Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-13

III you mean YOU can remember itY'
Il can repeat Ii word for word. This was
my reply: i refuse, positively, to part with
my child"
NO more than thatY'
mo more"
Mr.. Sarrazin looked at his client with un.
disguised admiration. "rhe only time in all
my long experience" he said, lin which |
have found a lady's letter capable OF express.
ing Itself strongly in few words. What q
lawyer you will make, Mrs. Linley, when
the rights OF women invade my proiession! y
He put his hand into his breast pocket and
produced a letter addressed to himself.
watching him mxiously, the Ladies' saw
his bright face become overloaded with
anxiety. II am the wretched bearer of bad
news ne resumed, "and il tidget in my
chair that Is the reason for it,. Let us get to
the polnt-and let us get OFF il again as soon
as possible. Here is a letter, written to me
by MI. linley's lawyer. Ii You will take my
advice You will let me say what the sub.
stance OF 1t is, and then put it back in my
pocket. doubt il a woman has influenced
these cruel instructions, Mrs. Presty: and,
therefore, | doubt il a woman influenced the
letter which has led the way 10 them. Did
l NOT say just now that | was coming TO the
point? And here | am wandering farther
n farther away from il. A lawyer is I'M.
man; there is the only excuse. Now, Mrs.
Linley, in two words! Your husband is dc.
termined 10 have little Miss Kitty and the
law, when he applies 10 it, is his obedieDt
humble servant"
DO You mean that the law takes my child
away nom me%'
II am ashamed, madam, 10 think that |
live by the law but that, ! must own, is eN-
actly what II is capable of doing in the pres
ent case. Compose yourself, / beg and pray.
A time will come when women will remind
men that the mother bears the child and
feeds the child, and will insist that the moth
er's right is the best right of the two. Ia the
meanwhile"
I'm the meanwhile, Mr.. Sarrazin, / won't
submit 70 the law"
Quite right, Catherine! y cried Mrs. Presty.
Exactly what | should do in your place"
Mr.. Sarrazin listened patiently. II am all
attention, good ladies'" he said, with tho
gentlest resignation. Let me hear how you
mean ~ do it,"
The good ladies looked al each other. They
discovered that II is one thing Ia set an abuse
at defiance IN woris, and another thing 10
apply the remedy in deeds. The kind-heart.
ed lawyer helped them with Il suggestion.
Perhaps you think of making your escape
with the child, and taking refuge abroad?'
Mrs. Linley eagerly accepted the hint.
"Ihe first train tomorrow morning starts at
lalf-past ~ She said. I'VE might catch
some foreign steamer that sails from the east
coast of Scotland"
Mrs. Presty, keeping Il wary eye on Mr..
Sarrazin, was not quite so ready Us her
daughter in rushing at conclusions. 81 nm
afraid" she acknowledged, "our worthy
friend sees some objection. What is it?'
Il don't presume 10 offer Il positive opin.
ion, ma'am; but | think Mr.. Linley and his
lawyer have their suspicious. Plainly speak
ing, | am afraid spies are set 10 watch us al
ready
''lmpossible!'
You shall hear. | travel second-claSs;
one saves money, and one finds people TO
talk to-and at what sacrifice? only a hard
cushion to sit on! In the same carriage with
me there was a very convertible persona
smart young man with flaming red hair.
When we took the omnibus at your station
here all the passengers got out in the town
except two. | was one exception and the
smart young man was the other. When |
stopped at your gate the omnibus went ON a
few yards, and set my fellOw-trayeler at the
village inn. My profession makes me sly. |
waited Il little before ] rang your bell: and,
when / could do it without being seen, |
crossed the road and had q look at the inn.
There is a moon tonight; | was very care.
tul. The young man didn't see me. But |
raw a head Of flaming hair and "A parrot ami
able blue eyes over the blind of a window.
and 1t happened to be that one window ot
the inn which commands a full view of your
gate. Mere suspicion, you will say. ! can
deny it, and yet | have my reasons for suS.
pecting. Before | left London one OF my
CLERKS followed me In a great hurry 20 The
terminus, and caught me as | was opening
the carriage door. We have just made q dis.
covery, he said you and Mrs. Linlev are
to be- reckoned up 'Reckoncd up is. if you
please, detective English for being watched.
My clerk might have repeated a false report,
OF course. And my fcllow-travcler might
have come all the way from London to look
ont of the window of an inn in n Cumber,
land village. What do you think your
s~clycs?."
II seemed 10 be easier To dispute the law
than to dispute Mr.. Sarrazin's conclusions.
suppose | choose TO travel abroad and "a
take my child with me-" Mrs. Linley per.
sisted, 'who has any right to prevent me?'
Mr.. Sarrazin reluctantly reminded her that
the father had a right. mo person, not even
the mother, can take the child out OF the
fathers custody" he said, except with the
fathers consent. His authority is the su.
preme carbohydrates il happens that Tie
law has deprived him of his privilege, and
has expressly coniided the child TO the moth.
er's care. Ha!' cried Mr.. Sarrazin, twist.
ing round in his chair and fixing his keer
eyes on Mrs. Presty, look at your good
mother; she sees what | am coming TO-"
Il see something more than you think
Mrs. Presty answered. "If | know anything
OF my daughters nature, you will find your
self before long on delicate ground"
What do you mean. mammal"
Mrs. Presty had lived in the past age wher
persons occasionally used metaphor as an aC
to the expression of their ideas. Being call
ed upon to explain herself she did it in meta
phor TO her own entire satisfaction.
"Our learned friend here reminds me, my
dear Catherine, OF Il traveller exploring {
strange town. He takes a turning in the
confident expectation that il will reward hin
by leading to some satisfactory result-an(
he finds himself i'll a blind ally, or, as the
french put It Il speak French iiucntly) in
cool de sack. Do | make my meaning clear
Mr.. Sarrazlny'
Not the least N the world, ma'am.'
"How very extraordinary! Perhaps l hav
been misled by my W vivid imagination
Let me endeavor to express myself plainly
let Inc say that my fancy looks propheticall
at what you are going to do, and s%incerel,
wishes you well out of it. Pray go on"
And pray speak more plainly than n
mother has spoken" Mrs. Linley added
AS l understand what you said just now
there Is a law, after all, that will protect m
in the possession OF my little girl. | don
care what 1t costs; ! want that law"
May l ask first" Mr.. SarraZin stipulated
whether you are positively resolved not {
give away to your husband in this matter o
Kitty?'
Positively"
One more question, if you please, on
matter of fact. / have heard that you wer
married in Scotland. Is that truc?'
Quite true"
Mr. Sarrazin exhibited himself once NOR
in a highly unprotcssional aspect. He CLAP
ped his hands and cried Bravo as If h