Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-02-02
"a GIRL E GRIT.
BY MAJOR ARTHUR GRlFFlTHS.
Copyright. 1900. by II. r. Fenno 4 Co.


Hear me put at any rate" I pleaded,
as ! seized her hand and gently drew
her back, for she had now got up and
vas leaving me like a frightened bird.
Then I blurted out the whole story,
In that clumsy, laundering way a man
has when his heart Is full and all his
happiness depends or what he Is say
Ing. Still never a word from her, until
at last I cried despairingly.
"Frida. darling. my first thought
when l heard of this fortune was of
you-say you will share 1t with me-"
Il think you have been most abomi-
nably deceitful and underhand." she
faltered. You should not have kept
1t from me. / had a Fight to know. 1
should have been to!d-I-T'-
II only heard the news myself this
very morning"
But just think what people would
say. l should be called q mercinary
wretch, accused OF selling myself for
your millions"
They shall be yours. l will make
them all over to you at once. i do not
care for them one bit except hat
they give me the right TO ask you for
this"
4 NOOh HtI v Ildlld III hlSoEo I
but she herself, turning her blushing
face to mine, offered me her lips.
When l left Princes Gate l seemed
to tread on air. We had been among
the last. Frida and / had fingered on
among the a~zaleas TIL Mrs. Fairholme's
patience was fairly exhausted and she
came herself to end the tete-a-tete. /
think she saw enough in our conscious
faces to comfort her with the hope that
thA ,,nIns ~ No. aha n.a gA nj a n
preaching their term, and she heartily
Endorsed Frida's invitation to com to
lunch, and come early.
Then / saw them into their carriage,
refusing their proffered seat, for l
wished to be alone with my new found
happiness.
The night was fine, the air soft under
the pale sky, for dawn was near at
hand, and / stepped out gayly, with
all the buoyancy Of one with whom the
world went we'll.
was brought up shortly and sharp
ly to the realities OF life by running up
plump against my shadow" The mar
who had stuck to my heels so pertina-
ciously all the evening was still on the
watch.
But he was not lurking In the re-
cesses OF a house porch. / met him face
to face upon the pavement, and he
could not escape me
Look here, my fine fellow" / cried,
tackling him at once, this has gone
a little too far. Take yourself OFF, now,
or l shall give you In charge. Come
walk"
Then / caught sight Of his face under
the gas lamp and instantly recognized
It.
What, you, Mr.. S~nuyzer?" l laughed
aloud. Upon my word I am infinitely
oblified to you. But really you might
have saved yourself the trouble. And
pardon my saying SOL don't think
you do 1t very we'll"
He would not own up at all. Easy,
guv'nor, easy" he answered, with a
we'll assumed snufhing voice. "Wot
are you q driving at? I've as good a
right to be ere as o ev. Wot's
amiss?"
II tell you plainly, Mr.. Snuyzer, 1t
won't do" / continued. II don't want
you, and | won't have you logging my
footsteps wherever / go. It's not the
way to get round me and you'll have
TO drop It. Begin at once. Go your own
road-that way-and I'll take this"
/ pointed him down the Exhibition
road and myself turned intJ@ Knights
bridge, and walking eastward, half
disposed to do the whole distance on
foot. But a hanson came up out OF
somewhere. a news, or a side street, or
overlook me on the road, and the
driver, after the custom of his class,
began at once to poster me with CAB!
Cab, sir! Cab" pulling up to my pace,
and sticking to me most pertinaciously.
At last out of sheer disgust, n to
end his Importantly, / jumped into the
cab and gave my address In Charges
street,
l had barely lighted a cigar and
leaned back to ponder over the many
surprising and mainly pleasurable
events OF the day, when / realized that
the cab was taking the wrong direc-
ton. Fol some strange n incompre-
hensible reason the driver had turned
round and was heading westward.
Here, hi. hi" / shouted, lifting the
flap. Where are you going?"
"Wot's up?" answered the cabby in
solently, as he pulled up short. Think
/ don't know my way about? Stow II,
Or
The alternative / never heard, for at
that moment two men jumped up on
the front tread Of the cab and opening
the doors threw themselves upon me.
Their weight alone would have sufflced
to overpower me to silence me, and
crush out all resistance. / could do no
more than give voice to n frantic
yell for help, for now the strong, pung-
ent smell Of chloroform under my nos
trils and the vain struggle I made with
my fast increasing torpor told plainly
that they had called In another dread
ally, n that l was absolutely helpless
In their hands.