Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-08-10

because your beauty has faded with time.
Doesn't your bright imagination see 1t all
nowt Ny old friend, Arabella, ready and
anxious TO serve me-and a sinking ut this
poor fellows heart when he knew, TX he
once lost the trace OF you, he might lose IL
forever-there's the situation, as they call
IL on the stage. l wish | could say for my.
self what / may say for Mrs. Vimpany.
It's such q pleasure to a clever woman to
engage In a little deceit-we can't blame
her, can WEI"
Iris protested gently against q code OF
moralfy which included the right of de.
ceit among the privileges Of the sex. Lord
Harry slipped through her fingers with
the admirable Irish readiness; he agreed
with Miss Henley that he was entirely
wrong.
And don't spare me while you're about
It" he suggested. Lay all the blame OF
that shameful stratagem on my shoulders.
IL was a despicable thing TO do. When l
had you watched | acted in a manner-I
won't say unworthy of q gentleman; have
! been a gentleman siuce ! first ran away
from home? Why, It's even been said my
way OF speaking is no longer the way Of a
gentleman; and small wonder. too, after
the company I've kept. All, well! I'm
of again, darling. on a sea voyage. Will
you forgive Ipe nowt or will you walt till
| come back, II ! do come backi God
knowsl' He dropped On his knees and
kissed her hand. Anyway" he said:
"whether ! live or whether die, 10 will be
some consolation To remember that ask
ed your ~pardOn-and perhaps got It,"
Take it, Harry; / can't help forgiving
your"
She had done her best to resist him,
and she had answered in those merciful
words.
The effect was visible, p~erilously visible,
rs he rose from his knees. Her one chance
Df knntf1 Inn thA Atsfa n bat xyAnn than nm
which she had been too weak TO insist,
was not to encourage hun by silence.
Abruptly. desperately, she made a COM
monplace inquiry o his proposed yoy-
age. TELL me" she resumed, where are
you going when you leave En9landf"
"Oh, to find money, dear, il I can-to
pick up diamonds, or to hit on a mine Of
gold, and 80 forth"
The fine observation OF Iris detected
something not quite easy In his manner
as he made that reply. He tried TO change
the subject; she deliberately returned TO
II. You accounto OF your travelling plans
Is rather vague" she told him. ID you
know when you are likely to returnt'
He took her hand. One of the rings on
her fingers happened to be turned the
wrong way. He set II in the right position,
and discovered an opal. All! the unlucky
stoner' he cried. and turned il back again
out of sight. She drew away her hand.
Il uskeu you, she persisted, 'Wneu you
expect TO RETURN"
He laughed-not so sayly as usual.
How do ! know | shall ever get back"
he answered. Sometimes the seas turn
traitor, and sometimes the sava2es. |
have had so many narrow escapes OF my
life | can't expect my luck TO last forever"
He made a second attempt 10 change the
ssbject. II wonder whether you're likely
TO pay another visit TO lrelandi Ny cot
tage is entirely at your disposal. Iris,
dear. Oh, when I'm out Of the way, of
course! The place seemed to please your
fancy when you saw il. You will iDd il
well taken care of, | answer for that"
Iris asked who was taking care OF his
cottage.
The wild lords face saddened. He hes
itated, rose from his chair restlessly and
walked away TO the window, returned aud
made up his mind TO reply.
my dear, you know her. She was the
old ho~usskeeper at"
His voice failed him. He was unable. or
unwilling. to pronounce the name of Ar
thurs farm.
Knowing. IL is needless to say, that he
alluded ~ Mrs. Lewson. Iris warmly com
mended him for taking care of her old
nurse. At the same time, she remembered
the unfrlendly terms in which the house
keeper had alluded to Lord Harry when
thev had talked of him,
tlI lOu lluu uO ulIltullN, snt dSktl,
sin persuading Mrs. Lewsou to enter your
servicet"
"Oh, yes, plenty OF difficulty: found my
bad character in my way, as usual IL
was a relief TO him, at that moment. to
talk OF Mrs. LswSon; the Irish bumor and
the Irish accent both asserted themselves
In his reply. The curious old creature
told ME 10 my face ! was Il scamp. ltook
leave to remind her that it was the duty
Of a respectable person. like herself. to re-
form camp | also mentioned that | was
going away. and she could be master and
mistress. too, on my small property. That
softened her heart towards me. Yon will
mostly And old women amenable, IL you
get at them by way OF their dignity. Be-
sides. there was another lucky circum-
stance that helped me. The neighbor.
hood of ray cottage has some attraction
for Mrs. Lewson. She didn't say p~articu.
larry what IL was-and | never asked her
to tell me-"
Surely You might have guessed il.
without being told" Iris reminded him.
MRS. Lewson's faithful heart loves pool
Arthur's memory-and Arthur's grave is
not far from your cottage"
Don't speak Of him"
1t was said loudly. peremptorily, pas
sionately. He looked Mt her with angry
tool" he said. Can you speak OF him
quietlyf The noblest, truest, sweetest
man that ever the heavens looked on,
foully assassinated. And the wretch who
murdered him still living. free-oh, what
is Gods providence aboutl-is there no
retribution that will follow him, no just
hand that will revenge Arthur's deatht'
As those fierce words escaped him, he
was no longer the easy. gentle, joyous
creature whom Iris had known and loved.
The furious passions OF the Celtic race
glittered savagely in his eyes, aud changed
to a gray, horrid pallor the healthy color
that was natural to his face. oh! my
shrank from him She hates me now
and no wonder" He staggered away from
her, aud burst into n conyulsive fit of cry
ing. dreadful to hear. Compassion, di
vine compassion, mastered the earthlier
emotion of terror in the great heart of the
woman who loved him. She followed him
aud laid her hand caressingly on his shoul.
der.
II don't hate you, my dear" she said.
81 am sorry for Arthur-and. oh. 80 sorry
for you! ne caught ner in his arms.
His gratitude, his repentance. his silent
farewell were all expressed in u last kiss.
1t was a moment never to be forgotten
to the end Of their lives. And before she
could speak, before she could think, he
had left her.
She called him back, through the open
door,. He never returned: he never even
replied. She ran to the window, and
threw it up-and just In time to see him
signal to the carriage and leap into II.
Her horror OF the fatal purpose that was
but too plainly rooted ia him-her convic-
ton that he was on thet track OF the assas.
sin, self-devoted to exact the terrible pen'
atty OF blood for blood-emboldened her
to insist on being heard. Come back.
she cried. 81 mist, | will, speak with
yon."
He waved his hand to her with a gesture
Of despair. Start your horses. y he shout.
ed to the coachman. Alarmed by his voice
aud his look. the man asked where he
should drive to. Lord HarrJ pointed
~furiously TO the onward road. Drive"
he answered. Ito the Devil"
THE N OF II FIRST PERIOD.