Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-10-13
erance and half the actress declama-

ti dht anu Hull VIC dClICOS uGCldIifl-
ton. "We met them all in the road,
posse and prisoners. Chief Thompson
knew me and told me all. And so
you've done it--and you're master in
your old house again. Clarence, old
boy! Jim said you wouldn't do it.
Said you'd weaken on account OF her!
But L said No. i knew o better,
old Clarence, and / saw ii in your
face, for all your stiffness! He! But
for all that / was mighty nervous and
uneasy, and l just made Jim send an
excuse to the theater and we rushed
it down here. Lordy, but it looks nat
ural to see the old house againl And
she-you packed her off with the 9th
ers, didn't you? Tell me, Clarence
in her old appealing voice, "you shook
her, too?"
Da2ed and ~astounded, and yet eN-
pressing n vague sense of relief with
an odd return of his old tenderness
towards the willful woman before
him, he had silently regarded her un-
I'll her allusion to his wife recalled
him 10 himself.
"Hush!" he said, quickly, with a
glance towards the corridor.
"Ah!" said Susy, with n malicious
smile, 'then that's why Captain
Pinckney vas lingering in the rear
with the deputy"
"Silence!" said Clarence, sternly.
go in there pointing TO the gar
den below the balcony, "and
wait until your husband comes
He half led, half pushed her into
the room which had been his business
Office and returned TO the patio. \
h~csitating voice from the balcony
said: Clarence"
1t was his wife's voice, but modi-
fed and gentle more like her voice
rs he had first heard tor as il it
were chastened by some "Reminiscences
Of those days. 1T was his wife's face,
too, that looked down on his, paler
than he lad seen it since he had en-
tered the house. She was shawled
and hooded, carrying n traveling-bag
i'm her hand.
II am going, Clarence" she said,
with gentle gravity, but not in an
ger! | even ask you to forgive me
for the foolish words that still think
your still more foolish accusation
she smiled family, dragged from me.
! am going because | know that |
have brought, and that while l am
here | shall always be bringing upon
YOU the imputation and even the re-
s~ponsibility of my own faith! While
! am proud TO own it, and, il 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 MS part ms
friends, separated only by Il diff
ferent political faiths, but keeping all
other faiths together, until God shall
settle the right of this struggle. Per.
haps il may be soon sometimes
think il may be years of agony for
all-but until then good-by."
She had slowly descended the steps
to the patio, looking handsomer than
he had ever seen here. and as if sus,
tanned and upheld by the enthusiasm
of her cause. Her hand was out,
stretched toward his, his heart beat.
ing violently; in another moment he
might have forgotten all and clasped
her TO his breast.
Suddenly She stopped, her out.
stretched arm stifliened, her finger
pointed TO the chair on which Susy's
cloak was hanging.
whats that?" she said, in n sharp
high, metallic voice. "Nho is here
Speak,"
"Susy," said Clarence.
She cast a scratching glance around
the patio and then settled her pierre
ing eyes on Clarence with "A bitter
smile.
Already"
Clarence felt the blood rush to hi,
face as he stamncred: "She knew
what was happening here and came
to give you warning"
Liar"
stop" said Clarence, with a whit,
face. "She came TO tell me that Cap
tain Pinckney was still lingering FOL
YOU in the road"
lie threw open the gate to let hel
pass. AS she swept out she lifted he
hand. AS she closed the gate there
were the white marks of her four fin
gers on his cheek.