Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-09-24

color came back to her cheek and the
smile to her eyes and lips.
oh, papa" she said, as she sat up one
day In her boudoir and nestled close to
aim, "oh, papa, how could I ever think
80 Ill OF him, Of him who Is everything
that is good and noble? How wicked I
nave been! How wicked and unjust!"
vi course!' Sir Paul exclaimed, that
IS just the kim Of thing a woman always
does say. She quarrels with the man she
loves, and then, just because he wants to
make up the quarrel as much as she does,
she thinks she has been in the wrong.
And, after all, mind you, Ida, although I
don't believe that Penlyn had any more
to do with the murder thar I had
NO, papa!' speaking firmly.
Still he does not come out of the affair
with flying colors. He never moved hand
nor foot to find out who really had done
1t, and he kept the secret Of poor CundaN
being his brother from me. He oughtn't
to have lone that"
Sir Paul did feel himself aggrieved at
this.
He thought that, as Ida's father, he
should have been told everything bearing
upon the connection between the W men,
and he considered that there had been
some intention to deceive him on the part
Of Penlyn.
In his joy at the prospect of his daugh-
ter's renewed happiness he was very will
ing to forgive Penlyn, but still he could
not help mentioning his errors. as he con,
sidered them.
Remember the letter from his brother,
papa! 1t contained his solemn %injunc-
tions-rendered doubly solemn by the
awful fate that overlook him on the very
night he wrote them! How could he con-
hde the secret to anyone after that?"
Her father made no answer to this ques-
ton. not knowing what to say.
After all, he acknowledged that had he
been made the custodian Of such q Sc
cret, had he had such solemn injunctions
laid on him as Cundall had laid on his
brother. he would have tried to keep them
equally we'll.
Honestly, he could not tell himself that
Penlyn should have broken the solemn
command imposed upon him; the COM
mand issued by a man who, as he gave
it, was standing at the gate of the grave.
So, when Penlyn paid his next visit to
Belmont, there was a different meeting
UclWcSu I'LL huu us lUUdIeS ICOm CuS
meetings that had gone before.
Sir Paul took him by the hand, and told
him that he was sincerely happy in know
ing that once more he and Ida were thor
oughly united, and then he went in to her.
Not a moment elapsed before she was
folded to his heart and he had kissed her
again and again, not a moment before
she was b%eseeching him to forgive her for
the injurious thoughts and suspicious she
had let come into her mind.
Hush, Ida; hush, my darling!" he said,
as he tried to soothe her: lit is not you
who should ask forgiveness, but l. Not
because l kept my brothers secret from
you, but because Of the brutal way in
which l cast you off, simply for your
doubling me for one moment. Oh, Ida,
my own, say that you forgive me-"
II have nothing to forgive" she said;
, "the fault was mine. l should never
have doubted you"
And so once more they were united,
| united never more to part.
And since everything was now known
to Ida. her future husband was able to
talk freely to her, to tell her other things
that had transpired of late. and especial
ly Of. what seemed to him, the strange be-
hayior Of the Senior, and the accusations
he had brought against him Of shielding
the murderer in his house.
ooh. Gervase" Ida exclaimed, why
is it that everyone should be so unjust to
you? Was it not enough that l should
have suspected you-though only for a
moment in my grief and delirium-with-
out this man doing so in another manner?
1t is monstrous, monstrous!!'
"Your suspicious" he answered, "were
natural enough. You had had your mind
disturbed by that strange dream. and.
when you heard of my relationship to
Cundall, it was natural that your thoughts
should take the turn they did. But l
cannot understand G%uffanta, nor what
he means
He had recognized many times during
the enlargement between him and Ida
that her temporary suspicion Of him was
natural enough, and that-being no hero
inc OF romance, but only u straightfor-
ward English girl, with a strange delu-
sion as to having seen the assassin in her
dream-it was not strange she should
nave doubted him; but for Guffanta's &C
cusation he could find no reason.
Over and over again he had asked him
self whom it could be that he suspected 7?
and again and again he had failed to find
an answer.
On that fatal night there had been no
one sleeping in Occleve House but the
servants, no one who could have gained
admission to it; yet the Senior had charg-
ed him with sheltering the man who had
done the deed, both on that night and at
forwards.
"Can he not be made to speak out open
ly?" Ida asked. "Can he not be made to
say who the person was whose face he
saw? Why do you not force him to do
SOP"
II have seen nothing OF him since the
night he accused me Of protecting the
murderer, and he has left the hotel he
was staying at"
"Where is he gomez" Ida asked.
"No one seems to know, though Stuart
says he fancies he is still looking for the
murderer. I pray God he may find him."
"And l, tool" Ida said.
After this meeting, Penlyn acceded to
| the request of Sir Paul and his future
wife that he should stay at Belmont for
some time, and he took up his abode there
| with them.
His valet came down from town, bring.
ing with him all things necessary for
-