Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-10-13
"CLgRENCE'
BY BRET HARTE.

tufneu Judge BeesWlnger, with UNI
changed composure, and as you
know that Judge Wilson unfortunate
~ cannot be removed except through
regular cause of impeachment, i sup
pose you may still count upon his
southern sympathies to befriend you.
With that | have nothing to do; my
duty is complete when my deputy has
brought you before him, and l have
stated the circumstances of the ar
rest"
Il congratulate you, sir" said Cap
tain Pinckney, with an ironical salute,
lin your prompt reward for your
treachery to the south, and your
equally prompt adoption of the, Pc
culiar tactics of your friends in the
way in which you have entered this
house"
Il am sorry | cannot congratulate
you, sir" returned Judge Beeswing-
er, gravely, "on breaking your oath
TO the government that has educated
and supported you, and has given you
the e~paulettcs you disgrace. Nor
shall | discuss 'treachery' with the
man who has not only violated the
trust of his country but even the I'M
tegrity of his friends household. 1t
is for that reason that | withhold the
action Of this warrant in SO far as
it affects the person OF the master
and mistress of this house. | am sat
isfied hat Mr.. Brant has been as ig-
norant of what has been done here as
| am that his wife has been only the
foolish dupe of a double traitor"
~"Silence!"
Tho Nynr.lS hpn1yn tn,,1snnnn,g1u
from the lips of Clarence and Captain
rinckney. They stood staring at each
Cther-the one pale, the other Grim
son-as Mrs. Brant, apparently obliv-
ious of the significance of their unit
ed adiuration, turned to Judge Bee
swinger in the fury of her still stiiied
rage and modification.
Keep your mercy for your fellow
spy, she said with n contcmptuous
gesture towards her husband, IL 70
with these gentlemen"
You viii not said Clarence, quiet
~, until have said a word TO you
alone"
He laid his hand firmly upon her
wrist.
The deputy and his prisoners filed
slowly u Of the courtyard togeth-
er, the latter courteously saluting
Mrs. Brant as they passed, but turn
ing from Judge Beeswinger in con
tcmptuous silence. The latter fol-
lowed them TO the gate, but there he
paused.
Turning to Mrs. Rrant. who was
still half struggling in the strong grip
OF her husband, he said:
Amy conjunction ! may have had
in misleading You by accepting your
invitation here, | dismissed after |
had entered this house! And | trust"
he added, turning to Clarence. stern
ly, Il leave you master of it,
As the gate closed behind him, CLAIR
ence locked il. AS his wife turned
upon him angrily, he said, quietly: 81
have no intention OF restraining your
liberty a moment after our interview
is over. But until then ! do o in
tend to be disturbed"
She threw herself disdainfully back
IN her chair, her hands claspcd in her
lap, in half contemptuous resigna-
ton, with her eyes upon her long,
slim, arched feet crossed before her.
Even in her attitude there was some
thing Of her old fascination which,
however. now seemed TO sting Clar-
ence TO the quick.
81 have nothing TO say to you in re-
gard to what has just passed i'm this
house, except that as long as | re-
main even nominally as its master, it
shall not be repeated. Although |
shall no longer attempt to influence
or control your political sympathies,
! shall not allow you TO indulge them
where in any way they seem to i'm
ply my sanction. But so little do |
oppose your liberty that you are free
TO reioin your political companions
whenever you choose to do SO on your
own responsibility. But ! must first
know from your w lips that your
sympathies are purely political-or a
name for something else"
She had alternately flushed and
paIed, although still keeping her
scornful attitude as he went OH. but
there was no mistaking the genuine
ness Of her vague wonderment at his
concluding words. 81 don't under
stand YOU she said, lifting her eyes
10 his i'm a moment of cold curiosity.
what do YOU mean?"
"NNhat do ] mean? What did Judge
Beeswinger mean when he called Cap
tain pinckney a double traitor?" he
said, roughly.
She sprang to her feet with fish
ing eyes.
"And you-you-dare TO repeat the
cowardly lie of a confessed spy. This,
then, is what you wished to tell me-
this, the insult for which you have
kept me here, because you are inca
pable of understanding unselfsh pa
triotism or devotiolt-eyen to your
own cause you dare to Judge me by
your own base, Yankee trading stand
ards. Yes. it is worthy Of you"
She walked rapidly up and down,
and then suddenly faced him.
II understand it all! | appreciate
your m~agnanimity now. You are will
ing | should join the company Of
these chivalrous gentlemen i'm order
to give color TO your calumnies. Say
at once that it was you who put up
this spy to correspond with me-to
come herein order to entrap me.
Yes, entrap mc-I-who u moment
ago stood up for YOU before these
gentlemen and said you could not
lie! BAH"
Struck only by the wild extrava-
gance of her speech and temper, Clar-
ence did not know that when women
are most illogical they are apt TO be
most sincere, and from 4 mans stand
point, her unreasoning deductions APP.
peared to him only as an affectation
to gain time for thought. on a the
~atrical display to dazzle, like Susy's.
And he was turning. half contemptu-
ously, away when she again faced him
with flashing eyes:
well, hear me! | accept! | leave
here at once to join my own people,
my own friends-those who under
stand mc--put what construction on
it that you choose Do your worst!
You canno do more to separate us
than you have done just now
She left him ami ran nm the steDs.