Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-07-18
MRS. BOB.
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
CHATTER xxv.-"wELL,r

CHAPTER xxv.-"wELL'"
For a long time neither OF them spoke
or moved. Julia sat still ms n woman doe,
sit when a terrible blow has Just faller
upon her, and Stephen Howard had s,inb
back against the head Of the sofa like one
utterly exhausted. In the mind OF each
there ragged n wild fury Of ideas: on his
side OF anger that he had not been able &c
look ut her and tell the one lie whict
would have ensured her future belief IL
him, OF awful dread OF n future which he
would have to live ont without her, OF
contempt at his nnspeakabie folly ia moi
having secured safety before his marriage
by burning his boats behind him. And
on Julia's side there was quite as conflict
ing a crowd Of thoughts! She thought Of
the blow such knowledge would be TO her
people: that Miss Theodosia would Ger.
tainly never leave Anthony Staunton her
twelve thousand n year now; she thought
OF how all her friends would sneer II tho
truth came out, those who had flattered
and fawned upon her most OF all; she
thought OF how they would sneer aud in
vent wonderful tales con the best author.
fly" II she and Stephen ~parted-and the
very thought OF parting with Stephen
brought the hot tears to her eyes and
made her realize how utterly and entire
ly she loved him still ~ spite OF every.
thing. Involuntarily when she reached
this point she put out her hand and laid it
on his.
He started Violently ne he felt tho soft
touch. well, what are you going to do'"
he asked, almost roughly, yet with a sus-
picious break in his voice.
"Oh, Steyiel Stevie!" che cried, piteous.
ly. 81 do love you so. ! do love you sof'
The reply was so different from the tor
rent Of reproaches that he had been ex
pecting, that he. strong man though Ne
was, broke down altogether. He flung
himself at her feet and hid his face upor
her knee and burst into violent sobbing.
And Julia bent down over him and put
her arm about him and soothed him ten.
derby. Don't cry. Stevie," she kept say
ing. don't cry like that, darling"
At last he grew calm aud presently was
able to speak. II thought you were never
going to have anything more TO do with
me-" he said, with q shudder. 81 though
you didn't mean to own me again.
thought You were going away from me-"
But Julia held him close Ia her arms
against her faithful woman's heart and
laid her cheek against hi %throbbiug head.
enc, no. not that, dear" she said. 81
won't-indeed ] can't pretend that all
this In not an awful blow to me. ! feel as
II ! have lived a lifetime OF misery in the
last few hours. But am not going 10
leave you'll am no doll. no fair-weather
wife. I told you so once before"
For a long time he did not say anything
but at last he spoke.
I've been such nm outcast nll my life
I never knew what sunshine was until
you came into my life aud gladdened
every hour | lived. ! can never make
you understand quite what my past ha
been-what | was born to, a heritage o.
what the world calls sin and we called
only business. You know, juicy, there Is
no very hard and fast line between the
man who helps himself out Of the wealth
OF rich men who can afford TO lose and dc
not take the trouble to look after the safe
ty Of what they set so much value on aftel
they lose 1t. and the man who deliber
ately swindles the widow and the orphan
by getting them 70 put their bit Of money
into bogus companies. I won't excuse
myself, Juey-but l tell you this that
should never ave gone into this of my
own free will. | should never have gone
into 1t at all il | bad not been born TO it
brought up to it just as | might have beer
to any other profession
you are mixed mp with others-car
you tell me nothing about it,"
Absolutely nothing" he answered, "il
fact | know very little myself, and what
know | am bound never TO divulge uuder
any circumstances, not even to save m!
own life"
Can't you free yourself from this ~
cietg