Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-04-03
The Evil Genius.
A DOMESTIC STORY.
DY wILKIE COLLINS.

EY like COLLINS.
my dear fellow, You "a dull L ,ht. ]
had been ~ success. In }rth,c,.n" RS
Linicy and The cAild, {. 4 nay cNruuent
courier had fUand such a charming place OF
retreat for them in one Of the suburbs of
Hanover, that she saw no reason now foi
taking the shocking course that | had recon.
mended to her-sO %repugnant 10 all her most
cherished convictions; so sinful and SC
shameful in lis dong of evil that good might
come. Experience had convinced her that
ullanks To mel there was no fear of Kitty
being discovered and taken from her. She
therefore begged me To write To my agent in
Edinburgh, ana tell him that her application
To the court was withdrawn. All. YOU under
stand my position nj last. The headStrong
woman was running a risk which renewed
all my anNieties. BY every days post eX.
pected to hear that she had paid the penalty
OF her folly, and that Your brother had sue.
ceeded in getting possession of the child.
Wait a little before YOU laugh at me. But
for the courier. the thing would have really
happened IA week since"
Randall looked ]astoniShed. Months must
have passed" he objected. surely. after
Tat lapse % time, Mrs. Linley must have
been safe from discovery
Take Your " positive view of It! /
only know that the thing happened. And
why not? The luck had begun by being ON
our side-why shouldn't the other side have
Its turn ncXt9'
ID you really believe In luck?'
"Deyoutly. \ lawyer must believe in
something. lie knows the law too well Ia
nut any tnitb in tI,t. ,,.I bf. .I;,,t. .,,.,,,
to him Of he is a man of any feelingl a hid
eouS view OF human nature. The poor deyil
believes in Iuck-rGtler than believe ia moth.
Ing. think it quite likely that accident
helped the person employed by the husband
to discover the wife and child. Anyhow,
Mrs. Liniey and Kitty were seen in the
streets OF Hanover: seen. recognized, and
followed. The courier happened to be with
them-luck again. For thirty years and
more he had been travelling in every part OF
Europe; there was not a landlord of the
smallest prctcnNionS amyWhse who didn't
know him and like him. I pretended not To
see that anybody was following us, he said
Wriiing from Hanover to relieve my anX.
iety) and | took the ladies 10 a hotel. The
hotel possessed two merits from our point of
view-it had a way uut at the back. through
~ OH IN A'A' " ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ANtiN h''lN
who was an excellent good friend of nine.
! arranged with him what lac was Ia say
when inquiries were made; and | kept my
poor ladies prisoners in their lodging for
three days. The end of it Is that Mr.. Lin.
ley'S policeman has gone away to watch the
channel steam service. while we return qriet.
~ by way Of Bremen and Hull There is
the couricr'S account Of il. | have only to
add that poor Mrs. linley has been tuirly
frightened into submission. She changes
her mind again, and pledges herself once
more Ia apply for the divorce. II Wa are
only Iu,Ny enough 10 get our ease heard
without any very >criou~ delay | ann NOT
afraid OF my client slipping through my fin.
gers for the second time. When will the
courts of session be open To u.s. You have
lived in Scotland, Randall
But | haven't lived in the courts of law.
/ wish ] could give you the information YOU
want"
Mr.. SlrrI2in looked at his watch. For
all | know Ia the contrary" he said, 1--WE
may be wasting precious time while we are
talking here. VIII You excuse me if | 20
away to my ciub?'
Are you going IN search of iniormatiOn?'
'lcS. We have some inyetcrate old whist
! l'iNNNlN W nv dlN diNbNN l'Dt lbllll III lIlt
card room. Oae OF them formerly practiced.
| believe, in the Scotch courts. 1t has inst
occurred to me that the chance is worth try.
ing
''Will YOU let me know if you succecd?"
Randall asked.
The lawyer took his hand at parting. "You
seem TO he almost rs anxious about it as |
am he said.
II, t,1l ,sn,, tl. t,.,tI go, d. Is,.I. -.
ed when | think of Catherine. If there t.
another long delay, how do We know what
may happen before the law has confirmed
the mothers claim to the child? Let me send
one of the servants here to wait at your club.
VIII YOU give him a line telling me when
the trial is likely 10 take place"
with the greatest pleasure. Goodnight"
Irit alone, Randall sat by the iircslde for
awhile, thinking of the future. The pros.
pect. as he saw il, diShcartencd him. As a
means Of employ ing his mind ON a more
agreeable subject for reflection he opened
his travelling desk. and took out two or three
letters. They had been addressed to him
while he was in America 10y Capt. Benny.
deck.
The captain had committed an error OF
which most Of us have been guilty In our
time. lie had been too exclusively devoted
to work that interested him 10 remember
what was due 10 the care of his health. The
doctors warnings had been neglected; his
oyer>trained nerves had given way, and the
man whose strong constitution had resisted
cold and starvation in the arctic wastes had
broken down under stress Of brain work in
London.
Tins Ngs tho nova ,Ihiph tbn fret nf thn
letters contained.
Inc second, written under dictatiOn, al
;uded briefly to the remedies suggested. In
the captains case the fresh air recommended
was the air Of the sea. At the same time he
was forbidden 10 receive either letters or tele-
grams during his absence nom town until
the doctor had seen him again. These in.
structions pointed, in Capt. Bennydeck's
estimation, to sailing for pleasures sake, and
therefore to hiring a yacht.
The third and last letter announced that
the yacht had been found, and described the
captains plans when the vessel was ready
for sea.
He proposed to sail here and there about
the channel, wherever it might please the
wind to take him. Friends would accom-
pany him, but not in any number. The yacht
WAS NOT laIse enough 10 ACCOMMODATE COM
fortably more than one or two guests at 4
time. Every now and then the vessel would
come to an anchor in the bay of the little
coast town of SandySeal, to accommodate
friends going and coming, and lin spite Of
medical advice To receive letters. You
may have heard of Sandyseal." the captain
wrote, 'as one of the places which has lately
been found out by the doctors. They are
recommending the air to patients suffering
fIum nervous disorders All over England.
The one hotel in the place and the few cot.
tagcs whish let lodgings are crammed, as
hear, and fIe speculative builder is begin
ming his operations at such 4 rate that Sandy.
seal will be no longer recognizable in Il few
months more. Before the creScentS and ter
races and grand hotels turn the town into a
fashionable watering place, ! want to take a
last look at scenes familiar 10 me under their
old aspect. II YOU are inclined to wonder at
my feeling such a wish as this, ] can easily
explain myself. Two miles inland from
Sandyseal there is lonely old moated house.
In that house | was born. When you return
from America write to me at the postoiiice
or at the hotel q am equally well known in
boti places, and let lis arrange for a speedy
MATING wish onrli osly a, 30 o,p,.