Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-06
IlG Evil Genius.
A EsTIC STORY.
BY WiLKIE coLLINs.

BY WiLKIE COLLINS.
she let THIS pass without Il ryr ''rhe
doctor secs no harm. she vent g ain my
being a'ysy for 2 Tow lu IN. AIRS Ed
win has offered Ia send mc Lore IN the even
Ing. so that ] can sleep IN kitty's room"
You don't look well, Sydney. Yon are
pale and woIn-yOu are not happy"
She began to tremb'e z. For the second time
she turned away to take ny her cloak. For
the second time he stopped her.
Not just yet" he said. You don't know
how II distresses Inc 70 see you 40 sadly
changed. ] remember the time when it was
such a pleasure To see you happy. DO you
remember that timey"
Don't ask me!' was all She could say.
lie sigiivsi Us ile iuuke,i al iIci. It's dread
FIJI to think of your young life, that ought to
be 50 bright, wasting and. whitening among
strangers" He said those words with in
c~reasing agitation; his eyes rested on her
eagerly with a wild look in them. She made
a resolute effort TO speak to him coldly-she
called him "Mr. Linley'--she babe him good
by.
1t was useless. He stood between her and
the door: he disregarded what She had said
as if he had not heard ii. Hardly q day
passes" he owned TO her. THAT | don't think
OF you"
you shouldn't tell me that!'
How can / see YOU ~again-and not tell
your
She burst out with a last entreaty. For
Gods sake, let Us say goOd-by -
His manner became u~ndisguisedly tender;
his language changed in the one way Of all
Others that was most perilous to her-he APP
pealed to her pity. "Oh! Sydney, it's so
hard to part with your
Spare mef' she cried. pasSionately. "You
don't know how | suffer"
"Oh, / know it-nO words can say how I
feel for You! Are you sorry for me-, Sydney?
Have you thought OF me since we partedY'
She had Striyen against herself. and against
him. till her last effort at resistance was ex-
hausted. In reckless despair she let the
Truth escape her at last.
When do | ever think Of anything else! |
an a wretch unworthy OF all the kindness
that has been Shown to me. j don't deserve
your Interest; | don't even deserve your pity.
Send me away-be hard on me-be brutal to
me. Have some mercy on a miserable Great
IRE whose life il one long, hopeless effort to
forget your Her voice, her look, madden
ed him. He drew her to his bosom; he held
her IN his arms: she struggled yainly To get
away from him. "Oh." she murmured. how
cruel you are! Remember, my dear one, re-
member how weak ] am. Oh. Herbert, I'm
dying-dying-dying!' Her voice grew
fainter and fainter: her head sank on his
breast. He lifted her face to him with wills
pered words OF love. He kissed her again
and again.
The curtains over the library entrance
moved noiselessly when they were parted.
The footsteps OF Catherine Linley were in.
audible as she passed through and entered
the room.
She stood still for a moment in silent hor-
Tor.
Not d sOund warned them when she adj
yanced. After hesitating for a moment she
raised her hand toward her husband. as il to
tell him of her presence by a touch, drew il
back, suddenly recOiling from her own first
intention. and touched Sydney instead.
Then. and then only. they knew what had
happened.
Face 10 face, those three persons-with
every tie that had once united them snapped
asunder in an instant-looked at each other.
The man owed a duty 10 the lost creature
whose weakness had appealed To his mercy
In vain. The man broke the silence.
Catherine
With unreasonable contempt looking
brightly ont OF her steady eyes his wife stop
ped him.
Not n wOrdr'
He refused TO b. silent. at is l." he said;
81 only who am TO blame
Spare yourself the trouble OF making eX-
cuses, > she answered; they are needless.
Herbert Linley, the woman who was once
your wife despises you"
Her eyes turned from him ard rested on
Sydney Westertield.
Il have a last word to say to yO,t. Look at
ME, II you can. Listen to me, If YOU can"
Sydney lifted her head. She booked va
cantly at the outraged woman before her as
If she saw a woman in a dream.
With the same terrible self-possessiOn
which she had preserved from the first
standing between her husband and her gov
erneSs-Mrs. Linley spoke.
Miss Westertield, you have saved my
child's life" She paused-seized the girl by
the ARMAND put her in the place which she
had thus far occupied herself. Deadly pale,
she pointed to her husband, and said To sgd
ney: Take him!'
Slowly She passed out of the room-and
left them together.
XXI.
The autumn holiday time had come 10 an
end, and the tourists had left Scotland to the
Scotch.
In the dull season a solitary traveller from
the north arrived at the nearest post town to
Mount Morven. A sketch-bOok and a color.
box formed part OF his luggage and declared
hin 10 be an artist. Falling into talk over
4 l.u lf..K,ne xx.th xAa IA M th. 49, L.
made inquiries about q picturesque home in
the neighborhoOd, which showed that Mount
Moryen was well known to him by reputa.
ton. When he proposed paying a visit TO
the old border fortress the next day, the
waiter said: "You can't see the house,
When the traveller asked why. this man OF
few words merely added: "Shut up.'
The landlord made his appearance with a
bottle OF wine, and proved to be a more com
municative person in his relations with
strangers. Presented in an abridged form,
and in the English language, these las he re-
lated them Were the circumstances under
which Mount Morye' had been closed TO the
public:
A complete dispersion of The family had
taken place not long since. For miles round
everybody wa sorry for it. Rich and pool
alike felt the same sympathy with the good
ia,iy OF the house. She had been most shane
fully treated by her husband and Dy a good
for-nothing girl employed as goyerness. To
put 1t plainly, the two had run away togeth.
er; one report said they had gone abroad.
and another declared that they were living
in London. Mr.. Liniey's conduct was per-
fectiy incomprehensible. He had always
borne tho highest character-a good landlord,
q kind father, q devoted husband. And yet,
after more than eight years of exemplary
married life, he had disgraced himself. The
minister of the parish, preaching on the sub
ject, had attributed this extraordinary out
break of vice on the part of an otherwise
virtuou5 man to a possession OF the devil.
Assuming ''the devil' in this case To be only
q discreet and clerical way OF alluding from
the pulpit to a woman, the landlord was in
clined to agree with the minister. After what
had happened il was, OF course, impossible
that Mrs. Linley could remain in her hus-
bands house. She and her little girl and her
mother We're supposed 20 be living in retire
ment. They kept the place OF their retreat a
secret from everybody but Mrs. Linley's
legal adviser. who was instructed 10 forward
letters. But one other member Of the family
remained to be accounted for. This was Mr..
Linley's younger brotiier-knOwn at present