Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-05-08
XXXXIII.


Gone!
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
"Mr. Herbert Linley, / ask permission 90
reply to your inquiries IN writing, because
IL Is quite likely that some of the opinions
you will find here might offend you II | ex-
pressed them personally. | can relieve your
anxiet. on the subject OF Miss Sydney West
erteld. But | must be allowed 10 DO so in
my W way, without any other restraints
than those which / think IL becoming 10 an
honorable man TO impose on himself.
lyon are quite right in supposing that
Miss Westertield had heard me spoken of az
Mount Moryen as the agent and legal adviser
at the lady who was formerly your wife.
What purpose led her to apply TO Inc under
these circumstances you will presently dis
cover. As 10 the means by which she found
her way TO my Office / may remind you that
any directory would give her the necessary
information.
Miss Westerfield's object was to tell me.
in the first place, that her guilty life with
you was at an end. Acting under motives
which ! am suTo you must understand, n
which l hope you will also respect, she has
left your protection-nOt 10 return 10 IL. i
was sorry To see Though she tried TO hide IL
from mel how keenly she felt tile parting.
You have been dearly loved by two sweet
women. aud they have thrown their hearts
away on you-as wOmen will.
Having explained the circumstances so
far, Miss Westeriield next mentioned the mo
tive which had brought her 10 my office. She
asked ii / would inform her of Mrs. Or
moud's address.
This request, | confess. astonisbed me.
40 my mind she was, OF all persons, the
last who ought to contemplate communicate
ing in any way with Mrs. Ormond. | say
this to YOU: but | refrain.d from saying ii 10
her. What | did venture to do was 10 ask
for her reasons. She answered that they
were reasons which would eimbarrass her II
she communicated them 10 "a stranger.
After this reply-speaking as gently n
considerably as possible declined To give
her the information she wanted.
Not unpTepared. as IL appeared to me. for
my refusal, she asked next II | was willing
Ia tell her where she might find your brother,
Mr.. Randall Linley. In this case l was glad
TO comply with her request. She could adj
dress herself TO no person worthier to advise
her than your bro .er. In giving her his adj
dress in London | told her that he was alb
sent on a visit 10 some friends. and that he
was expected to return in a weeks time.
she thanked Inc and rose TO go.
Il confess ] was interested IN her. Per-
haps | thought Ut the time when she might
have been as dear to her father as my own
daughters were TO Inc ! asked IL her par
ents were living; they We're dead. My next
question was: Have you any friends In
Londony She answered: i have no friends
Ii was said with a resignation so very sad in
so young a creature that | was really dis
tressed. | ran the risk OF offending her
and asked II she felt any embarrassment in
respect of money. She said: Il have some
small savings from my salary when | was "A
g~overness." The change In her tone told me
that she was abiding to the time OF her resi-
dence at Mount Moryei. Ii was impossible
to look at this ~friendless girl and not feel
some anxiety about the lodging which she
might have chosen In such a place as Lon
don. She had fortunately come To me from
the railway and had not thought yet OF where
she was 10 live. AT last ! was able to be of
some use to her. Ny senior clerk took care
of Miss Westeriield and left her among re-
spectacle people, in whose house she could
live cheaply aud safely. Where that house
is | refuse, for her sake, TO tell you. She
shall not be disturbed.
After a week had passed l received .
visit from my good friend, Randall Linley.
HE had on that day seen Miss Wester-
field. She had said TO him what she had
said to me, and had repeated the request
which l thought 1t right to decline; owning
TO your brother, however, the motives which
she had refused TO contde to NE. lie was SO
strongly impressed by the sacrifice OF herself
which this penitent had made that
he was at first disposed To trust her with Mrs.
Ormond's address.
Reflection, however, convinced him that
her motives, pure and disinterested as they
undoubtedly were, did not justify him In let
ting her expose herself TO the consequences
which might follow the proposed interview.
All that he engaged 10 10 was 10 repeat To
Mrs. Ormond what Miss Westerield had
said and to inform the young lady OF the re-
suit.
''In the intervals of business | had felt
some uneasiness when l thought OF Miss
Westertieids prospects. Your good brother
"He proposed to place Miss Westerfield
under the care of an old and dear friend Of
her late f~ather-Capt. Bennydeck. Her vol
untary separation from you offered to your
brother and to the captain the opportunity
for which they had both been waiting. Capt
Bennydeck was then cruising at sea In his
yacht. immediately on his return Miss
Westerheld's inclinati0ns would be consulted,
and she would n0 u eagerly embrace the
opportunity of being introduced to her faith
er's friend.
81 have now communicated all that | know
In reply to the questions which you have adj
dressed 70 me. Let me earnestly advise you
to make the one reparation to this poor girl
which Is In your power. Resign yourself u
q separation which Is not only for her good,
but tor y0urs.-Sdmuel Sdrrdztn-
CHAPT.R xxx.
Not having heard from Capt. Bennydeck
for some little time, Randall thought Ii de-
sirable In Sydney's interests to make In
lulries at his club. Nothing was known Of
the captains movements there. On the chance
OF getting the information that he wanted,
Randall wrote to the hotel at Sandyseal.
The landlords reply q little surprised him.
Some days since the yacht had again APP
peared In the bay. Capt. Bennydeck had
landed, TO all appearance In fairly good
health, and had left by an early train for
London. The sailing-master announced that
he had orders to take the vessel back 10 her
port-with nc other explanation than that
the cruise was over. This alteration In the
captains plans terminating the voyage .
month earlier than his arrangements had
contemrlated) puzzled Randai. He called
at his friends private residence, only to hear
from the servants that they had seen nothing
Of their master. Randall waited awhile In
London ON the chance that Bennydeck might
pay him . visit
During this interval his patience was 10
warded in an unexpected manncr. He dis
covered the captains address BY means OF .
etter from Cathsslne. dated pBnck's Hotel,
,~ydenhsm." Having gently approached him
az not writing 10 her or calling on her, she
lyited him 70 dinner 1t the hotel. I{er let
TER concluded o. these words:
~you Eul only Ueot one peTson besid0