Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-09-08

IN the real cause thereof without GO
ing the length of writing TO that young
lady herself. A confidential statement,
addressed to Mrs. Cullerton. was GER
tain TO be divulged TO the entire u
fish colony within twenty-four hours.
The thing was simple.
And exactly forecasted. In due
course Mrs. Cullerton wrote back six
crossed sheets of sympathy and local
scandal also confdentiaD. 1t is true
she gave her reputation for strict ver-
acity clean away within half a dozen
lines: 81 have mentioned it TO nobody
except poor Miss DaRvers herself 49,.
Everyone sympathizes with her But
that mattered nothing. Mrs. Deane had
reached her church.
A society journal next informed her
that "Sir Derek Deane, Bart, or
Deanshurst, has had a paralytic
stroke. and no hopes are entertained
of the Octogenarian baronets recovery.
His only son. 1t will be remembered,
was the victim in the mysterious o.
ing case which eliminated in the nom-
ipal conviction of his cousin. Major
Oscar Deans, for manslaughter. Major
Deane is heir to the baronetcy, and Is,
we understand. at present abroad"
whereupon she teIegraphed to Oscar.
and was greatly pleased by the reply
announcing his return. She had al
most matte UP her mind To meet the in
coming liner at Queenstown, but, ut
the last. contented herself with dis
patching n telegram announcing Sir
DeSek's demise.
The reply, of course, perpleXed her,
as Stephen had foreseen. Why was 1t
signed "Deane?" And what could the
bad news refer to? She promptly
babe her maid pack a ~portmantau,
caught IA London express, and was
fast asleep in the Euston Hotel hours
before the Holyhead mail arrived.
Of this fact Stephen was made aware
when he mentioned that he expected n
visit from his mother, and the inter-
view consequently took place much
earlier than he had anticipated-in a
private sitting room, which f~oreseeing
Il stormy scene) he had prudently en-
gagged.
What! You, Stephen?,...... And
aloney' was her abrupt greeting.
Where is Oscar? Is he not with
your
mo" was the reply, "he is not. l
opened your telegram and replied TO
it."
But he cabled from New York that
he was returning by the Teutonic.!'
she exclaimed, in great agitation.
What does it mean, Stephen? .....
Your allusion to bad Speak,
man! Where is your brother?"
Pray try and calm yourself, moth
or" urged Stephen, throwing all the
sorrowful sympathy he could into his
voice. oscar left New York with me
in the Teutonic-"
Then, where is hep she broke in,
wildly. us he i'll? Has any accident
befallen him? The truth? Tell me
the truth
Stephen drew a deep breath. He
knew that he must tell her now, and
yet there was n look of such agonized
appeal on her face that, callous as he
was. made him recoil from the task.
During a dense fog" he said, hest
t~atingly, he. somehow fell. -. over
board, and. though the boats"
He paused. There was that in his
mothers face which forbade him TO
gloss the grim fact of his brothers
death with a description of what the
boats had tried to do. 1t seemed to
him that the horrur-stricken, dark eyes
fixed upon him had in them an accus-
ing. vengeful expression, and that
from the ashen lips there would pres
emily Issue the curse pronounced upon
Cain. She neither trembled nor sought
support. She stood there, erect, rigid,
staring at him as though she would
read his very sou
Poor Oscar.' he murmured, after
an unbroken silence, which he could
endure no longer. Il can hardly real
iZe, even yet, that he is really gone
from us, and | know what a terrible
grief his loss must be to you, mother.
1t is some comfort to remember what
a noble fellow he was. and that he had
not an enemy in the world"
Stephen felt that there was a ring OF
~insincerity in his voice which reduced
his would-be consolatory remarks to
the level of mere platitudes. But he
could not face the despairful, stony 81
lence in which she had received his
tidings. Tears, r~eproaches. rawlings,
even, he could have endured; nay, he
litu tADtCltu thtAhs but II huNt Jill
demnation of those fearless, soul-pierc-
ing eyes goaded him beyond endur-
ance.
'You bear it well, mother" he said.
gcverting TO his usual cool manner;
s'fnr better than | had anticipated"
DO ~ she asked, at length finding
her voice. Perhaps so. Grief is not
always painful at first; it sometimes
stuns.. Tell me-. We're you with
Oscar when. this thing happenedT'
Il was on deck at the time" was the
e~vasive reply. but. .....I could do
nothing to save him. This did not
tally exactly with the entry on the log
book. but how should she know that
The dark eyes never left his face UNI
til he had replied. Then Mrs. Deane
pressed both hands against her side
and staggered as though about to fall.
II am not WELL" she said, catching
her breath. II want to be alone. -.
Tell them to take me to my room. -.
No! not your armi. Not yours, -.