Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-01-27

ful conduct, that you have taken .
| great liberty i'm returning to my house
I wonder you are not ashamed to race
me!'
Never mind that" Judith replied,
amazed at Elsie's GOODNESS. Let me
in--you must, or ' shall say what !
have to say here, "a no n Will re
greet Ii more than you"
The door was unlocked then, and Ju-
dith walked in. Elsie was in her
dressing gown, and, whatever her emo
lions resulted from, they had certainly
been sufficiently wearing, for her eye
lids were red from constant crying,
and she looked years older than the
self-confident young matron who had
returned from her ride three days be-
fore.
Look here, Elsie" Judith said. Sc
verely, as she closed the door and
faced her sullen-looking sister; i am
not going 20 waste sympathy upon
YOU, for YOU do not deserve Ii. o
have been selfishly wicked and
thoughtless. 1t was nothing to you
that you would have sacrificed your
husbands happiness, as Wen as mine
and Captain Herbert's; that you
would have married the career of a
man who does not care for you, and
brought dishonor Oh husband and
child. You can never look at Claude
in the future without remembering
what you have driven him TO. Your
punishment is not half so great as you
deserve. DO you know why! Claude
did not see your face or hear your
voice that night. and, hearing now that
~ tr,,C I Nvla nlanaI hA hAliANnG ha has
made a mistake, and that 1t must have
been | whom he saw on the balcony
with Captain Herbert. You have a
chance afforded you to try TO atone to
Claude for your wickedness. BE CRATE
full to Heaven that his life has been
spared, and it may yet be well with
you. He has asked for you-go and
put your arms around his neck ant
hear what he has to- say; but be care
full now and in the future, for it is
your last chance!"
Elsie's face expressed by turns, fear,
hope and incredibly: but, as Judith
ceased speaking she raised her head
with II self-confident little smile and
passed out of the
Captain Herbert. meanwhile. was
enduring a very lengthy wait in the
leafy lane outside the park gales. The
silence in which Judith had received
the unfortunate Jews he had commu-
nicated to her so soon after their mar
rage seemed ominous 10 him. He had
not entered into details, but he knew
that it was not necessary; her quick
hess Of perception, coupled with her
knowledge of his Irritation with Elsie,
would have told her pretty much what
Claude TownShend must have over
heard, and he did not doubt that she
would visit upon him the due punish
ment for his sin.
Being In an unusually humble frame
OF mind. he knew that he deserved all
he might get, and he feared that Ju-
dith would seize upon the Excuse his
bad conduct afforded her TO break
with him AT one and forever.
"Only this morning she told me she
would be happy with me, AMI looked
as ii she meant it," he thought, miser-
ably. rs he paced to and fro. When
she has cried her eyes out about Town
shend and his wife she will go home,
| suppose, and v care a rap what
becomes of me! How shall / be able
to live without her now, knowing that
she is really mine, and hat it is my
own fault she scorns me?"
He had not answered his mental
query when he saw Judith coming in
the distance, and halted with culver
ing nerves and pale lace to await her.
He watched the tall, graceful. oncom-
ing figure in the tumbled muslin gown
until his eyes became dim, and he
a ynrfn1 hi. fnnn nrafOv.r;n n, 20 l,,. 1T.
doom from her lips to reading it for
himself.
'Still here? I thought you would
have been tired of waiting"
Hardly daring to believe his ears. he
turned to look at her. There were
tears in her eyes and her face was
flushed, but she was smiling.
Something very unexpected has
happened she said. quickly: 81 went
TO Claude fearing all sorts Of terrible
things, but-but--" And she burst into
tears.
There was no likelihood of his being
seen, so Captain Herbert put his arm
around his wife, saying. so~othingiy:
Don't, dear, Try TO tell me what
has happened. You are hysterical-
upset!'
Il am not hysterical,' she replied.
drying her tears and removing his arm
from about her waist: ''but | am up
set. though it with joy, not sorrow.
Neither you nor Elsie deserve this
good fortune; but il has come to- you.
and there lis an end of 1t. Claude has
got Ii into his head that he is the vic
tim Of his own error, and, In an ex-
cess OF remorse for his suspicion of
Elsie and regret for the rash act it led
him to commit, he has sent for her.
and Is Onse more reconciietf to her.
What do you think about it?"-and
Judith regarded him seriously and
noted his gravity and pallor.
II agree with you've don't deserve
Our good fortune" he admitted.
Having escaped the consequences Of
your folly so easily" she continued.
.'perhaps 1t will be an inducement for
you to err again. But I have told Elsie
that this Is her last chance. It Is Inn
possible that Claude can continue to
be so blindly trusting. and I have de-
termined that ! will never help to de-
ceive him again. Fortunately, Claude
imagines that you have no idea OF his
suspicious, 50 he will never nonplus
you by broaching the subject"
And your" he queried, duly.
I'll have lied to him. she said,