The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-04-03
BY e. Ralph.

My name is Spencer Lockwood; my pro-
feSsion the law.
AS a barrister, not altogether briei1ess,
| find 1t more difficult every year. even i'll
vacation time, to get away from the Bid
die, temple for my annual fortnight holt
day.
Last year it was a toss-up whether l
should be able to go at all, SO that 1t was
much to my satisfaction that I found my
self one weekend comfortably settled In
snug quarters at the old fashioned Kings
Head hotel, Overcoombe, Bucks, in the
very heart of the lovely Vale Of Ayles-
bury.
1 congratulated myself upon having
left pleas" plants and all things
legal far behind, for a time at any rate,
absolutely unsuspicious that 1 was on the
eve of becoming q leading actor in a
stranger criminal drama than l had ever
played In, in my capacity as advocate, at
the Old Bailey.
by Jove!" I said to myself as I sat at
the open window after dinner on the even
ing of my arrival and watched a young
lady, accompanied by an elder one, pass
Ing up the main street toward the railway
station, that's the sweetest looking girl
I have seen for many a day! Wonder
who she is? ] thought l knew pretty well
everybody, by sight at least, in Over
coo;nbe. III ask Jackson; perhaps he
fi''"oi Va ~ lV - ouiG
AS Overcoombe had been my yearly
place Of retreat for the past five or six
years, Jackson, the landlord Of the Kings
Head, knew me well, and would have no
hesitation in enlightening me as to the
identity of the f: stranger.
THAT, sir!' said Jackson, lis Mrs. Rus
sell and her daughter"
"Russell!' / said. Russell! 1 don't re-
member the name"
r.. ct iko 40 mr. cir. thav'ya np1u haap
here about six months; since just after
Christmas"
'They look like quite superior people,
Jackson" Fl
THEY are, sir. Mrs. Russell, so I've
heard, Is the widow of Il captain in the
navy, and. l should say, is pretty well
off"
Where do they llve?"
"You know that old brick house. sir, on
the Aylesbury road, half a mile the other
side of the statton?",
Il know; the place that was empty for
so long. 'Sandilands' Is the name of it, 1
think"
That's it, sir! Well, that's where they
live. The old lady's a bit soft-headed, so
they say, hasn't @ sou above tea-table
gossip, and is about the worst mother a
young girl could possibly have, according
to my humble opinion"
All this only whctted my curiosity to
know more Of the young lady, a desire
which the next day was gratified through
the good offices of a mutual friend, who
introduced me to Miss Russell.
She was young; In fact, barely 81. She
was good looking, too, but wore, I
thought, a depressed and anxious express
sion. Naturally / concluded that she was
In Ill health, u victim perhaps to the gage
: ties or the London season. Later on I
limited as much to Mrs. Russell, who, as it
seemed to me, with somewhat hcartless
Indifference deprecated the idea in no
measured terms.
Meta Russell and 1 became very good
friends, but came no nearer to getting at
the reason of her trouble. Her strange
ness OF manner haunte me, and yet,
after all, l thought, why should 1 worry
about 1t? 1t did not concern me.
But | was not able to satisfy myself so
easily. ! was obliged to confess that my
interest IN Meta Russell was stronger
thar l had imagined. / was not in love
with her; the idea was absurd, having
regard to the shortness of the %acquaint-
ance, though she peculiarly Interested me,
and l earnestly wished to be of service to
her.
An exploring pedestrian of the ardent
order, was making my way toward the
end of the week through what was locallv
known as the Nut Scrub"
This was at least a square mile If not
more OF dense hazel bushes, through
which ran a narrow strip Of path.
1 was about half way through this leafy
tangle when l heard voices within n
stones throw OF me.
One OF them was evidently a woman,s,
ana, Tor the life OF me, I could not shake
OH the impression that / knew its owner.
The other was hat Of an %uneducated. II
not vulgar, man.
very well, Mrs. Forester" the latter
was saying. I've give you Jacks mes
sage. and you'll only nave yourself to
blame If you don't do as he says. Which,
shall l tell him, Is 1t to be: you to 60 back
to him, or-what I think'n suit him just as
well, or, perhaps, better-that you send
him, by me, five hundred pounds before
the end of next week?'
"Neither!" replied the woman, in raised
decisive tones, ''and you may tell him
| so!"
You'd best listen to reason persua.
sively replied the other. Jack Forester
Is a dangerous customer to cross, and
know as he'll never let you alone, or leave
you. If you don't do one or the other Of
them two things
Well! you AVE my last word! I will
DO neither, and any attempt to modest m
In any way will only bring trouble to yol
and to him.
Have you any money about you now?'
No; and If l had I would not give i
YOU
Surprising I were to take it! This is {
pretty lonely spot; nobody could hear you
I fancy!'
Il was Meta Russell without q doubt
and, unless was mistaken, in sore STRAIT
from some Matchmaking ruffan. That h,
addressed her as Mrs. Forester did no
for the moment appeal to me.
Forcing my way, in breakneck fashion
through the intervening scrub. in the di
rectton of the voices, Iscame face to fac,
with Miss Russell and her threatener.
Don't be too sure OF that!' I cried, ad
1 dressing the latter, a MISUNDERSTANDING
fashily-dressed specimen Of the genus
cockney. i ave overheard quite enough
to know that you are intimidating thi.
lady, n l warn you that liz youd dom
sheer off on the instant 1t will be the wors,
I for you.n
h fellow looked me up and down, a.
II. to calculate probabilities, but, judg
Ing discretion to be the wiser; course, will
a ieertng defiant laugh, disappeared in tn,
thicket to the right.
The Immediate strain lifted, Meta Rus
sell all but completely collapsed on tn,
reaction. and I saw that there was moth
Ing for 1t but for me to accompany he
home to sOvercoombe.