Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-04-16

yoa. Jus you xnow ] .ovs MIMI ! tn,n. !.
quite make sure. Some secret abont some
body not being properly married. or some
thing Of that sort. didn't quite under
stand. You see he was 90 discfsssly vague
Nm. Gilde!slseys drew back, her face all
aghast With horror. Some secret-about
she r1pested, slowly, With Wild terror in
"Yss, mother" Gwendolins ga.ped ont.
with an effort, ones more, ut was about
somebody not being really the proper heir;
be made me promise wouldn't tell. but
mensely full oft. It was and awful secret;
and he said he would ruin us-ruin rs
ruthlessly. He said we we're in his power,
and he'd crush ~ under his heel.
And oh, when he said it. yona should have
seen his facet It WAS horrible. horrible!
II haunts mel"
Mrs. Gildersleeve sat down by the bedside.
wringing her hands in silence. .lt's too
late tonight" she said at last. after loEg,
deep pause, and in . voice likes woman
condemned TO death, too late to do any
snn s e orn ana ry q o sse h
costs, We must buy him of. He knows
everyth,ng-thats clear. He'll ruin us!
He'll ruin us!'
cts no use papa going up to town,
though Gwendoline answered half
e eoaa ;v n ha.v isd e be
1t once. He'll be gone tomorrow"
'Gone! Gone where?" Mrs. Gildersleeve
cried, in the same awe-struck voice.
ITO Devonshire," Gwendoline replied,
shutting her eyes hard and still seeing
Mrs. Gildersleeve echoed the phrase in a
startled cry ITO Devonshire. Gwendoline!
shire?"
YES" Gwendoline went on slowly, try
ing to recall his very words; ito the skirts
of Dartmoor, think he said-to place in
the wild, by the name of Mambury!"
The terror and horror that frail and
faded woman threw into the one
word fairly startled GwendOline. She
opened her eyes and stared aghast at her
mother; and well she might, for the effect
was electrical. Mrs Gildersleeve was sit,
ting there transfxed with awe and
some unsreakable alarm; her figure
was rigid; her iace was dead-white; her
mouth was drawn down with cOnvulsive
twitch; she clasped her bloodless hands on
her knees in mute agony. For a moment
she sat there like statue of flesh. Then, as
sense and feeling came back to her by slow
degrees, she could but rock her body up
and down in her chair with short, sway
ing motion, and mutter over and over again
to herself in that same appalled, and terri
fed voice, MISUNDERSTANDING Man,
bury -Mambury."
THAT was the name TIM sure, Gwendo-
line went on, almost equally alarmed. 'On
hunt after records, he said; on hunt
after records. Whatever it was he wanted
to prove, suppose he knew that was the
place to prove it,
Mrs. (iildersieeve rose, or to speak with
more truth. staggered, slowly to her feet.
blindly tor the door. cropping her way as
she went, like some faint and wounded
creature. She said not word to Gwendo-
line. She had no tongue lett for speech or
comment. She merely stepped OH. pale
and white, like one who walks in her sleep,
her from falling Gwen,loline, now thor
ougl,iy alarmed. oilowcd her close on her
way 10 the top OF the stairs. There Mrs.
Gilder.leeve paused. turned round to her
daughter with q mute look Q. anguish, and
held MP one hand. palm outward, appeal
following farther. At the gesture. Gwen
doline iell back, aud looked after
her mother with straining eyes, Mrs.
Gildersleeve staggered OH. erect. yet to
oil appearance almo incapable OF
motion, and stumbled down the stairs, and
across the hall. and into the drawing-room
opposite. The rest Gwendoline neither
saw, nor heard nor guessed at. She
cfept back into her own room, and
| fiinging herself on her bed alone as she
stood, cried still more piteously and niiser-
| ably than ever
| Mrs Gildersleeve .ound the famous q. c.,
absorbed in the perusal Of that days paper
| She came across toward him. pale. as q
| ghost, and with ashcn lips. Gilbert. she
said. slowly, hurting it all out in he. hor-
| rOr, without one word pf warning. that
| again, and he's told her he knows all, and
| he means to ruin us, and he's heard ofths
=. %ass.is . =, IN. nd. he. gone down to hambury
nom his huge red hands in the Intensity Of
h1s surprise, while his jaw fell in unison at
% startling and almost incredible . piece
Of intelligence. eNevitt knows ALL" he ex-
claimed, half-incredulous .sHe means to
ruin US! And he told this TO Gwendolinel
have made some mistake. What did she
cay exactly? Did she mention MAmbury7"
She said II exactly O. I've said IL now to
you," Mrs. Gildersleeve persisted with .
stony stare. Hes gone down to Devon
SHIRE she said. to the borders Of Dartmoor,
on hunt atter the records; to . place in the
-wilds by the name Of Msmbury. Those were
her very words could stake my life on
each syllable. ! give them to you precisely
- she gave them to me.
Nr. Gildersleeye gased across ct her with
the oountcnaslce which had made 90 many
. nervous witne quake ct the Old Bailey.
Are sou quite sure OF that Minnie?" he
asked, In his best cross examination tone.
.Quite sure she said Mambury, all Of her
own accord? Quite sure you didn't suggest
Z 70 her, or supply the name, or give her .
hint ofits whereabouts, or pat leading
~eAsI4e- ~.
rs y ixeiy Ia suggesr = - ner!'. re
meekest of women answered, aroused to re-
tort for once with her face like asheet. rs
It likely I'd tell hsr9 Is II likely I'd give my
own girl the clew? She said It I'll Of herseif,
tell you, without one word ~ pRompsing.
She said i Just . repeated tito place
In the wildA BY the naane Of naMbury.n
Gilbert G1ldef1leeve whistied inaudibly
70 himself Tvs his way when no felt
himself utterly nonllussed This Vas very