Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-06-05

ney's motive. HAS his cruelty driven you
away from hiiny' she asked.
III he had been cruel to me-" Sydney an
wered, do you think I should have conne
here TO complain of II 10 you? DO me the
Justice to believe that am not capable OF
such se~lf-degradati0n as that / have moth
ing 10 complain Of"
"And yet you have left himr'
''He has been all that Is kind and consider
ate he has o everything that a man In
his unhappy position could do TO set my
mind at ease. And yet | have left him. Oh,
| claim no merit for my repentance, bitterly
as l feel IL! | might not have had the cour-
age to leave him-if he had loved me as he
once loved YOU"
you that you are the last person living who
ought TO allude to my married life"
You may perhaps pardon the allusloti,
madam, when you have heard what have
still io say. | owe il 10 MIR. Herbert Linley,
II not to you, to confess that his life with me
has not been a life OF happiness. He has
tried, cOmpassi0nately tried, to keep his Sc
cret sorrow from discovery and he has failed.
l had long suspected the truth, but only
saw IL in his face when he found the book
| you ltlt Dtiiilu lOu ~ but iptCi. Aph ~"
age has, from first to last, been the one living
image In his guilty heart. | am the miser-
able victim of a mans passing fancy. You
have been (you are stilD the one object OF a
husbands love. Ask your own heart IL the
woman lives who could say what l have just
said, unless II was true!'
GATHERINGS head sank on her bosom; her
helpless hands lay trembling on her lap.
! n,-.on.al 49, tla ~, fa1oinu u.liah Sla
had just heard-a confession which had fol-
lowed closely on the thoughts inspired by
the appearance of the child-her agitation
was beyond control; her mind was unequal
10 the effort OF decision. The woman who
had been wronged- who had the right to
Judge for herself and TO speak for herself
was the silent woman OF the two!
1t was not quite dark yet. Sydney could
see as well as hear.
For the first time since the beginning OF
the interview she allowed the impulse OF the
moment 10 lead her astray. In her eager
ness TO complete the act OF atonement she
failed to appreciate the severity OF the strug
gle that was passing in GATHERINGS mind
She alluded again TO Herbert Linley, anC
she spoke too soon.
"Will You let him ask your p~ardon?' she
said. He expects no more"
GATHERINGS spirit was aroused In an In
stant. He expects too much y she answer
ed, sternly.
Sydney saw her mistake, and tried too lat
to set IL right.
1T is my misfortune II | have taken a LID
erty," she pleaded; pray don't treat me a
II il was my fault. | dare not ask you t
alter your opinion
DO you dare look the truth in the face?
Catherine i~nterposed. do you remembe
what sacred ties that man has broken? wha
memories he has profaned? what years o
faithful love he has cast from him? Must
} tell you how he poisoned his wife's min
3 with doubts of his truth and despair of hi
. honor, when he basely deserted her? Yo
f, talk of your repentance. Is there no syn
patty for Me In our repentance
4 Sydney silently submitted to reprOach, 81
: lently endured the shame that finds no e,
? cuse for Itself.
Catherine looked at her, and relented. tn
noble nature which could stoop 10 anger, bt
never sink to the lower depths OF malice an
persecution. restrained itself and mad
: amends. Il say it in no u%nkindness to you,
0 she resumed. but when you ask me 10 70
give, consider what you ask me to forget.
= viii MY distress us Dotli III We iellhih ioHs'
n together she continued, rising as she Spok
J Perhaps you will believe that ] mean we
e when | ask il there is anything | can do Il
. your
: Nothing"
All the desolation of the lost woman TO
its terrible tale in that one word. Invited
; rest herself in the hotel, she asked leave
! remain where she was; the mere effort {
> rising was too much for her now. Catheril
. said the parting words kindly. IL believe
u your good intentions; l believe in your r
pentance."
!, believe in my punishment After III
reply no more was said.
Behind the trees that closed the view
= the farther extremity of the lawn, the mo'
was rising. As the two women lost sight
= each other. the new light, pure and beau
full, began 10 dawn over the garden.
~