Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-12-16

"Rut not from 10 teii you
| the truth, Edith. / have not been to see
| you for the simple reason that l did
| not like to tell you what has happened,
and still less to withhold the news.
But take off your hat and spend the
morning with me, will your
II came over with h a Intention,
| answered the wears wife, FOR Roger
has gone TO Eastbury. and won't be
home for the uay. am very sorry you
are worried, Judy: YOU have always
something to contend with. What Is
it now? BERTHE again, Or getting
very near the truth, as people often 90
when in jest-"excuse my l~evity-'has
Elsie oioTed with SOME one else!
..Oh, Edith-don't!" Judith pleaded,
distressfully. 1T is not so bad as that;
but Elsie has left Claude
Nonsense, You are joking" Mrs.
Gardiner exclaimed,
Il am not. You will understand that
we intend TO keep the matter Il secret:
but. as you are Claude's kinswolniln, it
is right you should be told!'-and Ju-
dith proceeded to tell her friend, mere
" Withholding those particulars wnich
she felt did not rebound To her sisters
credit.
What a little fool, What Il selfish
little wretch was Mrs. GARDENERS
forcibly-exprtssed opinion. How could
the girl have the heart TO behave III
such 4 fashion! It is inccnce yable!
Poor Claude. When he suffered be
fore. Judy. il was the fault of his own
stupid jealousy. for Laura Carpenter
was 4 hirt: but in this ease | really
think Elsie must be most 10 blame.
Suppose Claude is jealous, aud that
jealousy chafes hers she to think
only of herself? Is size 70 have no
thought for him and the pain her friv-
olity causes hid. or for the disgrace
her foolish conduct will entail upon
him? If 1 were Claude. and h came
back. / would send her TO school for SIX
months to learn wisdom and gool be-
haviour. How does he look. judy
Worn. pale and unnerged. lie owe
Elsie very dearly. Edith"
Il suppose he does; but he had far
better fought with his passion AMI con-
quered it than have married its object.
Judy, they viii never be happy toseth-
err feel convinced of it,
Don't say so, Edith-think what it
means for them BOTH
Il do. L have thought about them 4
great deal and your news only sur
prises me because / should have imag-
ined Elsie's love OF self would have
prevented her from acting so f~oolishly.
1t is not right to speak ~ TO you. rs she
is your sister; but. though YOU ley
admit her faults, you must be aware OF
them. And YOU have no idea where
Elsie can have gomez
Not the least in the world. l wish /
had. that / might help Claude to lind
her.
Mrs. Gardiner looked at Judith
~thodghtfully for a moment, then she
asked, suddenly:
Judith, where did Edith Chatswor-
thy settle after her marriage with
Capt. Barclay
Edith exclaimed Miss Hatfield,
cxcitedly, her pale face lighting up.
What put Edith Barclay into your
head! / never thought of her, and
Elsie would be more likely to 80 10 her
than anyone"
Mrs. Gardiner laughed softly as she
patted Judith's head.
1.-Two heads are better than one,
dearie, sometimes" she remarked; but
/ am really surprised that you
thought OF wild Edith and her friend
ship for Elsie"
80 am L: but / never thought of her
in conjunction with Elsie's flight. What
would you do-telegraph to papa or
Claude and tell them TO go there"
Don't get excited. dear: listen quiet
ly to me and remember with whom you
havc TO deal. Edith is an exceptional
schemer and practised fibber, who
would be ready with any lie for Elsie's
friends if il suited her to keep your sis
ter's secret. Your only chance is to
take Mrs. Barclay by surprise, and do
not utter n word to Claude or your
father until you have her reply. Go up
to town yourself and see her and ii
you 'ail to get anything satisfactory out
of her. tell Claude to have her
watched"
But Elsie would hardly take refuge
with Edith Barclay, fearing we might
seek her thore."
THAT may be; but Mrs. Barclay will
probably know her hiding place. AT
any tate, it is worth trying. more espe-
cially as / am inclined to the belief
that by this time Miss Elsie will only
be too glad to return to Claude. She is
IL lover of her own comfort, and has
uIu StliffCftllt tllI' W uIdM COlnpUII-
sons between being cared for by a low
ing husband and being thrown upon
her own resources. Take my advice
go up to town by the 1:15 express, then
go straight to Mrs. Barclay. and don't
be put off seeing her. Be firm and keep
your eyes upon her. for. clever rs she
is, one can easily tell when Edith Bar
clay is telling an untruth. You look
~grave-why should you hesitate? Think
Of Claude, judy"
Judith hid been doing so; q moment
after she said:
"les-I will GO"
That's right, dear. Whether your
news is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
take it direct to Claude. You will. OF
course, stay IL town the night-your
father will arrange that? But you can
come home as early as you like in the
morning"
Judith's journey was the most tedi-
III that she had ever u~ndertaken: she
could not fix her attention upon q book.
and, indeed, could hardly appreciate Il
letter from ~John-which. having come
in by the midday post, she had taken
with her to read-though it was full of
quaint remarks about men and things.
'I sl1unn3a am apiovipy mx.SaIF