Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-04-10

She met him half way and answered as II u.
mind WAS quite at ease.
No, dear, I'm not tired-but I'm glad I
get back"
did you find your old landlady still
alive?'
YES. But oh, SO altered. poor thingl The
struggle for life must have been & hard one
since | last saw her"
"She didn't recognize YOU, ui coursn""
"Ohl no. She lU1Erl tire aHli dress
In great surprise. end said ! i0d-ine ~
hardly fit Tor a young lady like me. 1t was
too sad. | said | had known her lodgings
well, many years ago-aud, with that TO pre-
pare her, | told her who | was. Al, it was
a melancholy meeting for both of us. She
burst ont crying when | kissed her, and |
had To tell her that my mother was dead and
my brother lost TO me in spite OF every effort
to find him. ] asked to go into the kitchen,
thinking the change would be a relief to both
OF Us. The kitchen used to be paradise to
me in those old days; ii was SO warm TO a
half-starved child-and | always got some
thing 10 eat when | was there. You have no
idea, Herbert, how poor and how empty the
place looked TO me now | was glad TO get
ont OF ii and 20 upstairs. There was a lum-
bar-room ut the top Of the house; | used TO
play in il, all by myself. More changes met
me the moment | opened the door,
Changes for The better?'
my dear, it couldn't have changed for the
worse! My dirty old play-rOom was cleaned
and repaired, the lumber taken away, and a
nice little bed in one corner. Some clerk in
the city had taken the room-l shouldn't
have known il again. But there was anoth-
er surprise waiting for me; a happy surprise
this time. In clearing oct the garnet, what
do you think the landlady found? Try to
guess
Anything TO please her! Anything to
make her think that he was as fond of her
as ever! WAS it something you had lett
behind you," lie said, "at the time when you
LODGED there?'
Yes! you are right at the first gueSs-a
little memorial of my father. Only some
torn, crumpled leaves from 4 book of chill
dlen's songs that he used 10 teacim me to sing;
and a small packet Of his letters, which my
mother may ilay1 thrown aside and forgot
ten. See! have brought them back with
me: : mean to lCok over the letters at once
but this ioeSl't interest YOU"
Indeed it does"
lie made that c0nSiderate reply mechan-
ically, as il he was thinking of something
else. She was afraid 10 tell him plainly that
she saw this; but she could venture to say
that he was not looking well. II have no
ticed il for some time past, - she confessed.
you have been accustomed TO live in the
country; | am afraid London doesn't agree
with YOU"
He admitted that She might be right; still
speaking ab,ently, still thinking of the di-
yOrce. She laid the packet of letters and
the poor relies of the old song-booE on the
table and bent over him. renderly and a
little timidly she put her arm round his neck.
Let us try some purer air. She suggested;
"the seaside might do you good. Don't You
think SOP
IL daresay, my dear. Where shall we go?'
son, | leave that to you.'
"No, Sydney. 1t was | who proposed
coming TO London. You shall decide this
time
She submitted ami promised 90 think Of il.
Leaving him with the inst expression of
trouble that had shown itself in her face She
took up the songs and put them into the
pocket of her dress. On the point Of remoy-
ing the letters next, she noticed the news
paper on the table. "AuNthing interesting
to-day?' she asked, and drew the newspaper
toward her TO look at it. lie took II from her
suddcnly-almost roughly. The next mo-
mem he apOlogizcd for his rudcneSs. There
is nothing worth reading in the paper" he
said, after begging her pardon. You don't
care about politics, do yOu?'
lntead of answering she looked at him at
teutiycly.
The heightened color, winch told of recent
exercise, h%ealthily enjoyed, faded from her
face. She was silent; She was pale. A little
confused, he smiled WneaSily. surely" he
resumed, trying to speak gayIy, Il haven't
offended yOu?'
"rhere is something in the newspaper"
she said, (which you don't want me to read"
lie denied it-but he still kept the news.
paper in his own possession, Her voice sank
low; her face turned pRler still.
as it all over?' she asked. "And is it put
in tie newspaper
what do You meant
81 mean the divorce"
lie went back again TO the window and
looked out. Ii was the easiest excuse that
he could devise for keeping his face turned
away from her. She followed him.
81 don't want to read it, Herbert. l only
ask you TO tell me if you are IA free man
again."
Quiet as it was, her tone left Kim no alter.
native but to treat her brutally or to reply.
Still looking out at the street, he said "Yes."
Free TO marry, if you like?' she persisted.
lie said yes once more-and kept his
face steadily turned away from her. She
waited awhile. He neither moved nor spoke.
Surviving the slow death little by little OF
all her other illusions, one last hope had lin
gcred in her heart. 1t was killed by that
cruel look, fixed on the view Of the street.
"fll try to think of a place that we can go
TO at the seaside" Having said those words
She slowly moved away TO the door, and
turned back, remembering the packet of let
tiers. She took it up, paused, and looked to-
ward the window. The street still interested
him She loft fine room,