Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-01-11

herseil ny answering rduuS au'eTllse-
ment.
CHAPTER LIv.-oS THE EVE OF A CHANGE.
Iris returned TO Louvain by way Of
Paris. She had TO settle up with the doc
tor.
He obeyed her aud called upon
her at her hotel.
well, my lady" he began in his gross,
voice, rubbing his hands and laughing. lit
has come of, after all, hasn't it."
IL do not desire, DR.. Nimpany. 10 dis
euss anything with you. We will pro
coed to settle what business we have to-
either"
400 sssaN .has youx lsay.hsp .naaaA
actually fall inf' M replied. Now I con
Tess that this was TO me the really difficult
part of the job. IL is quite easy TO pretend
that a man Is dead, but not so ersy TO
touch his money. / really do not see how
We could have managed at all without
your cooperation. Well, you've had no
difficulty; Of course"
None at ALL"
II am TO have half"
Il am instructed to give you q, 100. i
have the money here for you"
II hope you consider that | deserve this
sharey"
II think, DR.. Nimpany. that whatever
you get in the future or the present YOU
viii richly deserve. You have dragged "a
mai down 10 your own level"
And a woman. too"
"A woman. too! You reward will come,
| doubs not"
"If it always takes the form OF bank
notes | care not how great the reward may
be. You will doubtless, as a good Chris
tian, expect your own reward-for him and
for you"
Il have mine already" she replied sadly.
"Now. DR.. Vimpany, let n.e pay you and
rgf rid of vnlr cam many
He counted the money carefully aud
put il in the bankers bag, in his coat
pocket.
Thank you. my lady. We have X
changed compliments enough over this
job"
Il hope-I prsy-that we nay never set
eyes on you aga.n."
Il cannot say. People run up against
each other in the strangest manner. espe-
cIal!y people who have done shady things
and have got to keep in the background"
"Enough!-enough!"
The background OF the world Is a very
odd place. I assure you. IL Is full of inter
esting people The society has a piquancy
which you will find, | hope, quite charm.
ing. You will be known by another name,
OF course"
II shall not tell you by Whist name"
'Tut-tut! shall soon find out. The
background gets narrower when you fall
into misery"
What do you meant"
II mean. Lady Harry, that your husband
has no idea whatever as TO the value OF
money. The two thousand that you are
taking him will vanish in a year or two.
W hat will you do then, As for myself. |
know the value OF money so wei. that | am
always buying the most precious and de
lightful things with it. / enjoy them im-
mensely. Never any man enjoyed good
chin ra n n, nnh ne / 1n pVf the Aa1twht
full things cost money. Let Us be under no
illusions. Your ladyship and your noble
husband and ! all belong to the back
ground: and In q year or two we shall be-
lJ1g to the needy background. Idare say
that very soon after that the world will
learn that we all belong to the criminal
background. l wish your ladyship a joy
ful reunion with your husband"
He withdrew, u Iris set eyes on him
more. But the prophecy with which
he departed remained with her. and it
was with q heart forboding fresh SORROWS
that she left Paris and started for Lou
vain.
Here began the new life-that OF conceal
ment and false pretense. Iris put Of her
weeds, but she never ventured abroad
without q thick veil. Her husband, dis
covering hat English visitors son. et.mes
ran over from Brussels to see the Hotel de
VILE, never ventured out at all till even
Ing. They had no friends and no society
OF any kind.
The house, which stood secluded behind
q high wall In its garden, was in the quiet
est part OF this qniet old city; no sound OF
life and work reached it: the pair who
lived there seldom spoke TO each other.
Except at the midday breakfast aud the
dinner they did not meet. Iris sat In her
own room. silent: Lord Harry sat In his, or
paced the garden walks for hours. !
Thus the DAYS went on monOtonously. /
The clock licked; the hours struck: they |
meals: they slept; the rose n dress
ed: they tool meals agaiu--this was all
their life. This was all that they could
expect for the future.
The weeks went on. For three months
Iris endured this life. No news came to
her from the outer world: her husband had
even forgotten the first necessary OF mod
ern life-the newspaper. IL was not the
ideal life or love. apart from the world
where the two make for themselves q Gar
deu Of Eden: IL was a prison. In which two
were confined together who were kept
apart by heir guilty secret.
They ceased altogether TO speak; theit
very meals were taken In silence. tn
husband saw continual reproach In his
wife's eyes: her sad aud heavy look spok.
mor< plaluly than any words-'lt 10 IA
this that you haUe brought me-"
Ope morning sris was IDLY turning over
The Flapers In her desk There were ~
old Photographic. al kinds OF Or.
01ng treasures that reminded her OF tn
woman keeps everything; the III !
" momeutoes Of her chtldhood. her drst