The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-05-22
III this is n of your jokes, ma'am--,

Nothing of the sort, SIR"
Are you aware, Mrs. Presty, that my
brother"
'.Oh, don't talk of your brother! He's an
obstacle in our way, and we have been COM
PEELED TO get rid OF him."
What do you mean2"
MY dear Randall, l have been obliged to
treat him like a character In a novel. l have
shipwrecked your brother. Vessel found in
the Atlantic bottom upward-all drowned,
my dear friend; all drowned"
Randall drew back a step. Mrs. Presty's
audacity was something more than he could
understand. "ls this wona mad?" he said
to himself.
"Sit down." said Mrs. Presty. "If you are
determined to make II serious business of it
II you insist Oh my justifying myself-you
are to be pltied for not possessing a sense OF
humor, but you shall have your w way. /
AM put on mY defense. Very well. You
shall hear how my poor divorced daughter
and my poor little grandchild were treated
at Sandyseal after you left u.s."
Having related the circumstances, she sug.
gested that Randall should put himself in
GATHERINGS place before he ventured on ex.
pressing an opinion. Would you have ex-
posed yourself to be humiliated again in the
same way?" she asked. and would you
have seen your child made to suffer US we'll
as YOURSELF"
II should have kept in retirement for the
future" he answered, land not have trusted
my child and myself among strangers in
hotels"
"Ah, tndeedp And you would have con-
demned your poor little daughter to solitudeY
You would have seen her pining for the COM
nANv nj Othor ohi1drnn opd Spppll b,va haI
no mercy OF her? wonder what you would
have done when Capt. Bennydcck paid US q
visit at the seaslde2 He was introduced to
Mrs. Ormond and to Mrs. Ormond's little
girl. and we were all charmed with him.
When he and l happened to be left together
he naturally wondered, after having seen the
charming wife, where the lucky husband
might be. 1t he had asked o about Mr..
Ormond how would you have answered
himp"
~ should have told the truth"
"You would have said there wa no Mr..
Ormond?"
Yes"
Exactly what l did! And the captain OF
course concluded (after having been intro
duced to Kitty that Mrs. Ormond was a
widow. If l had said no, what would have
become OF my daughters reputationp If l
had told the truth at this hotel, when every
body wanted to know what Mrs. Ormond,
that handsome lady, was-what would the
consequences have been to Catherine and
her little grip Mol moi l have made the
best Of q miserable situation; ! have consult
ed the tranquility of a cruelty injured wo-
man and an innocent child-and the voice of
my conscience says Well done, Mrs.
Presty!'"
Randall decided Oh leaving her. Have
you done all this with GATHERINGS consent%
he asked, as he got up from his chair.
catherine submits to circumstances like
a sensible woman"
docs she submit to your telling Kitty that
her father is deadP"
For the first time Mrs. Presty became Sc.
rious.
Wait a minute" she answered. Before
l consented to answer the child's Inquiries |
came " an understanding with the mother,
l said: VIII you let Kitty see her father
a~gain?'"
The very question which Randall had prom
ised to ask in his brothers interests! And
how did Catherine answe you" he inquired.
Honestly. She said: y daren't! After
that l had her mothers authority for telling
her that she would never see her father
again. She asked directly il her father was
dead"
That will do, Mrs. Presty. Your defense
is thoroughly worthy of your conduct in all
other respects"
Say thoroughly worthy of the course
forced upon me and my daughter by your
brothers infamous conduct and you will be
nearer the markV'
Randall passed this over without notice.
BE so good" he said, 'as to tell Catherine
that l try to make every possible allowance
for her, but that | cannot consent to sit at
her dinner table, and that l dare ~notface my
poor little niece, after what l have heard"
Mrs. Presty recovered all her audacity. "A
very wise decision" she remarked. "Your
face would spoil the best Inner that ever
was put OH the tabs. Have you any mes
sage for Capt. B%ennydeck"
Randall hesitated. The explanation which
he had thought Of seeking from the captain
appeared to be needless now. Bennydeck
had a perfect right to please himself in the
choice of a wife. II Catherine represented
that choice but one doubt remained. Did she
give him encouragement? Randall asked if
his friend was then ut the hotel.
Mrs. Presty smiled significantly. mot at
the hotel, Just now"
Where is hep"
where he is every day about this time
out driving with Catherine and Kitty"
This answer finally disposed of Randal's
last doubt. He took leave of Mrs. Presty
with the formallty due toa stranger-he
merely bowed. That incorrlgible old woman
treated him with atfectionate familiarity in
return.
"Good-by, dear Randall. One moment be-
fore you go! viii II be of any use If we ask
you to the marriage?"
Arrived at the station, Randall found that
he must wait for the train. While he was
walking up and down the platform, with a
mind doubly distressed by anxiety about his
brother and anxiety about Sydney, the train
from London am in. He stood looking
absently at the passengers leaving the car
riages on the opposite side Of the platform.
Suddenly u voice that he knew was audible,
asking the way to Bucks hotel. He crossed
the line in an instant, and found himself
face to face with Herbert