Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-20
4le Evil Genius.
DOMESTIC STORY.
DY wIrKlE COLLINS.

morning, waiting on the pi'r.
Not Il breath of win WA, stirring: the lazy
mist lay asleep on the farther shore of the
lake. Here and there oH.y thc dim tops of
the hills rose like shadows east ny the earth
on the faint gray of the sky. Nearer at hand
the waters of the lake showed a gloomy sui
face; no birds flew over the colOrless calm;
no passing insects tempted the fish To rise.
From time to time n last lett leaf on the
wooded shore dropped noiselcNsly and died.
No vehicles passed as Yet on the lonely road;
no voices were audible from the village:
slow and straight, wreaths of smoke stole
their way out of the clllmneys aud lost their
vapor In the vapory sky. The one sound
that disturbed The sullen rcpose of the morn
Ing was the tramp of the lawyers footsteps
as he paced Up and down the pier. He
thought Of London and lis ceascless traffic,
It's roaring high tide OF life in action, and he
said - himself, with the strong conviction
of a town.bred man: How miserable this
Isl
A voice from the garden chccred him Just
as he reached the end of the pier for the
irtieth time. and looked with iity-fOld in.
tensity OF dislike at the dreary lake.
There stood Kitty behind the garden gate.
with q i%shing-rod In each hand. A tin box
was strapped on one side OF her little body
and a basket on the other. Burdened with
these impediments, she required assistance.
Susan had let her Out of the house, aud sam
nel must now open the gate for her. She
was pleased 10 observe that the raw morning
had Redeemed her friends nose, and She pre-
Sented her owl nose IL notice as exhibiting
perfect sympathy IN this respect. Feeling z
misplaced confidence in Mr.. Sarrazin's
knowledge and experience as an angler, she
handed the iishing.rods TO him. MY fingers
are cold,' she said: you bait the hooks"
He looked at his young friend in silent per-
pleXity; she pointed 10 the tin box. "Plenty
OF bait there, Samuel: we find maggOts do
best" MI, SarraEin eyed the box with UNI
disguised disgust: and KITTY made an uneX-
pecied discovery. You seem 10 know moth
ing about it, she said. And Samuel answer
ed cordially: Nothing In hve minutes
more he found himself by the side of his
young friend-with his hook baited, his line
In the water, and strict iniunctionS to keep
an eye Oh the float.
They began to fish.
Kitty looked at her companion and looked
away again in silence. BY way OF encour-
aging her 10 talk the good-natured lawyer
alluded 10 what she had said when they part
ed over night. You wanted 10 ask me some
thing he reminded her. What is it,"
Without one preliminary word of warning
to prepare him for the shock Kitty answer
ed: II want You to tell me what has become
OF papa, aud why sgd has gone away and
left me. You know who sgd rs. don't youp'
The one alternative left To Mr.. SarraZin
was to plead ignorance. While Kitty was
inStrncting him on the subject Of her govern.
esS he had time 10 consider what he should
say 10 her next. The result added one more
to the lot opportunities of Mr.. SarraZin's
life.
You sec,' the child graycIy continued,
"you are a clever man, and YOU have come
here to advise mamma. ! have got that much
ont of grandmamma, il have got nothing
else. Don't look at me: look at Your float.
My papa has gone away, and sgd has left
me without even saying good-hy. and we
have given up oar nice old house in Scotland
and come to live here. | tell You | don't un.
derstand it. II you see your float begin to
tremble and then give a little dip down as if
1t was going To sink. pail Your line out OF the
water: you will most likely lind a fish at the
end Of it. When | ask mamma what all this
lilNuli0 Wv ~ lll'l' - II lNdNill dllh 1 VII
not old enough 10 understand it. and She
looks unhappy and she gives me kiss. and
II ends in that way. You've got a bite: no,
you haven't: it's only a uibblc; fish are 50
sly. And gIandmamma is worse still. Some.
times she tells me I'm a spoiled child, and
sometimes she says weIl-hehaved little girls
don't ask questions. That's nonsenSe-and
! think it's hard on me. You look uncOm.
t,Ntnl1. l. "a ,a a., ttD \ H., .... q.
bother YOU; ! only want TO know why sgd
has gone away. When | WAS younger |
might have thought the fairies had taken
her. Oh, no! that woa't do any longer; I'm
too old. Now tell me"
Mr.. Saira2in weakly attempted to gain
time; he looked AT his watch. Kitty looked
over his shoulder. "Oh. we needn't he in a
hurry; breakfast won't be ready for half an
hour yet. Plenty of time TO talk Of sgd; 60
en-"
Most unwisely Seeing that he had To deal
with a clever child, and that child a GRID,
Mr.. Sarrazin tried fiat denial as a way out OF
the difficulty. He said: IL don't know why
she has gone away" The next question fol
lowed instantly "Well, then, what do YOU
think about it?.' In sheer despair the pcrse,
cuted friend said the first thing that cane in.
to his head.
II think she has gone to he married"
Kitty was indignant. Gone to be mar
ried, and not tell me. she exclaimed. "Whar
do You mean by that?'
Mr.. SarraZin's professional experience oil
women and marriages failed 10 supply him
with an answer. In this difficulty he eXerteC
his imagination, and invented something
that no woman ever did yet. She's wait
ing he said, "to see now her marriage sue
ceeds before she tells anybody about it,"
This sounded probable to the mind of z
child. II hope She hasn't married a beast,
Kitty said, with a serious face and an omin.
Gus shake of the head. when shall | heal
from Syd?'
Mr.. Sarra2in tried another preyaricatiOn-
with better results this time. You will b,
the first person she writes to, of course" A,
that eXcusable lie passed his lips his float be
gan to tremble. Here was Il chance of chang
Ing the subject. I've got a fish ~ he cried
Kitty was Immediately interested. Sh,
threw down her " rod and assisted he
ignorant companion. a wrctched little fist
appeared in the air, wrlggling. ITS a
roach" Kitty pronounced. ATS in pain
the merciful lawyer added; give it to me-
Kitty took it of the hook and Obeyed. Mr.
SaTra2in Nth hurmnp UrnilonnSs OF hand
ling, put il back into the water. eco, anC
God bless vou." said this excellent man. ~
the roach disappeared joyousiy with q flick
of its tail. Kitty was scandalized. THAT
not sport!' she said. oh, yes, it is" he All
swered-'spoit to the fish,
They went on with their angling. VIVA
embarrassing question would Kitty ask next
Would she want to be told why her father
had left her? No; the last image in In,
clilds mind had been the image oi Sydney
Westerheld. She was still thinking of i
when she spoke again.
Il wonder whether you're right abou
sgd" she began. You might he mistaken
mlghtn't you? L sometimes fancy mamma
and Sydney may have had q quarrel. WOulc
you mind asking IN If that's true?' tho
aii%ectionatc little creature said, ~anXiOusly
you see, ! can't help talking OF sgd, I'm 81
fond of her; and | do miss her SO |dreadfulll
every Eow and then: and I'm atraid-Oh
dear, dear. I'm afraid | shall never see he
again!' She let her rod drop on the pier an,
put her little hands over her face and burst
ont crying.
Shocked and distressed, good Mr. SarraziI
kissed her and conso,ed her, aud told anoth
er eXcusable lie. Try TO be comforted, Kitty
Pm sure you will see her again.
His conscience reproached him az he helC
out that false hope. 1t could never he! Til,
one objectionable sin, in the Judgment %