Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-20
.1le Evil Genius,
A STORY.
UY wILErE COLLINS.
c.lArr..a ~.

| IlnfilNl i MS ISL 80 ~ '}N,t : ~ 'lN
Kitty, MI S..rI@ was 1T ia the cary
morning. waiting on the pisr,
Not a breath Of wini was stirring; The lazy
mist lay asleep on the farther shore Of the
lake. Here and there On.y the dim tops OF
the hills rose like shadows east Ivy the earth
on the faint gray of the sky. Nearer al hand
the waters OF the lake showed a gloomy sur
face; no birds flew over the ~colorless calm;
no passing insects tempted the fish TO rise.
From time TO time q last left leaf on the
wooded shore dropped nOiselessly and died.
No vehicles passed as yet on the lonely road;
no voices were audible from the village;
slow and straight, wreaths of smoke stole
their way Out of the climneys aud lost their
vapor In the yapory sky. The one sound
that disturbed the sullen reposc of the morn
Ing was the tramp OF the lawyers footsteps
as he paced up and down the pier. He
thought Of London and its ceascless traffic,
lts roaring high tide of life in action, and he
said ~ himself. with the strong conviction
Of a town-bred man: 'liow miserable this
lsv'
A voice from the garden checred him just
as he reached the end OF the pier for the
hftieth time. and looked with ffty-fold in.
tensity OF dislike at the dreary lake.
There stood Kitty behind the garden gate,
with a fishing-rod IN each hand. A tin box
was strapped on one side OF her little body
and a basket on the other. Burdened witt
these impediments, she required assistance.
Susan had let her out OF the house, aud Sam
lel must now open the gate for her. She
was pleased 20 observe that the raw morning
had Redeemed her friends nose, and she pre-
sented her own nose u notice rs exhibiting
perfect sympathy in this respect. Feeling z
misplaced confidence in Mr.. Sarrazin's
knowledge and experience as an angler, she
handed the i~ishing-rods To him. MY fingers
are cold" she said; you bait the hooks"
Tie looked at his young friend in silent per-
pleXlty; she pointed To the tim box. Plenty
OF bait there, Samuel: we find maggOts do
best" Mr.. SarraLin eyed the box with UNI
disguised disgust: and KITTY made an unex-
pected discovery. You seem to know moth
ing about 1t, she said. And Samuel answer
ed cordially: "Nothing!' In hve minutes
more he found himself by the side of his
young friend-witI his hook baited, his line
In the water, and strict iniunctions TO keep
an eye on the float.
They began 10 fish.
Kitty looked az her companion and looked
away again IN silence. BY way of encour-
aging her to talk the good-natured lawyer
alluded to what she had said when they part
ed over night. You wanted TO ask me some
thing he reminded her. What is it?'
Without one preliminary word OF warning
to prepare him for the shock Kitty answer
ed: II want YOU to tell me what has become
Of papa, ard why sgd has gone away and
left me-. You know who sgd Is, don't Your
The one alternative left 10 Mr.. Sarrazin
was 10 plead Ignorance. While Kitty was
instructing him on the subject of her govern
ess he had time 10 consider what he should
say 10 her next. The result added one more
to the lot opportunities of Mr.. Sarrszin's
life.
You see,'' the child gravely continued.
you are a clever man, and you have come
here to advise mamma. ] have got that much
out OF grandmamma. IL have got nothing
else. Don't look at me; look at your float.
Ny papa has gone away. and sgd has left
me without even saying good-by, and we
have given up our nice old house in Scotland
and cone TO live here. | tell you | don't un.
derstand il. II you see your ioat begin 10
tremble and then give a little dip down as il
10 was going to sink, pull your line out of the
water; YOU will most likely lind a fish at the
end OF il. When | ask what all this
] ultdllN Nilt SANN lifIt ~ "a IfhNDH anu L dlll
not old enough 10 understand il. and she
looks unhappy and she gives me a kiss, and
II ends in that way. You've got "A bite; no,
you haven't: it's only a nibble; fish are 50
sly. And grandmamma is worse still. Some
times she tells me Pm a spoiled child, and
sometimes she says welLbehaved little girls
don't ask questions. That's nonsense-and
/ think it's hard on me. You look uncom.
| Portable IL IL nuv faulgo I Inn't kVnnt 10
bother you; | only want to know why sgd
has gone away. When | was younger
might have thought the fairies had taken
her. Oh, no! that wont do any longer; I'm
too old. Now tell me-"
Mr.. Sanazin weakly attempted 10 gain
time; he looked at his watch. Kitty looked
over his shoulder. ooh, we needn't be in q
hurry: breakfast won't be ready for half an
hour yet. Plenty Of time TO talk Of sgd; go
en-"
Most unwisely seeing that he had to deal
with a clever child. and that child "A GRID.
Mr.. Sarrazin tried fiat denial as a way out of
the difficulty. He said: II don't know why
she has gone away" The next question fol.
lowed instantly: "Well, then, what do YOU
think about it," In sheer despair the perse-
cuted friend said the first thing that came in
to his head.
Il think she has gone IT, be married"
Kitty was indignant. Gone TO be mar.
ried, and not tell me! she exclaimed. What
do you mean by thaty'
MI. Sarrazin's professional experience OF
women and marriages failed TO supply him
with an answer. In this difficulty he exerted
his imagination, and invented something
that no woman ever did yet. "She's wait
t.. - ha aatI g,fn laa hn,x, har M osria.,a go.
ceeds before she tells anybody about it,"
This sounded probable to the mind OF a
child. IL hope she hasn't married a beast"
Kitty said, with a serious face and an omin-
Gus shake OF the head. when shall l hear
from Syd?'
Mr.. Sarrazin tried another preyaricatiOn-
with better results this time. You will be
the first person she writes 10, of course" Az
that excusable lie passed his lips his ioat be-
gan TO tremble. Here was a chance of chang.
Ing the subject. I've got a fish p he cried.
Kitty was Immediately interested. She
| threw down her own rod and assisted her
ignorant companion. A wretched little fish
appeared in the air, wriggling. Its q
roach" Kitty pronounced. ats In pain"
the merciful lawyer added; give 1t to me-"
Kitty took it of the hook and obeyed. Mr..
Sarra2in With hungane opntieneSs at hand.
ling, put 1t back into the water. "Go. and
God bless vou.' said this excellent man. rs
the roach disappeared joyously with a flick
of It's tail. Kitty was scandalized. 'rhat's
not sport!' she said. oh, yes, it is" he an
s~wered-''spoit to the fish,"
They g on with their angling. What
embarrassing question would Kitty ask next?
Would she want to be told why her father
had left her? No; the last Image in the
childs mind had been the image ol Sydney
Westerield. She was still thinking of II
when she spoke again.
Il wonder whether you're right about
Syd!' she began. You might be mistaken,
mightn't you? l sometimes fancy
and Sydney may have had a quarrel. Would
you mind asking mamma IL that's true?." the
affectionate little creature said, ~anxiously.
you see, l can't help talking OF sgd, I'm 50
o OF her; and | DO miss her so dreadfully
every Cow and then; and Pm afraid-oh,
dear, dear, I'm afraid l shall never see hei
againr' She let her rod drop on the pier and
put her little hands over her face and burst
ont crying.
Shocked and distressed, good Mr.. Sarrazin
kissed her and conso.ed her. and told anoth-
er excusable lie. Try to be comforted, Kitty;
I'm sure you will see her again.
His conscience reproached him as he held
ont that false hone II eou!d navar bef The