Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-05-19
CHATTER XVIII.

course, aware of all that has happened and
of the days expected visitor for Monica,
who has refused to come down to breakfast.
and who Is as unsettled and miserable as
she well can b:. Kit has cspoused her cause
con dmore, and is Il need hardly say ready
for open war at n moments notice. She has
indeed arranged q plan of action that will
bring her OH the battlefield at q critical mo-
ment to deliver n speech culled from some
old novels in her room and meant to reduce
both her aunts to humiliation.
When breakfast IL over she disappears To
study her part ~afrcsi, and the Misses Blake,
too, separate and 20 10 their own rooms,
with an air Of careful nncOncern, that would
not have imposed upon a one-ycar babe.
When again they reappear, they seem de-
sirous of avoiding each others glances,
whereupon it occurs sud lenly to everybody
that they have both put on their very best
silk gowns and lace caps, and have In fact
got themselves up with elaborate care to re-
celve-a Desmond No wonder they are
ashamed of themselves!
Still keeping up the outward symptoms of
supreme indifference, they seat themselves
In the drawing-room, Miss Penelope attack
ing her knitting with tremendous vigor,
whilst Miss Priscilla gets apparently lost In
the pages of Temple Bar" Monica, slid
ing In presently like a small ghost, in her
clinging white & WIN, slips into a seat In the
window thatoye:looks the avenue, and hides
herself and her pretty anxious face behind
the lace curtains.
An hour glidcs by with aggravatiny slow
ness; and then q sound of wheels upon the
gravel makes Mon.ca's heart beat almost to
suffocation.. The two Misses Bake, sud-
denly, forgetful of their role of %unconcern,
start from their seats and 90 to the window
where Monica now is standing. A brOugh-
ham and pair Of horses drive up to the door,
and a young man, opening the door, springs
to the Sround. II is Dcsmofd.
ITO como here in q close ca%rriageV' says
Miss Priscilla, with much contempt. "lshe
afraid Of catching cold, | wonder? / never
heard of such foppery in my life"
HE Is not a fop,' says Monica, indignant
ly, and then she catches sight of her lovers
face, and something in Ii awakes within her
a precedence Of coming evil.
Then the drawlng-room door Is thrown
open with rather mncercmoniouS haste, and
the young man, entering, goes straight to
where Miss Priscilla Is standing, merely taxi
ing holding Of Mouica's hand as he reaches
her, but addressing to her neither word nor
look. He seems greatly agitated, and alto
gether unlike the man who stood here yes
terday and almost detiCd them. His face is
very pale, and full of honest grief and in
dignation.
my uncle is at deaths door," he says, In
a voice that q~uivcrs with rage and excite
ment. Coming home late last night he was
shot Mt by some rni1ianS from behind the
blackthOrn hedge on the CNole road. lie
wants you, Miss Blake" Ito Priscilla). "He
is asking for you. You will not refuse TO
come to q man who may be dying, for all we
know! Ihaye brought the carriage for you,
and | implore you not to delay, but to come
to him at once"
Miss Priscilla has sunk into a chair, and
is quite colorless; Miss Penelope clasps her
hands.
'tOh, poor G.orge!' she says, involun-
tarily. His present danger has killed re-
membrance of all the angry years that stand
between to-day and the time when last she
called him by his Christian name.
"When did it happen? Howp' asks Mon
lea, tightening her fingers round his, and
trembling viSibly.
About ten o'clock last evening. Both
Kelly and | were with him, and a groom.
Two shots were fired. Kelly and l jumped
off the dog-cart and gave chase, and sue
ceeded in securing one of them. There were
four altogether, l think. We did not know
my uncle was wounded when we ran after
them, but when we came back we found
Murray the groom holding him In his arms.
He was quite insensible. | left Kelly and
Murray TO guard our prisoner, and drove my
uncle home myself, He is very badly hurt.
Miss Blake, turning again to Miss Priscilla,
''you will come with me?'
'Oh, yes, yes" says Miss Priscilla, family.
"And l shall go with you, my dear Pris-
cilla," says Mss Penelope, her0ically. Eyes,
you will want me. TO find yourself face to
face with him after all these years of
eStrangement and In so sad q state will be
distressing. 1t Is well / should be on the
spot to lend you some support"
Miss Priscilla lays her hand on her arm.
II think / shall go alone, Penelope" she
says, faltering. For one moment Miss Pene.
| lope Is a little surprised, and then I'm anoth.
ermoment she Is not surprised at all. But
l believe in her heart she is a good deal dis.
appointed; there is n flavor of romance and
excitement about this expedition she would
gladly have tasted.
"Well, perhaps it will be better So" she
| says, amiably. Il I'M glad lie has sent foi
you. He will be the easier for yOur for.
giveness, though he cannot obtain hers
now. Come W. stairs yOu should not keeI
Mr.. Desmond waiting" There is a kindly
light in her eyes as she glances at the young
man. And then she takes Miss Priscilla
away to her room, and helps her carefully
with her toilet, and accepts the situation as
a matter of course, though in her secret sou
she Is filled with una mcnt at The Des
mond's sending for Miss Priscilla ever
though lying at deaths door.
And indeed when the old man had tune,
to Brian and asked him TO bring Miss Blak
to Coole, Brian himself had known surprist
too, and some misgivings. Was he going Il
make her swear never TO give her consent 4
his (Brian's) marriage with her niece? o
was he going to make open confession o
that d~ishonorable action which caused Mis-
Blake's pretty step-sister to suffer dir
tribulation, according TO the gosSips round
II should like to see Priscilla Blake" tn
old Squire had said, in a low whisper, hi
nephew leaning over him TO catch tn,
words, and then he had muttered some
thing about ''old friends and forgiveness,
that had not so easily been understood.
You shall see her." the younger maj
says, tenderly. iii go for her myself.
am sure she won't refuse to come"
"Refuse" There is something In tn
Squire's whisper that puzzles Brian.
Il am certain she will not" he repeats
mechanically, whilst trying to translate II
But the look has faded from the old man
Face, and his tone Is different, when h,
speaks again.
IF she Is afraid To come" he says, gener
ously, having evidently settled some knott.
point of inward discussion to his entire salts
faction, tell herfrom me that amready am
willing to forgive all"
You mean you are anxious to obtain he
forgiveness" says Brian, with the kindly in
tention of assisting the old mans wander
ing Imagination.
"EhP" say the Squire, sharply. "Wha
dye mean, Brian? Speak, lad, when / de
Giro Won