Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-06-05
CHAPTER XIV.
She tried to think of Bennvdeck.

Her eyes followed him as long as he was
In sight, but her thoughts wandered. To
look at him now was to look at the little
companion walking by his side. Still. the
child reminded her of the living father: still.
the child innocently tortured her with the
consciousness Of deceit. The faithless man
from whom the law had released her possess
ed himself Of her thoughts, in spite of the
law. He, and he only, was the visionary
companion of her solitude when she was left
by herself.
Did he remind her of the sin that he had
colnmittedY OF the insult that he had ill.,
hlcted on the woman whom he had vowed to
love and cherish? No! he recalled to her the
years OF love that she had passed by his side:
he %upbraided her with the happiness which
she had owed to him in the prime and glory
Of her life. Woman! set that against the
wrong which | have done TO you. You have
the right to condemn me and society has the
right to condemn me-bu. | am your child's
father still. Forget me if you can!
All thought will bear the test of solitude,
excepting only the thought that finds its orr
gin in hopeless self-reproach. The soft mys-
terry of twilight, the solemn silence of the
slowly coming night, daunted Catherine in
'h"' ipliNis lio't' hJiIC iuSS IStuln u llBHb
and human beings. AS she set her face to-
ward the house a discovery confronted her.
she was not alone.
A woman was standing on the path, APP
parently looking at her.
In the dim light and at the distance be-
tween them recognition of the woman was
impossible. She neither moved nor spoke.
Strained to their utmost point of tension,
GATHERINGS nerves q~uivered at the sight of
that shadowy, solitary figure. She dropped
back on the seat. In tones that trembled she
said: "Who are you? What do you want?"
The voice that answered was, like her own
voice, faint with fear. 1t said: II want a
word with YOU"
Moving slowly Observation-Disclosures
ing onward Misunderstanding a%gain-the wo-
man at last approached. There was light
enough left to reveal her face, now that she
was near. 1t was the face of Sydney West
eriield.
The survival of childhood, in the mature
human being, betrays itself most readily In
the sex that bears children. The chances
and changes of life show the child's mobility
or emotion constantly associating itself with
the passions of the woman. AT tie moment
of recognition the troubled mind OF Catherine
was instantly steadied, under the influence
of that coarsest sense which levels us with
the animals-the sense of anger.
81 am amazed at your audacity," she said.
There was no resentment-there was only
patient submission in Sydney's reply.
"rwice | have approached the house in
which you are living, and twice my courage
has failed me. | have gone away again--I
have walked, l don't know where, l don't
know how far. Shame and fear seemed to
be insensible to fatigue. This is my third
attempt. II | was a little nearer to you l
think you would see what the effort has cost
me. have not much To say. May | ask
you to hear me?"
You have taken me by surprise, Miss
Westertield. You have no right to do that;
l refuse to hear YOU"
'Try, madam, to bear in mind that no UNI
happy creature, in my place, would Expose
herself to your anger and contempt without
a serious reason. Win you think againT'
''Nop'
Sydney turned to go away-and suddenly
stopped.
Another person was advancing from the
hotel; an interruption, a trivial domestic in
corruption, presented itself. The nursemaid
had missed the child, and had come into the
garden to see IL she was with her mother.
where is Miss Kitty, mann? the girl
asked.
Her mistress told her what had happened,
and sent her to the palace to relieve Capt.
Bennydeck of the charge that he had under.
taken. Susan listened, looking at Sydney,
and recognizing the familiar face. AS the
girl moved away, Sydney spoke to her.
81 hope little Kitty IS well and happy"
The mother doesn't live who could have
resisted the tone in which that question was
put. The broken heart, the love for the child
that still lived in it, spoke in accents that
even touched the servant. She came back;
remembering the happy days when the gov
erness had won their hearts at Mount Nor
ven, and, for the moment at least, remember.
ing nothing else.
'Quite well and happy, miss, thank YOU"
Susan said.
As she hurried away on her errand she
saw her mistress beckon to Sydney to return
and place a chair for her. The nursemaid
was not near enough to hear what followed.
Miss Westertield, | regret what l said to
you just now; / ask you to pardon me-"
With those words Catherine pointed to the
chair. II am ready to hear you," she re.
SuLlltu- Uut L HdNc bOluctnlHS W dSh uIoL.
Does what you wish to say to me relate only
to YOURSELF"
1T relates to another person as well as tc
myself"
That reply, and the inference to which II
led, tried GATHERINGS resolution to preserve
her self-control as nothing had tried 1t yet.
IF that other person." she said, ''means
Mr.. Herbert Linley-"
Sydney interrupted her in words which
she was entirely unprepared to hear.
II shall never see Mr.. Herbert Linley
again."
HAS he deserted your"
mo. 1t Is L who have left him"
Your
The emphasis laid on that one word forced
Sydney to assert herself for the first time.
IF 1 had not left him Of my own free
will" she said, what else would excuse me
for venturing to come here?'
GATHERINGS sense of justice felt the force
OF that reply. At the same time, her sense
Of injury set its W construction on sgd.