Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-01-02

The housekeeper has been all that is good
ana Kind to me-, madam"
Don't call me madam il sounds so form
al-call me Mrs. Linley.' You must not
thihK OF beginning TO teach Kitty till you feel
stronger and better. / see but too plainly
that you have not been happy. Don't think
Oh your past life or speak of your past life"
Forgive me, Mrs. ! inley; my past life is
my one excuse for having ventured to come
into this house,
IN what way, my dearP"
AL the moment when that question was
put the closed curtains which separated the
preaktast-room from the library were softly
parted In the middle. A keen old face,
strongly marked by curiosity and distrust,
peefed th~fough-eyed the goyerness with
stern scrutiny-and retired again into hid
ing The introduction of a stranger with
out references) into the intimacy of the fami-
~ circle was, as Mrs. Presty viewed il, a
crisis in domestic history. Conscience, with
It's customary elasticity, adapted itself TO the
emergency, and Linley's mother-in-law stole
information behind the curtain-in Linley's
best Interests, il is quite needless to say.
The talk OF the two ladies went on, with
out a suspicion on either side that it was
overheard by a third person.
sydney explained herself.
III | had led a happier life" she said, ~
might have been able TO resist Mr.. Linley's
Kindness. concealed nothing from him.
lie knew that had no friends 10 speak for
me; he knew that had been dismissed from
my employment at the school. Oh, Mrs.
Llnley, everything | said which would have
made other people suspicious of me made
him faal fnN a.af 4 L..a $40. -. lA,la
he was an angel or a man. III he had not
prevented 1t, ] should have fallen on my
knees before him. Hard looks and hard
words / could have endured patiently, but |
had not seen a kind look. | had not heard 4
Kind word, for more years than | can reckon
up, That is all can say for myself leave
the rest TO your mercy"
Say my sympathy" Mrs. Linley answer.
Led, 'and you need say no more. But there
is one thing | should like TO know. You
have not spoken 10 me of your mother. Have
you lost both your parentsy:'
NO
Then you were brought up by your moth
erg'
Eyes"
You surely had some experience of kind
ness when you were Il child"'
A third short answer would nave been no
very grateful return for Mrs, Linley's kind
ness. Sydney had no choice bur to say plain
ly what her experience of her mother had
been.
"Are there such women in the world!'
Mrs. Linley exclaimed. where is your
mother now?'
''ln America think"
You Think"
my mother married again." Sydney an
swered. 'She went 10 America with her
husband and my little brother six years ago."
"And left you behind|'
"Yes."
"And she has never written to youP'
"Never.'
This time Mrs. Linley kept silence; not
without an effort. Thinking of Sydney's
mother-and for one morbid moment seeing
her own little darling IN Sydney's place-she
was afraid Ia trust herself TO speak while the
first impression was wildly present to her
mind.
IL will only hope" she replied, after wait
ing a little, that some kind person pitied
and helped you when You were deserted.
Any change must have been for the better
after that, Who took charge of your"
"My mothers sister tool charge of me: an
elder sister who kept a school. The time
when ! was most unhappy was the time
when my aunt began to teach me. III you
don't want to be beaten and kept on bread
and water She said, learn, you ugly little
wretch, and be quick about it,"
Did she speak in that shameful way TO
the other girls"
"Oh, no! ] was taken into her school for
nothing, and, young as ] was, | was expected
to earn my food and shelter by being fit 10
teach the lower class. The girls hated me.
1t was such a wrctched life that | hardly like
TO speak of it now. | ran away, and was
caught, and severely punished. When /
grew older and wiser | tried TO find some
other employment for myself. The elder
girls bought penny journals that published
stories. They were left about now and then
In the bedrooms. read the stories when I
had the chance. Even my ignorance discov-
cred how feeble and foolish they were. They
encouraged me to try If | could write a story
myself; l couldn't do worse, and | might do
better. ] sent my manuscript to the editor.
II was accepted and printed-but when l
wrote and asked him if he would pay me
something for it he refused. Dozens OF
ladies, he said, wrote stories for him for moth
ing. 1t didn't matter what the stories were.
Anything would do for his readers, so long
as the characters were lords and ladies, and
there was plenty of love in it. My next at
tempt TO get away from the school ended in
another disappointment. A poor old man,
who had once been an actor, used to come to
ny twice a week and get a few shillings by
teaching the girls 10 read aloud. He was
called Professor Of English Literature and
he taught out of q ragged book of verses
which smelt of his pipe. | learnt one of the
pieces and repeated it to him, and asked If
there was any hope of my being able to go
on the stage. He was very kind; he told me
the truth. MY dear, you have 10 dramatic
ability God forbid you should go on the
stage | went back again TO the penny
journals, and tried a new editor. He SEEM
ed to have more money than the other one;
or perhaps he was kinder. | got 10 shillings
from him for my story. With that money |
made my last %attempt-l advertised for a
situation as goyerness. If Mr.. Linley had
not seen my advertisement | might have
starved in the streets. When my aunt heard
Of it she insisted on my begging her pardon
before the whole school. DO girls get half
maddened by persecution? If they do I
think | must have been one of those girls. l
refused to beg pardon, and i was dismissed
from my situation without a character. VIII
you think me very foolish? l shut my eyes
again when | woke in my delicious bed to-
day. | was afraid that the room, and every
thing in it, was q dream" She looked
round, and started to her feet. 'Oh, here's
a lady! Shall | go away?"
The curtains hanging over the entrance to
the library were opened for the second time.
With "omposure and dignity the lady who
had startled Sydney entered the room.
Have you been reading in the library%'
Mrs. Linley asked. And Mrs. Presty an
swered: mo, Catherine; | have been listen
ing"
Mrs. Linley looked at her mother; hel
lovely complexion redeemed with a deep
blush.
Introduce me to Miss Westerfield," Mrs,
Presty proceeded, as coolly as ever.
Mrs. Linley showed some hesitation. What
would the goyerness think of her mother:
Perfectly careless of what the governess