Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-02-27
The Evil Genius.
A STORY.
BY wILKiE COLLINS
XIX.

ldfu weather ana extreme climates. HIS
smooth face of twenty years since was scored
0y tie telitale marks of care; his dark beard
WAS beginning to present variety of color by
means OF streaks of gray, and his hair was in
,GtIse OF undiSguised retreat from his strong,
broad forehead. Not rising above the middle
height, the captains spare figure was well
preserved. Ii revealed power and activity,
severely tested perhaps at some former time,
but capable even yet of endurance under trial.
Although he looked older than his age, he
was still personally speaking an attractive
man. In repoSe his eyes We're by habit sad
and a little weary in their expression. They
Dnly caught n brighter light when he smiled.
At such times, helped by this change and by
his simple, earnest manner, they recommend
ed him to his tellow-creatures before he OPEN
ed his lips. Men and women taking shelter
with him, for instance, from the rain found
the temptation to talk with Capt. Bennydeck
irresistible; and, when the weather cleared,
they mostly carried away with them the
same favorable impression: One would
like TO meet with that gentleman again"
Randais first words of welcome relieved
the captain of certain modest doubts OF his
reception, which appeared to trouble him
when he entered the room. II nm glad 10
find you remember me as kindly as | remem-
Der you" Those We're his first words when
he and Randall shook hands.
You might have felt sure of that" Ran
dal said.
The captains modesty still doubted. "You
see, the circumstances We're n little against
me. We met at a dull dinner, among weari-
some, worldly men, full of boastful ttlk
about themselves. 1t was all Il did this, and
Il said that'-and the gentlemen who were
present had always been right; and the gen
tlemen who We're absent had always been
wrong. And, oh, dear, when they came to
politics, how they Dragged about what they
would have done if they had only been at
the head of the government; and how cruelty
hard to please they were in the matter of
wine! DO you remember recommending me
to spend my next holiday in ScOtland?"
Perfectly. My advice was seltish-it real
~ meant that wanted to see YOU again.
"And you have your wish, at YOU broth.
er'S house! The guide-bOok did il. First, |
saw your family name. Then ! read on and
discovered that there were pictures at Mount
Morven, and that strangers were allowed TO
see them. | like pictures. And here | am
This %allusion 10 the house naturally re-
iiii'NN nv w nv llNNltls i NlNl 4
could introduce you 10 my brother and his
wife" he said. "unhappily, their only
child is ill"
Capt. Bemydeck started to his feet. Il
AIN ashamed Of having intruded on YOU" he
began. His new friend pressed him back in-
TO his chair without ceremony. "On the
contrary, You have arrived al the best of all
possible timeS-the time when our suspense
Is at an end. The doctor has Just told us
that his poor little patient is ont of danger.
You may imagine how happy We are"
And how grateful 10 God!' The captain
said those words in tones that trembled--
speaking to himself.
Randall was conscious of feeling a mOmen-
tary embarrassment The character of his
visitor had presented itself in a new light.
Capt. Bennydeck looked at misunderstood
him-and returned to the subject of his tray
els.
ID you remember your holiday time when
you were a boy, and when YOU had to 20
back TO SCHOOL, he asked, with a smile. my
inind is IN much the same state at leaving
Scotland and going back to my work in Lon
don. | hardly know which to admire most
your beautiful country or the people who in.
habit it. | have had some pleasant talk with
your poorer neighbors; the one improvement
| could wish for among them is kcener
sense OF their religious duties.'
This was an objection new in Randals eX-
perlence of travellers in general.
"Our highlanders have noble qualities" he
said. "lf you knew them as well as | do
you would find a true sense of religion among
them; not presenting itself, however, to
strangers as strOngly-I had almost said as
the devotional feeling of the l0wland Scotch.
Different races, different temperaments."
And all" the captain added, gravely and
gently, with souls to be saved. If | sent to
these poor people some copies of the new
testament, translated into their W lam
guage, would my gift be accepted?"
Strongly interested by this time in study.
ing Capt. Bennydeck's character on the side
of it which was new TO him, Randall owned
that he observed with surprise the int rest
which his friend felt in perfect strangers.
The captain seemed to wonder why this im-
preston should have been produced by what
he had just said.
Il only try" he answered, ito do what
good can wherever | 60"
Your life must be a happy one" Randall
said.
Nupt' oCilllutth , nttu OODtu ne
shadows that attend ON the gloom of melan.
choly remembrance showed their darkening
presence on his face. Briefly, almost sternly.
he set Randall right.
mo, sir"
"Forgiye me" the younger man pleaded,
'if / have spoken thoughtlessly.'
You have mistaken me- the captain ex-
planned; land it Is my fault. My life Is an
atonement for the sins of my youth. l have
reached my 10th year-and that one purpose
Is before me for the rest of my days. Suffer
ings and dangers which but few men under
go awakened my conscience. My last exer-
else OF the duties of my profession associated
me with an expedition to the polar seas. Our
ship was crushed in the ice. Our march to
the nearest regions inhabited by humanity
was a hopeless struggle of starving men, rot
ten with scurvy, against the merciless forces
of nature. One by ono my comrades drop
ped and died. Out of twenty men there were
three left with q last flicker in them OF the
vital flame when the party of rescue found
us. One OF the three died on the homeward
voyage. One lived to reach his na.ve place
and to sink to rest with his wife and children
round his bed. The last man left, out of that
band of heroes, lives to be worthier Of Gods
mercy-and tries to make Gods creatures
better and happier in this world, and worth
ier of the world that is to come"
Randal's generous nature felt the appeal
that had been made to it. Twill you let me
take your hand, captainT he said.
They clasped hands in silence.
Capt. ~Bennydeck was the first to speak
again. That modest distrust of himself,
which a man essentially noble and brave Is
generally the readiest Of men to feel, seemed
to be troubling him once more-just as it had
troubled him when he first found himself in
Randal's presence.
IL hope you won't think me vain" he re-
sumed; IL seldom say so much about myself
as have said to YOU"
IL only wish you would say more" Randall
rejoined. Cant you put Off your return to
London for a day or two%'
The thing was not to be done. Duties
which 1t was impossible to trife with called
the captain back. ITS quite likely" he
said, abiding pleasantly to the impression
which he had produced in speaking of the
highlanders, that | shall find more strangers
to interest me in the great city"
Are they always strangers" Randall ask
cd. Have you never met, by accident, with
persons whom you may once have KNOWN"
"Never--yet. But it may happen on my
return"