Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-03-28

WhAhGu hlOlG biVNhy tiluu UGlOfut uB
sometimes stopped and he talked TO
himself from time to time.
IF this is cnal," he commenced
aloud, and then rclapsed into silence.
"a hinderer.'n Then, after standing
and thinking for awhile, he went on:
''She never was that TO him. And she
never was moody and self-distrustful."
lie thought for many minutes now.
Il don't understand what she means
by his higher ambition His higher
ambition lately seems to have been to
win her. 1t has cost her a great deal to
give him ~up-anyone can see that with
half an eye. And his freedom is not
welcome to him; he neither wanted it
nor expected it."
The MONDAY sun was shining and
making everything pleasant. There
was a glow in the wintry air which
seemed to have a promise OF summer
in it.
He seated himself at his table, placed
Alice Arnden's letter upon it, and read
it again. Then for the first time he
looked at the other paper which he had
picked up. He turned it owe and he
saw at once what it was-a deed from
Bertram Kingsley, conveying certain
lands and buildings to George Fenby.
Suddenly he stood still, and q hot,
lS11S us tlIPO hR IN ll1
Il wonder if it is true that hearts are
ever caught in the rebound , as they
sometimes say they are? / will"
And he clenched his hands and hur-
ried on his way.
He did not stop again until he reach
ed his home, where his mother and sis
ter were waiting for him, nor did he
think his thoughts aloud any more.
With a few words of greeting and a few
more of excuses he put his mother and
sister aside for the present, and went
up to his own room.
Ralph Warden drew a long breath,
and the light faded slowly out of his
face. In a single moment he had seen
the whole secret of the misunderstand-
ing. 1t might be necessary togo over
it all to see the details, but the general
outline of the unfortunate affair was,
he felt, as certainly in his possession as
it could have been if he had been given
the privilege of looking fully and free
~ into the minds of the two lovers
whose lives were drifting so far apart.
Down went his head upon his hands
on the table-the winter sunshine shone
that day on no nobler head-and from
his lips came those words of which frail
humanity has deepest need, Lead US
not into temptation"
He thought it all out. Bertram Kings
ley owned the finest place III all Mar
sham, or had until the deed was made
which conveyed it TO George Fenby.
Estella Kingsley, the daughter of Ber-
tram, was q beauty and something of a
flirt.
More than one lady at Marsham had
uuarreled with her lover on Estella
Kingsley's account. And last night
there had been a little gathering Of
young people in the church and circum-
stances had done their understanding
ly. In the first place, George Fenby
came with Estella Kingsley; the meet
ing was not of a character to make it
unkind for him to leave his promised
wife to come with her father, rs she
had. but his coming with Miss Kings
ley had been noticed by several. With
the deed before him, Ralph Warden had
no difficulty in deciding why George
had been at Mr.. Kingsley's, and conse-
quently why he had com as he had.
Ralph was we'll acquainted with a
young man living where the Kingsley's
had formerly resided, and through him
he knew of the engagement of Miss
Kingsley to a gentleman living there.
; He had known this for a long time; and
knowing it had thought little of events
, which might otherwise have deeply af-
} fected him.
Last night, for instance, q laughing
group of gentlemen had spoken Of Miss
, kingsley. One had said: "She is a
beauty and an heiress. Whoever wins
her will have a beautiful home. The
Kingsley estate is the finest one in Mar
sham"
: Now, every gentleman in the groul
knew that the Kingsley estate was fol
, sale and every one had counted at it
. fV,,, Nyo1,a thn nncyVar which Gnnrnf
Fenby had made. Indeed his devotion
to Alice Arnden was so absolute anC
!, complete that no one, save her modes
!, self, would ever have doubted it for
moment.
u Its my highest ambition to be tn;
master Of that estate laughed George
land l have made an offer which
think will be accepted. | am to have
, an answer tonight. If succeed shall
. be supremely happy. If not-why,
will do as other men have dOne-fail
a ing of what | want, l will take what
can get"
. Ralph could not remember wher,
' Alice Arnden had been when these in
nocent words had been spoken. Tha
\ she had been near enough TO hear then
a was evidenced by her letter, which wa
before him.
n lie could only dimly imagine how sh
n must have suffered in trying to evolv
h the truth las she believed the truth
" be) from what she had heard. When
y human idol falls from the place 1T Ia
II held in the heart, not the least Of tn
n pain comes from what we see, or bt
+ lieve we see, of its unworthiness. L
~ find our gold but gildcd clay is a sol
y rowful thing. So he sat there, an
4 pitied Alice Arnden for the faith in tn
10 man which she had lost, as well as tn
~ man himself who had been put froI
her. With what pain beyond tina
l. which would come to her from a belle
l. that her lover would think and do wha
IL his words seemed to imply, must sh
face the added shame of his stopping
. tell it; nay, more, to boast of it.
y Ralph raised his head. The timeha
ly not been long since he sat down
ID think. But he knew it all. Two prou
and obstinate young creatures had bee
re parted by fate. And he muttered viii
ey white, compressed lips, II alone u
derstand it all. l alone, of all the Worl
can set it right. What n temptation
Mt We willnots eektofollow his thought
lg What a man does should be the has
of our judgment, and what we wou
IN do. If he thought Of the curative c
fects of time on suffering hearts we c;
to forgive him; if a possible future,
he which a happy home of his W was t
ch central figure, rose up to meet him, Y
he can do no less than pity him.
tn II she only had the slightest reas
re for what she had done-but she h
en-
EN- none. If George Fenby was really
N, scoundrel-but he is truly a noble ma
The band of sunshine rested on ]
r.. head like a golden crown. His face W
a almost gloriied as he raised it to t
light again. And surely the ang.
"a. made q record of a second gift that d
mt coming to the lot of those whose liz
No fall for a little time within the lines