Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-02-27
The Evil Genius.
A STORY.
BY wILKiE COLLINS
XIX.

w hDDgA ~ ' Va 1890 $500
Although ne iooae,i oi,ief than his age, he
was still personally speaking an attractive
man. In repose his eyes were by habit sad
and a little weary in their expression. They
Dnly caught q brighter light when he smiled.
At such times. helped by this change and by
his simple. earnest manner, they recommend
I'd him 10 his felIow-creatures before he open
I'll his lips. Men and women taking shelter
with him, for instance, from the RAIN found
The temptation to talk with Capt. Bennydeck
irresistible; and, when the weather cleared,
hey mostly carried away with them the
sam favorable impression: "One would
ike to meet with that gentleman again
Randai's first words of welcome relieved
he captain of certain modest doubts OF his
reception, which appeared to trouble him
when he entered the room. II am glad 10
ind you remember me as kindly as | remem
Der you" Those were his first words when
he and Randall shook hands.
You might have felt sure OF that" Ran
dal said.
The captains modesty still doubted. "You
see, the circumstances were a little agains,
me. We met at a dull dinner, among weari-
some, worldly men, full OF boastful tilk
about themselves. IL was all Il did this and
/ said that'-and the gentlemen who were
present had always been right; and the gen
tlemen who were absent had always been
wrong. And, oh, dear, when they came 10
politics, how they Dragged about what they
would have done il they had only been at
the head of the government: and how cruelty
hard to please they were in the matter Of
wine! Do you remember recommending me
to spend my mex holiday in Scotland?"
Perfectly. My advice was seinsh-it real
ly meant that | wanted to see YOU again"
And YOU have your wish, ut your broth.
er's house! The guIde-bOok did il. First. |
saw your family name. Then ! read on and
discovered that there were pictures AZ Mount
Morven. and that strangers were allowed TO
see them. like pictures. And here | am
This %allusion 10 the house naturally re-
minded Randall OF the master. # wish |
could introduce you to my brother and his
wife" he said. "Unhappily, their only
child Is i'll"
Capt. Bennydeck started to his feet. Il
am ashamed OF having intruded on YOU he
began. His new friend pressed him back III
TO his chair without ceremony. "On the
contrary, you have arrived at the best of all
possible times-the time when our suspense
Is at an end. The doctor has inst told rs
that his poor little patient is ont of danger.
You may imagine how happy we are
And now grateful to God.' The captain
said those words in tones that trembled--
speaking to himself.
Randall was conscious of feeling a momen-
tary embarrassment. The character OF his
visitor had presented itself IN a new light.
Capt. B~ennydeck looked at him-undeTstOOd
him-and returned to the subject OF his tray-
els.
ID you remember your holiday time when
YOU were a boy, and when you had to 20
back 10 SCHOOL, he asked. with a smile. my
mind is in much the same state at leaving
Scotland and going back to my work in Lon
don. hardly know which to admire most
your beautiful country or the people who in.
habit il. | have had some pleasant talk with
your poorer neighbors; the one improvement,
| could wish for among them is a keener
sense of their religious duties"
This was an objection new In Randals eX
p~erience of travellers in general.
"Our highlanders have noble qualities" he
said. IF you knew them as well as | dc
YOU would find a true sense OF religion among
them; not presenting Itself, however, u
strangers as strongly-I had almost said n:
the devotional feeling OF the lowland Scotch,
Different races, different tempersments."
And all" the captain added, gravely ano
gently, with souls to be saved. IL l sent Il
these poor people some copies OF the new
testament, translated into their own Ian
guage, would my gitt be- scceptedg'
Strongly interested by this time In study
ing Capt. B~ennydeck's character OH the side
OF it which was new 10 him, Randall owuec
that he observed with surprise the ini resi-
which his friend felt in perfect strangers
The captain seemed to wonder why this i'm
preston should nave been produced by what
he had Just said.
Il only try" he answered, ITO DO whaI
good | can wherever | go"
Your life must be a happy one," Randa
said.
Capt. Bennydeck's head dropped. Tht
shadows that attend On the gloom of meian
choly remembrance showed their darkeninl
presence on his face. Briefly, almost s,ernly
he set Randall right.
mo, sir"
Forgive me-" the younger man pleaded
'if / have spoken thoughtlesslv."
You have mistaken me-" the captain ex
planned; land il Is my fault. My life is al
atonement for the sins Of my youth. l have
reached my 4Oth year-and that one purpose
Is before me for the rest of my days. Suffer
ings and dangers which but few men under
go awakened my conscience. My last eXer
else OF the duties of my profession associated
me with an expedition to the polar seas. OuI
ship was crushed in the ice. Our march to
the nearest regions inhabited 10y humanity
was a hopeless struggle OF starving men, rot
ten with scurvy, against the merciiess forces
OF nature. One by ono my comrades drop
ped and died. Out OF twenty men there were
three left with a last flicker in them OF the
vital fame when the party of rescue found
lis. One of the three died on the homeward
voyage. One lived TO reach his naive place
and to sink to rest with his wife aud cliildren
round his bed. The last man left, out of thai
band of heroes, lives to be worthier of Gods
mercy-and tries 10 make Gods creatures
better and happier in this world, and worth
Ter of the world hat is to come"
Rsndal's generous nature felt the appeal
that had been made to il. Twill you let I'M
take your hand, captain" he said.
They elasped hands in silence.
Capt. Bennydeck was the first to speak
again. That modest distrust of himself
which a man essentially noble and brave Is
generally the readiest OF men to feel, seemed
to be troubling him once m%0re-just as it had
troubled him when he first found himself in
Randal's presence.
I'll hope you won't think me valn," he re.
sumed; Il seldom say so much about myself
as | have said to you."
II only wish you would say more" Randall
rejOined. Cant you put OH your return Il
London for a day or two"'
The thing was not to be done. Duties
which 1t was impossible to trife with called
the captain back. Its quite likely" he
said, alluding pleasantly to the impression
which he had produced In speaking of the
h~ighlanders, that l shall find more strangers
To interest me In the great city"
Are they always strangersg' Randall ask.
cd. Have you never met, by accident. with
persons whom you may once have known
"Never-yet. But it may happen oil M,
return"
in what wayy'
"In this way. l have been In search Of a
poor girl who has lost both her parents. She
has, l fear, been left helpless at the mercy OF
the world. Her father was an old friend OF
mine-0nce an officer in the navy, like my
self. My last letters suggest q hope Of trac-
ing her. There Is reason to believe that she
Is or has been employed as a pupil-teacher at
q school In the suburbs Of London, and | an
going back, among other things, to try IL ]
can follow the clew myself. GoOd-by, my