Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-12-12
Xxx.
SIR JOHN

ow upon the great gilded dial marked
noon, up he rode, his son at his side.
I was near the head of the main ave
nue. chopping a huge fallen elm branch
into stable pieces for firing when the
~clatter of their horses feet came be-
hind me. l took no notice, and Sir John
hailed me.
"Who are you n what may o be
doing here?" he cried.
l chopped away as stolidly as posi-
BILE, and a whip lash snapped on my hat
as the son ficked lightly at me-. l
looked VI and oh, nov uneasily my dis
guise sat Upon me under those keen,
grim Die eyes.
Dim Saesneg," growled.
Both OF them stared at me in good
earnest now. Pray" began the old
man, but I interrupted him with a swift
rush of a couple of my parrot sentences
and pointed to the house. The extra
ordinary gibberish set the younger man
laughing.
"'Tis a fellow from Tower ofsBabel,"
simpered Jack P~ostgate.
At this moment out came Roger
Thorne, eager to interpose between us.
Whom have we here?" cried Jack
Postgate. Ticking his whip across me
again, while my heart swelled f~uriously
within me.
"a Welshman, Sir JOHN replied
Roger, "a poor Taffy with never a word
Of our language"
And what brings him here?" de-
manded the elder man, taking no more
notice of me, n riding Forward to
the front of the house.
l heard Rogers voice speaking as he
marched beside the horse, but | could
not catch his words, and / turned again
to my wood chopping and smote the
branch Justify, wishing it were Jack
Postgate's insolent neck.
1 had disliked him since we were
boys, and we had fought out the battle
of the day more Than once with our
fists While our fathers were busy with
deadlier weapons,
In those encounters it had taken all
my time to gain the victory, for he was
near three years older than l, but 1t
would be another affair now, and l
looked after him n clenched my fists
| and longed for the chance.
He looked no Puritan figure either, as
he pranced along on his spirited nag;
he was as fine as a peacock. His hat
was plumed, his sword belt as richly
embroidered and his rapier hilt as
gaily worked as any cavalier l had ever
| seen. The was not SO much lace,
perhaps, as n fop on u side loves. but
his clothes were bright, and of his par
ty Jack was certainly a dandy of the
first water.
The father was OF the old school,
snow-white linen, sad-colored dress, a
simple strap to carry his sword, q plain
steeple hat shading a thin, severe face.
The son | disliked and deSpiSed; the
father l disliked, and in my present
position, feared. 1t is the custom with
us to fix round general names upon all
of the opposite pa~rty-snuffiing rogues,
canting hypocrites, and the like; but it
is idle work, and in the end every man
must be Judged by himself.
ga, TAhn DnCfOnfnfc nc rfV nor
principles were TO my fancy, but 1
could not allow him to be other than
an inhexibly honest and upright man.
If his duty, as he conceived 1t, re-
ouirad that / should be laid by the
heels, he would SO lay me, but to my
disfavor he would wrest nothing. l
had rather ten rogues to my enemies
thar one such
True, the rogues, will dig pits for you,
vet the chances are many that they
themselves will fall into the pits they
have digged; whereas a man of single
purpose follows his aim with a con-
stancy at once dreadful and intrepid.
After a time / shouldered a n of
wood and made my way to the back of
the house, and entered the kitchen. 1t
was empty, and a fancy to see what
was going on in the fore part darted
into my mind. / went quickly across to
a second room and slipped up the back
stairs.
At the head Of the first fight a mar
row passage ran to the gallery over
looking the hall, and ! trod quietly
along it. Voices came to my ears and
1 craned my neck out from the shelter
of the passage. Below stood Jack Post
gate, Sinking and smiling n making
his finest speeches to Enid. h was
listening to him with an attention
which I bitterly grudged him, until l
comforted myself by thinking she was
polite for my sake, SO unreasonable and
importunate is a lover.
Then Sir John and Roger came up the
hall together, and the dry old indie
pendent paused before her fresh young
beauty. Enid smiled back n held him
in gay talk, and Jack cut in again and
again, and was left unregarded, at
which l took great pleasure. But l
dared not stay long lest my rambling
should be discovered and awaken sus-
picion, so returned to the kitchen and
sat down to await my dinner.
In the afternoon / was again busy
hacking wood, for to labor uncomplain-
ingly at a mental task greatly helped
my disguise, when / lifted my eyes and
saw my love coming toward me. She
stood opposite me for a long time and
regarded me carelessly, as if idly
watching my busy X while she took
the air, then sauntered closer little by
little. I began to carry my logs TO a
pile just beyond where she stood, and
we conversed as I passed and repassed.
And your interview"
II think it was a success. He was
extremely civil. Roger a explained to
him that 1 had come here because of
the disturbed state of our neighbor-
hood; and 1 told him of the Red Men Of
the Dusk"
After ali. they gave you a useful
story to spin"
HE listened attentively, and then
told me how things stood here, yet
begged me-, however, to use the house
as long as / pleased"
"a gracious invitation, indeed, to a
lady under her own roof"
but how was he to know that? He
spoke kindly"
ION the whole, it is just as we'll he
shouldn't know. Did he turn any ques-
tons my way?"
HE seemed to accept the story of
your return to France. At any rate,
he repeated 1t to me In explanation of
the state Of affairs. 1t was the only
reference he made to you"
WAS he curious as to your connec-
ton with Butley Croft?"
IT think he was, though he was very
guarded. Roger had told him / was a
ward and connection of-of Sir Arthur
Vaughan"
ut is a satisfactory account" said 1,
and n to which you can fairly lay
claim"
Another man now came to join me at
my task, and Enid sauntered slowly
away. / piled my logs and reviewed
the situation carefully. 1t seemed
strong enough, so far as I could see, for
us to rest here for a time at any rate.
If n danger arose it would be easy
to take the road again, for / had dis
covered that Roger vas in a position
to plentifuly replenish my exhausted
purse But to what end-to march
about the country, exposing Enid to
the chances of rough weather and rude
iravel2 The very fact of her heinY In