The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-10-13
q her old appealing voice, .you .hool

a her old appealing voice, you shook.
Dazed and astounded, and yet ex-
pressing q vague n Of relief with
an odd return of his old tenderness
towards the willful woman before
him, he had silently regarded her, un-
til her allusion to his wife recalled
him to himself.
.Hush!a he said. quickly, with a
glance towards the corridor.
"Ahl" said Susy. with malicious
smile, then that's why Captain
Pinckney was lingering in the rear
with the deputy.r
"Silencel said Clarence, sternly.
go in there pointing to the gar
den room below the balcony, land
wait until your husband comes.S
He half led, half pushed her into
the room xhich-had been his business
office and returned to the patio. A.
hesitating voice from the balcony
said: "Clarence."
1t was his wife's voice, but modi-
fed and ~gentle-more like her voice
as he had first heard it-or as If it
were chastened by some "Reminiscences.
of those days. 1t was his wife's face,
too, that looked down on his, paler
than he Ind seen it since he had en-
tered the house. She was shawled
and hooded, carrying a trayeling-bag
in her hand.
II nm going, Clarence" she said,
with gentle gravity, "but not In n
ger! Iseven ask you to forgive me
for the foolish words that i still think
your still more foolish accusation,'
| she smiled family, dragged from me.
L am going because 1 know that I
have brought, and that while / am
here | shall always be bringing upon
you the imputation and even the re-
| sponsibility of my own faith! While
] am proud to own it, and, if needs
be, suffer for it, have no right to
ruin your prospects, or even make
you the victim of the slurs that others
may cast upon me. Let us part as.
friends, separated only by our diff
ferent political faiths, but keeping all
other faiths together, until God shall:
settle the right Of this struggle. Per-
haps it may be soon-I sometimes
think it may be Years Of agony for
all-but until then good-by."
She had slowly descended the steps
to the patio. looking handsomel than
he had ever seen here, and as IL sus-
NolliSa dllS uBllSlu-Dy HIIlc tuLLuSidSll
of her cauae. Her hand was out-
ing violently; in another moment he
might have forgotten all and clasped
her to his breast.
Suddenly she stopped, her out
stretched arm stiffiened, her finger
pointed to the chair on which Susy's
cloak was hanging.
| 4 that ct cha said II, n chasp
high, metallic voice. "Who is here?
Speak,"
"Susy," said Clarence.
She cast a scatching glance around
the patio and then settled her pierc-
ing, eyes on Clarence with u bitter
smile.
"~Already!"
Clarence felt the blood rush to his
face as he stammercd: "She knew
what was happening here and came
to give you warning"
"Liar!"
"Stop!" said Clarence, with a white
face. 'She came to tell me that Cap
tain Pinckney was still lingering for
you in the road.'
He threw open the gate to let her
pass. AS she swept out she lifted her
hand. AS she closed the gate there
4 were the white marks of her TOUR fin
gers on his cheek.
CHAPTER ~.
For once Susy had not exaggcrat-
ed. Captain Pinckney was lingering
with the deputy who had charge Of
him IN the trail near The casa. It
had already been pretty well Under
stood by both captives and captors
that the arrest was simply u legal
demonstration, that the sympathizing
federal judge would undoubtedly or
der the discharge of the prisoners on
their Owl recognizances and it was
probable that the deputy saw no
harm in granting Pinckney's request,
which was virtually only n delay in
his w liberation. 1t Is also posi-.
BILE TINT Pihckney had worked upon
the chiyalrous synlpathies of the man
by protesting his Discrimination to
leave their devoted colleague, Mrs.
Brant, at the mercy of her antago-
nistic and cold-blooded husband at
such II crisis, and 1T is to be feared,
also, that Clarence, as a reputed luke
warm partisan, excited no personal
sympathy even from his own party.
Howbeit, the deputy agreed to delay
Pinckney's journey for a parting in
teryiew with his fair hostess.
How far this expressed the real sen
timents of Captain Pinckney was new
Ell known. Whether his political as
ISOLATION with Mrs. Brant had devel-
open into a warmer s%olicitude. under.
stood or ignored by her, and what
were his hopes and aspirations re-
garding his future assb by the course
of fate never disclosed. A mar OF
easy ethics but rigid artificialities OF
honor. flattered and pampered by
class prejudice, a .so-called "lnan OF
the. world" with no experience be.
You'd his own limited circle, yet brave
and devoted to that, it were well, per.
haps, to leave that last act Of his in
effectual life to the simple record OF
the deputy.
~Dismounting, he approached the
house from the garden. He was al.
ready familiar with the low arched
doorway which led to the business
room, and from which lie could gain
admittance to the patio. But it Sc
Glanced that he entered the dark
passage at the moment that Clarence
had thrust Susy into the business
room, and heard its door shut sharp.
l.y. For an instant he believed that
Mrs. Brant had taken refuge there,
but as he cautiously moved forward
he heard her voice in the p,ltio be.
yond. Its accents struck him as
pleading; IN intense curiosity drew
him further along the passage. Sud
denly her voise seemed to change TIC
angry denunctntion, and the word
Liar rang upon his ears. 1t was fol,
lowed by his name uttered sar-
donically by Clarence, the swift rus
tie of a skirt, the clash of the gate
and then, forgetting everything, he
burst into the patio.
Clarence was just turning from the
gate with the marks of his wife's
hand still red on his white check. He
saw CAPTAIN Pinckney's eyes upon it
and n faint, half-malicious, half-hys
tel:c smile upon his lips. But with.
out n start or gesture of surprise, he
locked the gate. and ~urnin to him