Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-09-04
CHAPTER yIII.-tContinuedJ


ing to the good or III looks Of her on
whose account you incurred the penalty.
II she was the biowzy, squint-eyed Stat
fern that now performs the duties OF
Aousemaid, you richly deserved the pun
shment."
$50 say I, but Hitty Chessmnn was
trim, tidy little body, as one youll see
in a thousand, with saucy black eyes
sheeks like a red rose and lips like ripe
Cherries
"'Twas a pardonable offense, then, to
say the least Of 1t. III be bound to say
that the old Roundhead's mouth watered
Tor that very kiss, the same as I've seen
great lubberly boys, as he stood watch
Ing his invalid brother while eating the
lit-bits Of broiled partridge. Depend
upon 1t, he would have been more lenient
II it had not been So"
81 shouldn't wonder"
"As I've said, you'd be n mere milksop
10 pass IL over without notice. Get that
paper for me, and you will be richly re-
venged, and at the same time get rich
lining to your purse"
'You are willing to give me your word
On the honor of a gentleman that 1t won't
injure Ally DaleW
Haven't | already told YOU so? How
ran it, indeed, when, as soon as she is
her own mistress, we are to be marriedF'
81 thought she was to be married to
Clarence Harleigh."
"And others have thought so, too. But
/ know, and so does she, that, owing to
her uncle's opposition to our marriage, 1t
Is necessary to throw dust into peoples
eyes"
IF this is so, you shall have IT,
They now rose and walked slowly
away, still talking together, though Alice
tould no longer hear what they said. She
could think of only one paper in Mr..
Walworth's possession which, it appeared
% her, that Falkland would be DESTROYS
to obtain, and that was the will of her
late. uncle, Mr.. Gilbert Burlington, by
which, when she arrived at the age of
lwenty-one, she would come into pos
session Of the valuable estate to which
allusion has already been made.
Falkland was distant connection OF
Mr.. Burlington, who, after the loss OF
ais only child, son OF great promise, in
tended to make him his heir, on condi
ion that he should take his surname, as
well as that of Gilbert, which, by his de
sire, had been given him at the font. III,
sven went so far as to make n will t
mis- effect--a circumstances, however
which was known only to few of hi
confidential friends.
But 1t was not long before Gilbert
habits of extravaganza became known t
Mr.. Burlington, who finding that no de
pendence could be placed on the promise
Of reformation, which he made from tim
TO time, made another will, which wa
now in possession of Mr.. Walworth, il
favor of Alice Dale.
At an earlier period, before Falkland
unworthiness had become known to him
Mr.. Burlington had hoped to bring abou
match between Alice and his youn
kinsman. The favorite project was no
entirely given up at the time he made a
alteration in the disposition of his prop
erty, as was seen by the letter he sen
to Mr. Walworth, enclosed with the wi
made in favor Of Alice. 1T is my earn
est desire" he wrote, that in case :Gi
bert Falkland should reform that a MAJ
riage should take place between him an
your ward"
This, by some means, became know
TO Falkland after Mr.. Burlngton's d,
cease. Being unable to think of an
other way by which he could repair tn
broken fortune inherited from his fnthe
he was induced to exile himself certai
period from those scenes of gaiety in h
native land so well suited to his tast
imagining that while his personal attra
lions would prove irresistible to the lit
10 Ia 80
sion-who had deprived him of fiji
estate, there would be no difficulty
securing the favor Of her guardian by
little assumed gravity, and by falling
with his peculiar and favorite tenets.
But he soon found that he had rec
oned without his host. Alice, whom
had pictured to himself as little aw
ward rustic, he found possessed CHAIR
both of mind and person, which, we
there opportunity, would throw the me
dazzling OF the court beauties into I
shade.
Still. had not Clarence Harleigh pl
reded him in his visit to her guardian,
Imagined that his handsome face, w
his other advantages, personal and
ouired. could not fail to make favora
IMPRESSION on young girl who lived
secluded.
Yet, high as was his self-appreciati
he could not be blind as not to see Il
Harleigh was infinitely his superior, eN
in those qualities on which he m
prided himself, and which recommend
themselves to the eye, rather than to
heart or the understanding. As respec
these last, he was conscious that the
parity between himself and Harleigh '
too great to admit of comparison.
At first. he iattered himself I
neither Mr.. Walworth nor Alice would
keen-sighted enough to distinguish
real from the false-that the diifere
between Harleigh's virtues and his
sumed ones would not be detected.
was delusion in which he was not
mitted long to indulge, though, as
been seen, he by no means abando
the idea of gaining possession of
property, either with or without the
cumbrance of a wife,
The conversation between Falkl
and the man with him, in measure
yealed this to Alice, and she AT once
termined to seek her uncle, and {
municate TO him the substance Of v
she had overheard, She had riser
order to execute her purpose, when
baord some ono knock nj the outer d