Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-06-12

MY NttT Cnliu, accept tne CONTEMPLATION
of your fond old mother. l have never been
one OF the kissing sort Il mean, of course,
where women are concernedt, but this Is an
occasion which i~astifes something quite out
of the common way. Come and kiss me-"
Catherine took no notice Of that outbursi
OF maternal love.
II have forgotten everything that ought
to have remembered" she said. I'm my
vanity, In my weakness, In my selfish enjoy
ment OF the passing moment, 1 have been too
supremacy happy even to think OF the trials
of my past life, and of the false position in
which they have placed mt toward the man
whom I ought TO be ashamed 20 deceive. ]
have only been recalled TO a sense OF duty, !
might almost say 10 q sense OF deceDcy, by
my poor little child. IL Kitty had not re-
minded me OF her father"
Mrs. Presty dropped into a chair; she was
really frightened. Her fat cheeks trembled
like a jelly on a dish that is suddenly moved.
HAS that man been here?" she asked.
what maD?'
THE man who may break oil your mar.
rage II he meets with the captain. Has
Herbert Linley been here?'
Certainly not. The one person associated
with my troubles whom l have seen to-day
IS S|uHey NtSttfHelu.
Mrs. Presty bounced out of her chair. "You
have seen-Sydney Westerield?" she re-
peated, with emphatic pauses which express
ed amazement, tempered by unbelief.
Yes; 1 have seen her."
"WhereY'
'ln the garden"
And spoken to hery' :
yes"
Mrs. Presty raised her eyes TO the ceiling.
Whether she expected our old friend 'the
recording angel" TO take down the questions
and answers that had just passed, or whether
she was only waiting TO see the hotel that
held her daughter collapse under a sense of
moral responsibility, it is not possible to de-
eide. After an awful pause the old lady re-
memb-red that she had something more to
say, aud said It.
Il make no remark, Catherine; | don't
even want TO know what you and Miss West
erfield said to each other. At the same time,
as a matter OF convenience to myOelf, / wish
to ascertain whether 1 must leave this hotel
or moi. The same house doesn't hold that
woman and Me. Has she gomez
"She has gone"
Mrs. Presty looked round the room. "And
taken Kitty with her?' she asked.
Don't speak Of Kittyr' Catherine cried,
in the greatest distress. II have had to keep
the poor, innocent, affectionate child apart
from Miss Westerheld by force. My heart
aches when | think of it,"
"I'm not surprised, Catherine. My grand
daughter has been brought up on the mod
ern system. Children are all little angels
no punishment-0nly gentle rem0nstfance-
don't be naughty, dear, because you will
make poor mamma unhappy And then
mamma grieves over 1t aud wonders over it
when she finds her little angel disobedient.
What a fatal system of education! Ali my
success in life; every quality that endeared
me 10 your father and Mr.. Presty; every
social charm that has made me the idol of
society, ! attribute entirely to judicious cor
rection In early life, applied freely with the
open hand. We will change the subject.
Where is dear Bennydeck? want 10 con-
graduate him on his approaching marriage"
She looked hard at her daughter, and men,
tally added: He'll live to regret itr
Catherine knew nothing OF the captains
movements. Il have something TO say TO
him, and | don't know where he is"
Mrs. Presty still kept her eyes fixed on her
daughter. Nobody observing GATHERINGS
face, and judging also by the tone Of her
voice, would have supposed that she was a.
luding to the maj whose irresistible attrac-
lion had won her. She looked iii at casa
and she spoke sadly.
You don't seem to be In good spirits. my
dear" Mrs. Presty gently suggested. NO
lovers quarrel already. ! hope"'
Nothing OF the kind"
Can | be OF any use TO you?"
~ on might be of the greatest use. But l
know only too we'll you would refuse"
Thus far Mrs. Presty had been animated
by curiosity. Sh began now 10 feel vaguely
alarmed. After all that l have done for
YOU" she answered, II don'tthink you ough'
To say that. Why should 1 refuse".'
Catherine hesitated.
Her mother persisted in pressing her. elias
1t anything 10 do with Capt Bennydeck?'
Eyes"
"What is itg'
Catherine reused her courage.
You know what 1t Is as well as / do"
she said. Capt. Bennydeck believes that |
am free TO marry him because | am a widow.
You might help me tell him the truth"
"'What!!r'
That exclamation of horror and astonish-
ment was loud enough to have been heard
In the garden. IL Mrs. Presty's hair had
been all her own, it must have been hair that
stood on end.
Catherine quietly rose. 1--WE won't dis
cuss it," she said, with resignation. Il knew
you would refuse me-" She approached the
door. Her mother got up and resolutely
stood in the wav. Before you commit an
act of downright Madness Mrs. Presty
aaid al imam fn try IN n can cfnn Won 10
back to your chair"
Catherine refused.
IL know how it will end" she answered;
find that l am quite as determined as you
are. A man who love me as he loves me, is
a man whom l refuse to deceive"
Let's have IL out plainly" Mrs. Presty
insisted. lie believes your first marriage
to tell him that 1t has been dissolved by Dr.
vorceY'
II do"
"What right has he to know it?"
"A right that Is not to be denied. A wife
must have no secrets from her husband"
Mrs. Presty hit back smartly.
You're not his wife yet. Wait till you
are married"
ANVIL nO uut u WINCH WOuNu utdIfy
an honest man under false pretensesy'
IL deny the false pretenses! You talk as
II you were an impostor. Are You, or are
you not, the accomplished lady who has
charmed himg Are YOU, or are you not, the
beautiful woman whom he loves? There isn't
a stain on your reputation. In every respect
you are the wife he wants and the wife who
Is worthy OF him. And you are cruel enough
to disturb the poor mar about q matter that
doesn't concern him! You are fool enough
to raise doubts of you in his mind, and give
q reproach to cast In your teeth the first time
you do anything that happens TO offend him !
Any woman-I don't care who she may be-
might envy the home that's waiting for you
and Your child, II you're wise enough to hold
your tongue. Upon my word, Catherine, /
am ashamed Of you. Have you no princi-
ples.'
She really meant i'll The purely selfish
eoSsiderations which she urged on her
daughter were so many undeniable virtues
in Mrs. Presty's estimation. She took the
highest moral ground, and stood up and
crowed on Ii with a pride in her own princi-
Piles which the primate Of all England might
have envied.
But GATHERINGS rare resolution held as firm
as ever. She got q little nearer to the door.
'Good-night mamma" was the only reply
she made.
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