Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-27
Cu L NNIN.

NH''N y 6NNFA INV FA'NhA
that a narrative OF events can only produce
the right effect, on one cOndition-it must be-
gin al the beginning. Having related al!
that had been said and done during his visit
TO the cottage, including his first efforts in
the character OF an angler under Kitty's
supervision, he stopped to ill his glass again,
auSi then astonished Randall by describing
the plan he had devised for escaping from
the spies by crossing the lake in the iog.
What did the ladies say TO it9' Randall
inquired. who spoke first"
Mrs. Presty, OF course! She ub,ectcd tC
risk her life on the water in a tog. Mrs. Lin
ley showed u resolution for which | was not
prepared. She thought of Kitty, saw the
value of my suggestion, and went away NJ
once to consult with the landlady. In the
meantime | sent tor the gardener and told
him what | was thinking of. He was one OF
those stolid Euglishmen who possess re.
sources which don't express themselves out
Wardly. Judging by his face yOu would
have said he was SubSiding into Slwmbrr mn.
der the iniliction of a sermon. instead of list.
ehing to lawyer proposing II stratagem,
When | had done the mar. showed the metal
he was made OF. I'm plain English he put
three questions which gave me- the highest
opinion of his intelligence. How much luz.
gage, sir" AS little as they can conveniently
take with Them | said. How many per.
sonsY The two ladies', the child. and ms.
self Can you row. Sir?' in any water
you like, Mr.. Gardener, fresh or salt Thiuk
OF asking me-, an athletic Euglishmau, if |
could row. In an Hour more we were ready
To embark and the blessed fog was thicker
than ever. Mrs. Presty yielded under pro.
test; Kitty was wild with delight: her moth
cr was quiet and resigned. But one circum.
stance occurred that | didn't quite under
, Stand-the presence of Il stranger on the picl
with a gun IN his hand
You don't mean one of the spics"'
Nothing of the sort; ! mean an idea of
the gardeners. He had been a Sailor in his
time-and that's Il trade which teaches Il man
ut he's good for anything 10 think and act
on his thought al one and the same moment
He had taken a peep ut the blackguards in
front of the house, and had recognized the
shorter OF the two as a native of the place,
perfectly well aware that one of the fixtures
attached To the cottage was "A bOathouSc.
THAT chap is not such Il fool as he looks,
says the gardener. If he mentions the boat.
house the other fellow from London may
have his suspicious. | thought | would post
my son on the pier-that quiet young man
there with the gun-to keep a lookout. II
he sees another boat Giere are half a dozen
on this size of the lake. putting Oh after us,
he has orders to fire, on the chance of hear
ing him. A little notion of mine. sir, TO pre-.
vent our being surprised in the fog. DO you
see any objection TO itT Objection! In tn,
days when diplomacy was something NOR,
than a solemn prctense. what Il member O'
congress that gardener would have made
Well, we shipped our oars, and away We
went. Not quite haplaZard-tOr we had /;
compass with us. Our course was as straight
as we could go, to Il village on the opp ositC
side of the lake, called BrightiOld. Nothing
happened for the first quarter OF an hour
and then, by the living lingo leNcuse my
vulgarity), we heard the gum
"What did YOU do
event on rowing, and held n council. J'hi,
time | came out as the clever one of III,
party. The men were following us in the
dark they would have 10 guess at the iii
rection we had taken, and they would most
likely assume lin such weather rs we ladl
that we should choose the shortest way across
the lake. At my suggestion we changed on;
course, and made for Il large town, highe,
up on the shore, called laWlcy. Wclandcd,
and waited for events, and made no dis'oy'
cry Of another boat behind IH. The tool,
had Justified my confidence in thcm-theS
had gone to BrlghtfOld. There was half m
hour TO spare before the next train amt Il
Tawlcy: and the toy was beginning 10 lit
on that side Of the lake. We looked at the
shops, and made a purchase In tile town.
"Stop a minute" said l,Sndal. is Bright
fold on the railway
"No."
us there an electric telegraph at til,
place.
Eyes"
"'That was awkward. wasn't it? The frs
thing those men would do would be TO tcle
graph to Tawlcy."
Not a doubt of il. How would they he
scribe rs, do you think?'
Randall answered: "A middle-aged gentle
man-twO ladies', one of them clderly-and
little girl. Quite enough to identify You a
Tawley if the station-maSter understood tl'
message"
"Shall ! tell YOU what the statiOn-inaNtc'
discovered, with the message in his hand:
No elderly lady, no middlc-agcd gentleman
nothing more remarkable than one lady
and q little boy"
Randal's face frightened. "You partc'
company, of course" he said; land you dis
guised Kitty! How did you manage it?'
Didn't | say just now that we looked q
the shops, and that | made Il purchase IN tn
town? A boys ready-made suit-not at al
n bad tit for Kitty! Mrs. Linley put IN tn
suit and tucked up the child's hair under
straw hat In an empty yard-no oilers abOu
IN, tI,af haI ,.aatInp NNn uaiI mood nv an
parted with g~rievous misgivings on my sid,
which proved thank God TO have been quit
needless. Kitty and her mother went to tl'
station, and Mrs. Presty AID | hired a ca
riage and drove away to the head of the lak
TO catch the train TO London. Do you know
Randall, | have altered my opinion OF Mr.
Presty."
Randall smiled. "IOu, too, have fOulI
something in that old woman" he sale
(which doesn't appear on the surface"
The occasion seems TO bring that some
thing out" the lawyer remarked. when
proposed the separation, and mentioned m
reasons, | expected TO find some difficulty /
p~ersuading Mrs. Presty TO give up the a,
tenturous journey with her daughter an
her grandchild. | reminded her that she la
friends In London who would receive hC
and got snubbed for taking the liberty.
know that as well rs you do. Come along
I'm ready TO go with YOU 1t isn't agree
able TO my feelings to own ii, but | eXpecte
10 hear her say that she would consent I
any sacrifice for the sake of her dear daugl
ter. No such claptrap as that passed her lip
She owned the true motive with a superior
ty To cant which won my sincercst respec
I'll do anything she said, TO battle Herbe
Linley and the spies he has set to watch Us
| can't tell you how glad | was that She ha
her reward on that same day. We were Il
late at the station, and we had TO wait II
the next train. And what do you think haI
pened? The two scoundrels followed MS II
stead of following Mrs. Linley! They Ia
inquired, NJ doubt, at the livery stab
where we hired the carriage-had recognize
the description Of us-and had taken Il
long journey to London for nothing. Nh
Presty and 1 shook hands at tho te-minI
the best friends that ever travelled togethe
with the best Of motives. After that l thin