Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-20
CHAPTER XVII,

CHAPTER XXVII.
Having read Mrs. Linley's answer, Mr..
SarraZin looked out OF the breakfast-roOm
window, and saw that the fog had reached
the cottage. Before Mrs. Presty could make
any remark on the change in the weather,
he surprised her by an extraordinary ques-
ton.
is there an upper room here, ma'am,
which has Il view OF the road before your
front gate?'
~ eS.'
And can | 20 into 1t without disturbing
anybodyY'
Mrs. Presty said, Certainly with an up
lifting OF her eyebrows which expressed as.
tonishment not mmiXed with suspicion.
"D0 you want TO go up ruw|' she added, "or
will You wait till you have had your break
faSt?'
81 want 10 20 up, if YOU please, before the
fog thickens. Oh, Mrs. Presty, / am ashamed
to trouble you! Let the servant show M
the rOGm.''
No. For the first time in her life Mrs.
Presty insisted on doing servants duty. If
She had been crippled in both legs her curl
OSity would have helped her TO yet up the
stairs on her hands. There she said,
opening the door Of the upper room and
placing herself exactly in the middle OF it so
that she could see all round her: "Will that
do for your
Mr.. SarraZin went TO the window, hid him
self behind the curtain, and cautiously peep
ed out, In half Il minute he turned his back
on the misty view Of the road and said to
himself: Just what | expected
Other wolne might have asked what this
mysterious proceeding meant, Mrs. Presty's
sense of her own dignity adopted a system
of independent discovery. To Mr.. Sarrazin's
amusement, she initiated him to his face.
Advancing 10 the window, she, too, hid her
elf behind the curtain, and she, too, peeped
out. Still following her model, she next
turned her back on the view-and then she
became herself again. Nov we have both
looked ont of the window" she said to the
lawyer, in her own inimitably impudent way,
suppose we compare our impressions"
This was easily done. They had both seen
the same two men, walking backward and
forward opposite the front gate of the cot
tage. Before the advancing fog made It i'm.
possible TO identify him, Mr.. Sarra2in had
recognized, In one of the men, his agreeable
fellow-traveler on the journey from London.
The other mana stranger-was In all prob.
ability an assistant spy obtained in the
neighborhood. This discovery suggested
serious embarrassment IN the future. Mrs.
PrcStv asked what was to be done next. Mr..
Sarrazin answered: Let us have our break
fast
In another quarter of an hour they were
both in Mrs. Linley's room.
Her agitated manner, her redeemed eyes,
showed that she was still suffering under the
emotions OF the past night. The moment the
lawyer showed himself she crossed the room
with hurried steps and took both his hands
in her trembling grasp. You are q good
man, you are a kind man." she said to him
wildly; you Lave my truest respect and re-
gard. Tell me, are you really-reaily-real.
ly sure that the one way In which | can keep
my child with me is the way you mentioned
last night?'
Mr.. Sarrazin led her gently back to her
chair.
The sad change in her startled and dis.
trcssed him. Sincerely, solemnly even, he
declared that the one alternative before her
was the alternative that he had mentioned.
He entreated her to control herself. 1t was
useless; she still held him as if she was hold.
ing to her last hope.
"Listen to me!'' she cried. There's some
NlllllS illOlbs Nll'l' > hilDAilNl III " lllts
| must and will know what YOU think OF it,
wait a little. Pray wait a little!'
mo! not a moment. Is there any hope in
appealing to the lawyer whom Mr.. Linley
has employed? Let Ire go back with you to
London. | will persuade him to exert his
influence will go down on my knees ia
him-l will never leave him until | have wor
him over to my side-I will take Kitty with
me; he shall see us both, and pity us, anc
help us!'
"JIopeless. Quite hopeless, Mrs. Linley.'
ooh, don't say tnat!'
"My dear lady, my poor dear lady, l mus
say II. The mar you arc talking of is TIT
last man In the world to be influenced as yoI
suppose. lie Is VIGOROUSLY a lawyer and
nothing but a lawyer. If You tried TO NOV,
him to pity you he would say: Madam, | an
doing my duty to my client; and he would
ring his hell and have you shown out. Yes
even If he saw you crushed and crying at hi
feet"
Mrs. PreSty interlered for the first time.
In your place, Catherine" she said, .
would put my foot down on that man ant
crush .inl. Consent to the divorce and yol
may do it,"
WIS iHilcE Jay IICSiIdle Ill ner cnalT. III
excitement which had sustained her thus ia
seemed to have sunk with the sinking of he
last hope. Pale, exhausted, yielding to har,
necessity, she looked up when her mothe
said: Consent to the divorce" and an
swered: Il have consented"
And trust me-" Mr.. Sarrazin said fervent
ly, Ito see that justice is done, and to pro
tect you In the meanwhile
Mrs. Presty added her tribute of consola
ton.
After all" she asked, "what Is there Il
terrify you In the prospect of a divorce? Yo'
won't hear what people say about it-for w
see no society now. And, as for the news
papers, keep them out of the house,
Mrs. Lin!ey answered with a momentar,
revival OF energy.
1T is not the fear of exposure that has tort
ured me" she said. when / was left ii
the solitude Of the night my heart turned t
Kitty; | felt that any sacrifice of mysel
might be endured for her sake. It's the re-
membrance OF my marriage, Mr.. Sarrazin
that is the terrible trial to me. Those whom
God has Joined together let no maj put asun