back-and dis
covered the milestone.
A rough stone wall protected the lant
ON either side Of the road. Nearly behint
the milestone there was a gap ia thi
fence, partially closed by a hurdle. A
half-rufned culyert, arching a ditch tina
had run dry, formed u bridge leading
from the road to the field. Had the fielt
been already chosen as u place Of conceal
ment by the police! Nothing was to b,
seen but n foot-path, and the dusky line o
q plaI:c'ti beyond II. As she mad'
these discoveries, the rain began To fal
again; the clouds gathered once more; til,
moonlight vanished.
AT the same moment an obstacle pre-
sented itself to her mind, which Iris hal
thus far failed to foresee.
Lord Harry might approach the mile
stone from three different ways; that Is I,
say--by the road from the town, or by tn,
road from the open country, or by way o
the field and the culvert. How could sh,
so place herself rs to be sure OF warning
him. before he fell into the hands Of thu
police, 10 watch the three means of ap
prosch In the obscurity OF the night, AM
at one aud the same time, was impossible
A man Ia this position, guided by rea
s,l, would IN all probability have wastet
precious time In trying to arrive at the
right decision. A woman, aided by love
conquered the difficulty that confronted
lcr IN q moment
Iris decided on returning to the mile
stone, aud on waiting there to be discov
.red aud taken prisoner by the police
.5upposing Lord Harry t. be punctual ia
his appointment, be would hear voices
aud movements, m u necessary c0nse
! quenoe OF the arrest, In time 70 make hi
escape. Suggesting him on the other han(