Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-12-14


He picked mp the tdinttng woman.
fell fainting to the ground. For tue pno
tograph was nothing less than that OF her
husband. dead. in his white grave-clothes.
his hauds composed, his eyes closed, his
cheek waxen.
The cry fell upon the ears OF Lord Harry,
who was in the garden below. He rushed
into the house and lifted his wife upon the
bed. The photograph showed him plainly
what had happened.
she came TO her senses again, but seeing
her husband nl!ye before her, aud remem-
bering what she had seen, she shrieked
again. and fell into another syooD.
wv at Is to he done nowf' asked the
husband. What shall ! tell her? How
shall | make her understands What can
/ do for heri'
As for help. there was none: the nurse
was gone on some errand; the doctor was
arranging for the funeral Of OxDye under
the name OF Lord Harry Norland; the cot
tage was empty.
Such a f~ainting III does not last forever.
Iris came round, and sat up, looking wild.
" around.
What is it," she cried. "what does it
meant"
1T means, my love, that you have re-
turned to our husband lie laid an
"a IA pA'tAt hNis AloSCi . n-1Aa hAh
again.
"You are my Harryl-living.--my own
Harry"
Your own Harry, my darling. What
else should | bep'
Tell me then, what does it mean-that
picture-that horrid photograph"
That means n0thing-nothing-a freak
"A joke OF the doctors. What could il
meani" He took il up. WIN. my dear.
] am liying--liying and well. What should
this mean but a joSe;h
He laid il on the table again. face down.
ward. Bnt her eyes showed that she was
not satisfied. Men do not make jokes on
Death; IL is a sorry jest indeed 10 dress mp
a man IN graye-clotnes, u make a pho
tograph OF him, as of one dead.
But yOu-you, my Iris; 0 are here
tell me how and ~why--dnd when, and
everything. Never MUD that upld pic
ture: tell me-
81 got your letter. Harry" she replied.
M letter. he repeated. "Oh. my dear,
you got my letter. and YOU saw that your
husband loved you stili?"
II could not keep away from you, Har-
~, whatever had happened. 4 stayel as
long as | could. | Thought about you day
aud night. Aud at last II came back.
Are you angry with me, Harry"
Angry, Good God! my dearest-an.
gry:"
He kissed her passionately-not the less
passionately that she had returned at .
time so terrible. Whnt was he II say TO
herr How was he 10 tell h err While he
showered kisses on her he was asking
himself these questions. When sue round
out--when he should confess TO her the
whole truth; she would leave him again.
Yet ne did not understand the nature OF
the woman who loves. lie he'll her III ms
arms. his kisses pleaded for him.; the!
mastered her-she was ready 10 believe,
10 accept, to surrender even her truth aud
honesty: and she was ready, though she
knew IL not, to become the ac%compllce OF
u crime. Rather than leave her husband
again she would do anything.
Yet, Lord Harry felt there was one res
ervatiou; he might confess everything, eX
cept the murder of the Dane. No word OF
confession had passed tue doctors lips,
yet ne knew too well that the man had
been murlrred: and, SO FAR as the man
had been chosen Tor his resemblance tC
himself, nat was perfectly useless. D..
cause the resemblance, though sirlklhg
at the first, had been gradually disappear
ing as the man OXbye grew better; and
was now, as we have seen, wholly lost al
ter death.
tell YOU. dear" 5 ia the ha,blId. holding
both her hands tenderly. You will nare
to be very patielt with me. Ion mus
MAKE up your mind 10 be shocked at FIRST,
though / shall be able to convince gou tnaI
there was really nothing else 10 Dc done
nothing else at all
'Ohl 20 ON. Harry Tell me all. Hide
nothing"
81 will tell you all" lie replied.
"Flrst, where is that poor man whom
| the doctor brough' here aud Fanny nursedl
| And where is Fanny"
THE poor man." he replied carelessly.
"made so rapid a recover that he has got
on his legs and gone away-l beiieve, TO
report himself TO the hosp tai whence he
came. Ii is a great triumph for the doc:
tor, whose new treatment is now = royed
TO DO successful. He will make n grand
flourish of trumpets about IL. l dare say.
il all he claims for IL is true, he has taken
. great step in the treatment OF lung dis
eases"
Iris had no disease OF the hugs. and con.
~seQueuily cared yer little for the scientific
aspect OF the question.
"Where Is my maid, them"
FANNY She went ~away-let me see
to-day is Friday-cn Wednesday morning.
Ii WAS no use keeping her here. The man
was well. aud she was anxious TO get back
to you Sc she started CD Wednes lay
morning. proposing to take the night boat
from Dieppe. Sac must have stopped
somewhere on the way"
IL suppose she will 90 TO see Mrs. vlnp.
any. Twill send her a line there"
Certainly. That will be sure to md
her."
swell. Harry. is there anything else to
tell mel"
"A great DEAL" he repeated. THAT pho
tograph, Iris. which frightened you so
much has been very carefully taken by
| Vimpany for a certain reason."
"What reasons"
'There are occasions" he replied. "whep
the very best hing that eau happen 10 3
man Is the belief that he is dead. Such n
iuncture OF affairs has happened TO myself
and TO you-at this moment. lt Is con
veuient-eyen necessary-for me that the
world should believe me dead. In point
of fact, l must be dead hen Q forth. Not
for nm ything that l have done, or that ]
am afraid of-don't think that, No; IL il
for the simple reason that | have no long.
er any money or any resources whatever.
That Is why l must be dead, Had you
10, returned in this unexpected manner
my dear, you would have heard OF my
death from the doctor. aud he would have
left it TO chance TO find q convenient OPP
portunity OF letting you know the truth.
am. however. deeply grieved that l was
90 careless as TO leave that photograph
upon the table"
81 do lot understand" she said. "You
pretend TO be deadi"
Eyes. l must have money. have
some left-a very little. | must have
money; aud, In order to get it, I must be
dead"
slow viii that help'"
"Why. my dear. ! am insured, and nv
assurances will DO paid after my death;
but not BEFORE"
'Ohi must you get money--even by a."
She hesitated.
'Call 1t a conspiracy. my dear. II you
please. As there Is no other way what
ever left, l must get money that way"
''Oh. this 10 dreadful! z conspiracy,
Harryf a-a-fraudsn
'sIf you please. That II the name which
LAWYERS give TO IT,"
"But. oh. Harryl It u . crime. 1t y .