Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-11-23

port TO which il had been attached. She
stopped and occupied herself in restoring
It to its place. When she looked round
again, after attending to the plant, her
husband had disappeared, and Mr.. Vimp-
any was waiting in his place.
Where is Lord Harry" Iris asked.
The reply startled her: Lord Harry
leaves me to say o your ladyship what he
has no had resolution enough TO say for
himself"
al don't understand you, Mr.. Vimpany."
The doctor pointed To the fern which
had just been the object OF Lady Harry's
care.
lyon hple been helping that sicklv
plant there to live and thrive he said,
'and | have felt some curiosity In watch
ing you. There is another sickly plant
which | have undertaken TO rear III the
thing can he done. My gardening is OF
the medical kind can only carry IL op
indoors-and, whatever else IL may be, |
tell you plainly, like the o~utspoken sort
OF fellow that ] am, it's not likely to prove
agreeable To a lady. Nd %otfense, l hopper
Your humble servant Is only trying TO
produce the right sort Of im~pression-and
takes leave to doubt his lordship in Que
particular"
"In what particular, sirt"
"Ill put ii in the form of n question,
ma'am. Has my friend persuaded you to
make arrangements for leaving the cot
tagei"
iris looked at Lord Harry's friend with.
out attempting TO conceal her opinion OF
him.
she said. by what right do you pre-.
sumo to inquire into what my husband
and | may, or may not, have said To each
othertp'
IL that Is asking too much. perhaps you
will not object TO do justice TO yourself.
Suppose you try TO exercise the virtue oil
sell controlf'
Quite needless, Mr.. Vimpauy. Pray
understand that you are not capable OF
making me angry
MANY thanks, Lady Harry; you encour.
age me TO 20 OH. When | was bold enough
to speak of your leaving the cottage. my
motive was 10 prevent you from being
needlessly alarmed
Iris interrupted him. Instead of con.
Tossing the ruth, he was impudently at
tempting to friyhten her. II don't allow
a person in whom | have no confidence &c
advise me" she said; II wish TO hear nG
unn-a
CHAPTER XLU.-MAN AND WIFE.
Towards evening the Dane was brought
TO the cottage.
A feeling OF pride which forbade any
display of curiosity, strengthened perhaps
by an irresistible horror of Vimpany, Kept
Iris in her room. Nothing but the sound
OF footsteps outside told her when the
suffering man was taken to his bedcham-
Der on the same floor. She was after
wards informed by Fanny that the doctor
turned down the lamp in the corridor, be-
fore the patient was helped to ascend the
stairs, as a means OF preventing the mis-
tress OF the house from plainly seeing the
strangers face and recognizing the living
likeness OF her husband.
Lord Harry had remained In Paris to
| affat,I q fIanfra ~ "a - AZ mud rNiaGa.f hfa lnEf
train home.
The hours advanced-the hustle OF do
nestle life sank into silence-everybody
but Iris rested quietly In bed.
Through the wakeful night the sense of
her situation oppressed her sinking spirits.
Mysteries that vaguely threatened danger
made their presence felt, and took their
dark way through her thoughts. The
cottage, In which the first happy days
of her marriage had been passed, might
ere long be the scene of some evil deed,
provoking the lifelong separation OF her
husband and herself! Were these the ex-
aggerated fears OF a woman In "A state OF
hysterical Suspicion 1t was enough for
Iris TO remember hat Lord Harry and
Mr.. Vimpany had been alike incapable OF
telling her the truth. The first had tried
TO deceive her; the second had done his
best to brighten her. 'Why! III there was
really nothing to be afraid of-why, The
hours Of the early morning came, and still
she listened In vain for the sound of my
lords footstep on the stairs: still she failed
to hear the cautions opening OF his dress
lng-room door. Leaving her chair, Iris
rested on the bed. As time advanced ex-
haustiOn mastered her: she slept.
Awakening at a late hour, she rang for
Fanny Mere. Tn master had just re.
turned. He had missed the latest night
train to Passy; and. rather than waste
money on hiring a carriage at that hour,
he had accepted the offer of a bed Mt the
house of his friends. He was then below
stairs, hoping 10 see Lady Harry at break
last.
His wife Joined him.
Not even at the time OF the honeymoon
had the Irish lord been a more irresistibly
agreeable man than he was on that mem
Orable morning. His apologies for having
Jailed to return at the right time were lit
tie masterpieces OF grace and gaiety. The
next best thing to having been present,
ut the theatrical performance OF the pre-
vious night, was to hear his satirical sum
mary of the story of the play, contrasting
delightfully."- with his critical approval of
the fine art of the actors. The lime had
been when Iris would nave resented such
merciless trifiing with serious interests as
this. In those earlier and better days she
would nave reminded him a~ffectionately
OF her claim to be received into his conf
dence-she would have tried all that tact
| knQ RtQlltneSs anu pdtlcuCt COulu uO W
win his confession OF the ascendency ex-
ercised over him by his vile friend-and
| she would have used the utmost influence
of her love aud her resolution to disunite
the fatal fellowship which was leading
him to his ruin.
Bnt Iris Henley was Lady Harry now.
Have you had q look at the poor fellow
whom the doctor Ia going to cure!" he
asked abruptly, eager to discover whether
she had noticed the likeness between Ok
bye and himself.
AT that critical moment Fanny Mere
entered the room with a telegram In her
hand.
'For you. my lady,"
Iris opened the telegram. The message
was signed by Mrs. V!mpsny, and WAL ex-
pressed In these words: You may feel IL
your duty to go to your father. de is
Lord Harry saw a sudden change in
his wife's face that reused his guilty sus-
picions. "ls IL anything about mei" he
asked.
Iris handed the telegram to him in sill
ence. Hsyir: looked ~ 10, he desired TO
hear "what her wishes were..,
1.-THE telegram expresses my Wishes"
she said. Have you any objection to my
leaving you"
None whatever" he answered eagerly.
eco, by all means.
Carefully on the lookout for any dis
coveries which might enlighten her, Fanny
noticed with ever-increasing interest the
effect which the harmless Dane seemed to
produce on my lord aud the doctor.
Every morning, after breakfast, Lord
Harry presented himself In the bedroom.
Every morning his courteous interest in
his guest expressed itself mechanically In
the same form of words:
"Mr. oxbye, how do you find yourself
to-dayy".
Sometimes the answer would be: ezra
cious lord, | am suffering pain" Some
times II was; Dear aud admirable patron,
| feel rs il / might get well again. On
either occasion. Lord Harry listened with
out looking at MIR. Oxbye-said he was
sorry to hear a bad account or glad &c
near a good account, without looking al
Mr.. Oxbye-made a remark on the wealth
or, and took his leave. without looking al
Mr. OxhXa KathinU could ha mora man