Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-05-29

guess NJ the motel mat The grounds were al
most deserted.
AS the sun declined on a lovely summer
evening the few invalids feebly wandering
about the flower beds or resting under the
rees began to return to the house In dread
OF the dew. Catherine and her child, with
the nursemaid In attendance, were left alone
In the garden. Kitty found her mother, as
she openly declared, mot such good com.
pany as usual" Since the day when hef
grandmother had said the fatal words which
checked all further allusion to her father the
child had shown a disposition TO complain il
she was not constantly amused. She CON-
planned of Mrs. Presty now.
Il think grandmamma might have taken
me to the Crystal palace" she said.
My dear, your grandmamma has friends
with her-ladies and gentlemen who dom
care to be troubled with a CHILD"
Kitty received this information in a very
unamiable spirit IL hate ladies and gentle.
men !" she said.
Even Capt. Bennydeckg" her mother ask.
ed"
mo; / like my nice captain. And l like
the walters. They would take me to the
Crystal palace-only they're always busy. !
wish 1t was bedtime; l don't know what "
do with myself"
Take q little walk with Susan"
where shall | go?'
Catherine looked toward the gate which
opened on the road, and proposed a visit tC
the old man who kept the lodge.
Kitty shook her head. There was an OBJ
lection to the old man. "He asks questions
he wants to know how l get on with my
sums. He's proud of his summing, and ht
finds me out when Pm wrong. / don't like
the lodge-keeper."
Catherine looked the other wa toward the
house. The pleasant fall OF water in IN,
basin of the distant fountain was just audi
BILE. go and feed the goldfshes," she sug
gested.
This was q prospect OF amusement which
at once raised Kitty's spirits. That's III,
thingp' she cried, and ran off to the fountain
with the nursemaid after her.
Catherine seated herself under the trees
and watched In solitude the decline OF tn,
sun in a cioudless sky. The memory of tn,
happy years OF her marriage had never beer
SO sadly and persistentiy present to her minC
as at this time, when the choice of anothe
married life waited her decision to becom,
an accomplished fact. Remembrance o
the past, which she had such bitter reason 8,
regret, and ~forebodings of the future, IL
which she was more than half inclined to be
lieve, oppressed her at one n the same mo
ment. She thought of the different circum
stances, 50 widely separated by time, indie
which Herbert years ago. and Bennydeci
Qwenty-four hours since) had each owned
hisJlove and pleaded for an MISUNDERSTANDING
Her mind contrasted the dissimilar results
Pressed by the faithless man who had 81
cruelty wronged her In after years, she only
wondered why he had waited so long before
he asked her to marry him. Addressed with
equal ardOr by that other man, whose age
whose character, whose modest devotion OF
fered her every assurance OF happiness tina
q woman could desire, she had struggled
against herself, and had begged him to give
her a day to consider. That day was now
drawing to an end. AS she watched the set
ting sun the phantom of her guilty husband
darkened the heavenly light; embittered the
distrust of herself which made her afraid to
say yes, and left her helpless before the hesi-
tation which prevented her from saying 40.
The figure Of a man appeared on the lone
ly path that led to the lodge gate.
lmpulsively she rose from her seat as he
advanced. fmpulsivefy she sat down again.
After that first act Of indecision the fiutter
Of her spirits abated; she was able to think.
To avoid him, after he had spared her at
her own request, would have been an act Of
ingratitude; to receive him was to place her
self once more In the false position of q wo-
man too undecided to know her own mind.
Forced to choose between these alternatives,
her true regard for Bennydeck forbade her
to think OF herself, and encouraged her To
walt for him. AS he came nearer she saw
anxiety In his face, and observed an open
letter In his hand. He smiled as he APP
preached her, and asked leave to take a chair
at her side. At the same time, when he per-
ceiyed that she had noticed his letter, he put
II away hurriedly in his pocket
II hope nothing has happened to annoy
yOn," she said.
He smiled again, and asked il she was
thinking CT his letter. ut is only q report"
he added; from my second In command,
whom ! have left In charge of my home. He
Is on excellent man, but I I'm afraid his tenn
per Is not proof against the ingratitude which
we sometimes meet with. He doesn't We,
make allowances for what even the best nat.
ures suffer under the deteriorating influences
OF self-distrust and despair. No; i AIN no,
anxious about the result of this case. l for
get all my anxieties Except one) when l an
with you"
His eyes told her that he was about to re.
turn to the one subject that she dreaded. She
tried-as women will try, In the little emer.
gencIes Of their lives-to gain time.
81 am interested about your home," she
said; II want to know what sort Of place II
Is. Is the discipline very severey'
There Is no discipline" he answered.
warmly. my one object is to be = friend
to my friendless fellow-creatures; and my
n way Of governing them Is to follow the
teaching of the sermon on the noun What
ever else ! may remind them Of when they
come to me, l am determined not to remind
them Of q prison. For this reason, though ]
pity the hardened wanderers OF the streets,
don't open my don,s to them. Many q ref
uge In which discipline Is Inevitable, Is open
70 these poor sinners already. My welcome
Is offered to pentients n sufferers OF an
other kind-who have fallen from positions
In life In which the sense of honor has been
cultivated; whose despair Is associated with
remembrances which l ma, SO encourage,
with the new testament 10 balp me. as t.
lead them back 10 the religious Influences un'
der which their purer and happier lives may
have been passed. Here and there l mee,
with disapp0intmentS but persist In my
system Of trusting them ~ freely as II they
were my W. children, and, for the mosi
part they justify my confidence in item.
On tho day-if It ever comes-when / End
discipline necessary ! shall suffer my disap
polnkment aud close my doora"
us your house OPEN" Catherine asked,
sto men q women sliker'
He was eager TO speak with her ON q sub
Jet more interesting to him eYen than hil
home. Answering her question In this frams
OF mind his thoughts wandered; be drew
lines absently with his walking-stick on thu
e0ft earth under the trees.
ssrhs means st my disposal," be said, AN