Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-09-01
The Flttest Survives
BY J..H. CONNOLLY.

iiOihtoty III Ills COuuteIldQCe palmer
thar words could have vouched for it.,
and it was with a happy confidence
that she called at the foot of the lit
tie staircase:
"Addie, come down. Mr.. Latham is
here"
In a few moments, taking a little
| time that it might not be suspected
how very ready she had long been to
answer such a summons, the con-
sciously aggravated maiden, very
erect and frigid in manner, entered
the parlor.
Good morning, Mr.. Latham" she
said stifiy and took a seat as far from
him as the contracted dimensions of
the room would permit.
lie lover was stupefed by surprise.
Mrs. Halls eyes twinkled as she
said.
Mr.. Latham wants 10 know, Addie,
why you did not leave that letter for
him."
Mr.. Latham will probably not find
1t nc to surmise the reason
when he knows that l allied in person
for the purpose"
Mr.. Latham never was farther from
surmising anything in his life,' ex-
claimed the young man earn
estly.
Addie flushed to her hair, but
forced herself to speak.
Il did not think" she said, latter
the discovery | inadvertently made
concerning your-your domestic ar
engagements, sir, that l had any right
TO further obtrude my family affairs
upon you"
MY domestic arrangementsl' You
had no right What in the world do
you mean, Addie? We are strangely
at cross purposes, il seems to me-"
What is the use in you two beating
about the bush?" interposed the
straightforward widow. "Why don't
yon come TO the point at once? Who
was hat yellow headed girl who
seemed to be SO thoroughly at home
in your room, John Latham?"
oh, that!" exclaimed John. His
face lighted up with a look of relief,
and then the reaction from the strain
OF anxiety he had been suffering set
him off in a roar of laughter.
II do not see that it is at all a
laughing matter, Mr.. Latham" ex-
ploded Addie Indignantly, springing to
her feet as if about to leave the room.
Il beg your pardon, Addie," he re-
piled, restraining himself, but 1
couldn't help 1t, and you would laugh,
too, If you understood. Sit down and
I'll tell you all about It,"
Lottie's story to Chester Sewall was
the exact truth and of course the
same that John told now, so it need
not be repeated here. Instead of JUS
trying suspicion of his fealty, the in.
cident reflected credit upon his kind
heart and thoughtful head, a fact that
his hearers were not slow to fully APP
preciate. His words carried conviction
with them, and when the narration
was concluded Mrs. Hall got right up
from her chair, crossed the room to
him and formally shaking hands, man
fashion, said heartily:
John Latham, you are a real good
fellow. knew you would turn out all
right"
Addie, penitent and happy, red as a
cherry, laughing while yet the tears
quivered OF her eyelashes, stood. up
to meet her lover as ne approached
her and stammered deprecatingly:
II couldn't help it John. Will
you forgive me for being such a fool?"
And of course as he took her in his
arms and kissed her he repudiated the
idea of her being a fool at all and said
he was glad TO learn hat she loved
him sufficiently to be n little jealous,
and protested he loved her so well it
would be impossible to give even a lit
tie of his heart to anybody else, and
so on, and SO on, until the lovers
looked around them after n little
while and found they were alone.
Mrs. Hall had, unobserved, glided
out to the kitchen and was busying
herself starting a fire TO make coffee
for al early breakfast, in which John
of curse had to participate, and a
very happy little family group they
made when gathered about the table.
Notwithstanding the delay thus oc-
casioned-and it was a long one, for
John had much to tell, and the ladies
had much to say, and in the meal
itself there was much cnioy-Mr. La
than reached his lodging at about the
hour when he usually awoke and COM
the days weather.
While throwing off his overcat in
his he crossed to Chester's door,
Knocked, and receiving no answer
flung it open. The apartment was in
disorder and empty.
"Ah," he murmured to himself,
turning back, 81 might have thought
of it. He probably spent last evening
with 1rma, %consoling her, and re-
manned as one of the watchers with
her fathers body all night. He will
most likely come in soon. Hello!
What's this?"
The shutters of his windows were
closed and the heavy curtains down,
so that although the daylight was
bright outside, little of it entered the
room, and it was not strange that in
the prevailing gloom he should have
failed to observe at first an imposing
erection in the center of the floor,
which, once seen, seemed to dominate
and dwarf everything else in the big
apartment. When he had let in the
light he saw that two great easy
chairs made the foundation of the
pile; a light stand constituted it's Sec
ond tier; the two valises he had sent
home were upon the stand, and to-
gether with a green foot-bath sup
ported upright an umbrella. A light
cane had been tied firmly to the
straight handle of the umbrella nj
right angles with it, and from the
mead OF h cane, depended by a broad
red ribbon, a letter addressed to "NIr.
Latham The attention compelling
construction had amply served the
purpose of its architect, Miss Lottie
Belden, bringing to his notice the
note which she deemed it important
he should have Immediately upon his
return. He opened the missive and
read:
Dear Mr.. Latham-Your friend,
Mr.. Seward, is in a hole. He is locked
up, and two policemen have been GO
ing through his room. The big bottle.
nosed n told me that Mr.. Seward
had been giving his finger to a hash