Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-12-12
u. Tile Brute.

faithful James justified her confidence in
him.
"Oh, Jenny, how glad | am to see you!
You dear, dear fellow, | am yours at last"
THAT depends my lady, on whether /
want you. Let go of my neck"
The man who entered this protest against
imprisonment In the arms of q line woman
was one of the human beings who Ar. grown
10 perfection on English soil. He had the
fat face, the pink complexion, the hard blue
eyes, the scanty yellow hair, the smile with
no meaning in il, the tremendous neck and
shoulders, the mighty fists and feet, which
are seen in complete combination in England
only. Men OF this breed possess a nervous
system without being aware Of it; suffer al
Fiction without feeling IL; exercise courage
without a sense OF danger: marry without
love; eat and drink without limit; and sink
tbig as they are) when disease attacks them.
without an effort to live.
Mrs. westerfield released her guests bull
neck at the word OF command. IL was i'm
possible not to submit tO hini-he was 80
brutal. Impossible not 10 admire him-he
was so big.
"hsye you no love left for meg' was all
she ventured 10 say.
lie took the remOnstranee good humoredly.
"Loyey' he repeated. Come! | like that
after throwing me over for a man with a
handle 10 his name. Which am | TO call you;
Mrs? or Ny Lady,
Call me your own. What is there 10 laugh
at Jenny? You used 10 be fond OF me; you
would never have gone To America when |
married WeSterfield il / hadn't been dear To
you. Oh, II I'm sure OF anything I'm sure OF
that! You wouldn't bear malice, dear. if
rnt nnlv Enav, bn,v .rn.I. \ I,,a b..n Iii
appointed"
lie suddenly showed an interest in what
she was saying: the brute became CHEEKY
and confidential. so he made YOU a bad
husband, did he? Up with his hist and
knocked you down, | dare say, if the truth
was KNOWN
You're all in the wrong. dear. He would
have been a good husband if had cared
about him. ! never cared about ANYBODY but
you. Ii wasn't Westerield who tempted me
to say yes
That's a lie"
mo, indeed il isn't"
Then why the devil did you marty him?"
when l married him, Jenny, there was
Q prospect-oh, how could | resist il? Think
OF being one of the lie Basque! Held in
honor, to the end of my life by that noble
family, whether my husband lived or died ~
To the barman's ears, this sounded like
sheer nonsense. His experience Ia the pub
Tic house suggested an explanation. II say,
my girl, have you been drinking?'
Mrs. Westerield's first impulse led her To
rise and point Indignantly Ia the door. He
had only to look at her-and she sat down
again a amedw woman. You don't under
stand how the chance tempted me-" she an
swered, gently.
What chance do you mean?'
"The chance, dear, of being a lords moth
err"
He was still puzzled, but he lowered his
tone. The true-boin Briton bowed by in
stinct before the woman who mad tilted him
when she presented herself in the character
OF a lords mother. How do you make that
out, MariaT' he asked, politely.
3h@ ssr~S~ h.r -As@is e.ss~. 49, tai... -hs~ ia l
called her by her Christian name for the first
time.
when Westertield was counting me" she
said, his brother my lord was a bachelor
A lady-if one can call such a creature q
lady WAS living under his protection. He
told Westertield he was very fond OF her,
and he hated the idea of getting married. If
your wife's first child turns out to be q son.
he said, there Is All heir 10 the title and es-
tates, and / may go or as | am now We
were married a month afterward, and when
my first child was born it was a girl. leave
you to judge what the disappointment was!
My lord persuaded, as | suspect, by the wo-
man | mentioned just now ran the risk OF
waiting another year, and a year afterward,
rather than be married. Through all that
time l had no other child or prospect of a
child. His lOrdship was fairly driven into
taking a wife. All, how | hated her! Their
first child was boy-ab big, bouncing, healthy
brute of a boy! And six months atterward
my poor little fellow was born. Only think
of L.. And tell me, Jenny, don't deserve
10 be a happy woman after suffering such a
dreadful disappointment as that? Is it true
that you're going back to America
quite true"
''Take me back with you
"With a couple of children
"No. Only with one. can dispose of the
other in England. Wait a little before you
say no. Do you want money!
''You couldn't help me, IL | did,
Marry me, and l can help you to a fort
une."
He eyed her attentiyely and saw that she
was in earnest What do you call a fort
une?' he asked.
Five thousand pounds she answered.
His eyes opened; his mouth opened; he
scratched his head. Even his impenetrable
nature proved to be capable Of receiving a
shock. Five thousand pounds! He asked
family for a drop Of brandy"
She had a bottle of brandy ready for him.
.Yoa lock quite overcome" she said.
He was too deeply interested in the restora-
tive influence OF the brandy to take any no
tice OF this remark. When he had recovered
himself he was not disposed to believe In the
a5.OOO. where's the proof of it," he said
sternly.
She produced her husbands letter. did
you read the trial of Westerfeld for casting
away his shipy' she asked.
~ heard of it,"
xviii you look at this letter."
SIS it long?'
yes"
''Then suppose you read it TO me-"
He listened with the closest attention while
she read. The question Of stealing the dia-
monds Qf they could only be found did not
trouble either of them. II was a settled qucs-
ti0n, by tacit consent, ON both sides. But the
value in money of the precious stones sug-
gested a doubt that still weighed on his mind.
"How do you kno they're worth f5,0O0"'
he inquired.
"You dear old stupid! Doesn't Wester-
field himself say so in his letter.
Read that bit again."
She read it again: after the two calami-
ties Of the loss Of the ship, anu the disap-
pearance of the diamonds-the last being
valued at 45,00O-I returned to England"
Satisfied so far, he wanted to look at the
cipher next She handed it To him with q
stipulation, "Yours, Jenny, on tie day
when you marry me-"
He put the slip Of paper into his pocket
snow, I've got II" he said, suppose keep
it?'
A woman who has been harmaid at q pub
lie house is q woman not easily found at the
end Of her resources. in that ease" she
CURLY remarked, II should call in the police,
and then telegraph to my husbands employ
ers In Liverpool"
He handed the cipher back. II was jok.
ing" he said.
$50 was l." she answered.
They looked at each other. They were
made for each other-and they both felt 1t.
AT the same time James kept his own inter-
ests steadily In view. He stated the obvious
objection to the cipher. Experts had already
tried TO interpret the signs, and had failed.
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