The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-06-12
CHAPTER XLN.
She tried to think of Bennydeck.


Her eyes followed him us long as he was
In sight but her thoughts wandered. To
look at him now was to look at the little
companion walking by his side. Still, the
child reminded her OF the living father; still,
the child innocently tortured her with the
consciousness OF deceit. Thu faithless man
from whom the law had released her possess
ed himself Of her thoughts, in spite of the
law. He, and he only, was the visionary
companion of her solitude when she was left
by herself.
Did he remind her of the sin that he had
committed? or the insult that he had in
1icted on the woman whom he had vowed to
love and cherish? No! he recalled to her the
years of love that she had passed by his side;
lie upbraided her with the happiness which
she had owed to him in the prime and glory
5f her life. Woman! set that against the
wrong which l have done to you. You have
the right to condemn me and society has the
right to condemn me-bu. am your child's
father still. Forget me il you can!
All thought will bear the test of solitude,
excepting only the thought that finds its ORR
gin in hopeless self-Icproach. The soft mys-
terry OF twilight, the solemn silence of the
slowly coming night, daulted Catherine in
that lonely place. She rose to return to light
and human beings. As she set her face to-
ward the house a discovery confronted her.
She was not alone.
A woman was standing on the path, ap-
parently looking at her.
In the din light and at the distance be-
tween them recognition of the woman was
impossible. She neither moved nor spoke.
Strained to their utmost point of tension,
GATHERINGS nerves quivered at the sight OF
that shadOwy, solitary figure. She dropped
back Oh the seat. In tones that trembled she
said: WHO are you? What do you want?'
The voice that answered was, like her W
voice, faint with fear. 1t said: Il want a
word with you
Moving slowly Observation-Disclosures
ing onward Notwithstanding again-the wo-
man at last approached. There was light
enough left to reveal her face, now that she
was near. 1t was the face of Sydney West
erlield.
The survival of childhood, in the mature
human being, betrays itself most readily III
the sex that bears children. The chances
and changes of life show the child's mobility
or emotion constantly associatilg itself with
the passions of the M At the moment
of recognition the troubled mind of Catherine
was instantly steadied, under the influence
of that coarsest sense which levels lis with
the animals-the sense of anger.
81 am amazed at your audacity," she said
There was 10 resentment-tlere was only
patient submission in Sydney's reply.
.'Iwice l have approached the house il
which you are living, and twice my courag,
has failed me. | have gone away again.
have walked, Idon't know Where, | don
know how far. Shame and fear seemed tt
/ L. ~,.-s Me-. t,t.r,,, MT, s., ,.,, AT.
attempt. If l was a little nearer to you
think you would see what the effort has cos
me. | have not much to say. May l ask
you to hear mel"
You have taken me by surprise, Mis-:
Westertield. You have no right 70 do that
L refuse to hear you.'
"Try, madam, to bear in mind that no un
happy creature in my place, would expos
herself to your anger and contempt withou
a serious reason. Will you think againw
moi"
Sydney turned to go away-and suddenly
stopped.
Another person was advancing from til
hotel: an Interruption, a trivial domestic i'll
terruption, presented itself. The nursemai'
had missed the child, and had come into tn
garden to see If she was with her mother.
"Where is Miss Kitty, ma'amH" the git
asked.
Her mistress told her what had happened
and sent her to the palace to relieve Cap
Bennydeck of the charge that he had undel
taken. Susan listened, looking at Sydney
and recognizing the familiar face. AS tn
girl moved away. Sydney spoke to her.
~ hope little Kitty is well and happy"
The mother doesn't live who could hay
resisted the tone in which that question wa
put. The broken heart, the love for the chill
that still lived in it, spoke in accents tina
even touched the servant. She came back
remembering the happy days when the GOV
erness had won their hearts at Mount MOI
ven, and, for the moment at least, remembe
ing nothing else.
SQuite well and happy, miss, thank you,
Susan said.
AS she hurried away on her GRAND st
saw her mistress beckon to Sydney to retur
and place a chair for her. The nursemai
was not near enough to hear what followed
Miss Westcriield. | regret what said
you just now; ask you to pardon me.
With those words Catherine pointed to IL
chair. II am ready to near you" she Il
sumed-'but | have something to ask frs
Does what you wish to say to me relate on
to YOURSELF"
ut relates to another person as well as
myself
That reply, and the inference to which
led, tried GATHERINGS resolution to preserN
her self-control as nothing had tried it yet.
"1f that other person." she said, "meal
Mr.. Herbert Linley-"
Sydney interrupted her in words whit
She was entirely unprepared to hear.
II shall never see Mr.. Herbert LIME
again"
HAS he deserted you9"'
mo. 1t is 1 who have left him"
"Youl'
The emphasis laid on that one word force
Sydney to assert herself for the first time.
"If l had not left him of my W fir
WILL" she said, what else would excuse II
for venturing to come here?"
GATHERINGS sense of justice felt the for
OF that reply. At the same time, her sen
1 III - - L--aE IA 49, ~ Is.