Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-02-20

the fingers from my ain L paused
now uncertain which way to go amid
so man, devious courses, and deciding
almost at hazard, turned down the best
paved of all those dingy streets / had
hardly gone past more than two cross
streets, when there stood at q orner
looking timidly this way and that, q
slight girl, with blonde hair and eyes
of Breton blue. She seemed so brave,
yet so out OF place and helpless at that
hour of the night, OF u an unfre-
quented road, / almost made so bold
as to address her, thinking l might be
of service to a lady In distress. But
my tongue was not formed for such
well chosen words n polite phrases,
so / merely held TO one side, she stand
ing to the outer edge to admit of my
passage
Al the moment I got opposite her, 1t
seems she had misjudged the width OF
the pavement, for l heard her give a
slight ejaculation, and one foot slipped
off the paved way as If she would fall
into the muddy street. l passed my
arm quickly about her, and raised her
to n place OF safety, but even then could
bring no word OF courtly elegance to
my assistance.
She thanked me p~rettily and daintily,
and as l pursued my course, /
could but turn and give yet an
other glance in her direction. She
caught my eye, and again looking
each way. bent her steps down a by
way leading off TO the left, which we
were that instant nearest. There was
that In her manner / could not say
exactly what, which led me to follow
her at a respectful distance, seeing
which she turned her head, and l
fancied 1 could observe a thankful lit
tie smile playing about her lips. At
any rate she quicliened her pace and
walked with more assurance. no longer
in doubt about her movements.
For many rods at times she would be
lost to view in the dark, and her tread
was so light it scarcely made a sound
or the great, clumsy Gathering l
created drowned it entirely. Just at
the time 1 thought l had lost her, l
could catch a glimpse Of q fitting skirt
beneath one of the flambeauX, which,
tuck In inches Of the wall here and
there, lighted old Paris.
In a very pleasant frame of mind, ]
strobe along behind her. 1t was won
derful, l thought, how readily a wo-
mans intuition recognizes a protector.
And for l must admit l was young
then; In the ways Of women, far young
er than my years. amused myself
with many conjectures concerning what
IN Of errand had taken this young
woman abroad alone on such q night.
A lady she plainly seemed. Disguised
a little, hat might be, for her quiet
dignity did not fully comport with the
style of her dress.
A thousand airy castles I built for
my fair heroine to live In, and ], like
the knightly heroes Of the Crusades,
was ever her defender, even her cham
pion in the lists.
Busted with these fancies and ro-
mantle thoughts, / lost count OF streets
n passages, turning this way, that
n the other, through many narrow
and tortuous byways and alleys, until
l realized 1 was hopelessly lost. With
my fair guide in front and my good
sword by my side, lightly / rocked OF
streets or houses. Yet / dared not for
get l was on an errand for the gov
ernor and must not expose myself to
bootless peril.
At last, and somewhat to my relief,
she stopped before a great oaken iron
studded gate, possibly OF five good
PAGES width, in one corner OF which
was cut a smaller door SO low a man
must stoop to pass. Upon this smaller
door she raped and stood In the at
titude Of waiting.
l had n moment now to look about
me, 1t was in q quarter of the town
that was f~orbidding. Here were two
huge, dismal, gray-stone mansions,
separated by n court yard Of probably
forty PAGES across; a high wall fronted
the street, flanked by q tower on either
side the gate. On top, this wall was
defended by bits Of broken glass and
spikes Of steel, stuck into the mason
ry while 1t was yet soft. More than
this the fiickering braZier would not
permit me to see. All Of this l took
In a glance; across the street the
murkiness of the night shut cut my
view. She raped again, impatiently,
but In the same manner as before. A
trifing space thereafter the smaller
door was opened, whoever was inside
first having peeped out through n
round hole, which closed Itself with a
shutter no bigger than his eye.
The lady looked first to me, then
stepped inside and stood back as II she
babe me enter.
This was an adventure / had not bar
gained for. Thinking only to see that
the lady reached her destination in
safety, here was u complication OF
which l had never dreamed. What
her singular errand was, or wherein
she desired my assistance, l could not
even hazard a guess. Yet there she
stood and beckoned me to enter, and
l moved forward a pace or two SO l
could. see within the door.
The concierge held the door ajar,
and a more repulsive. deformed wretch
l never laid eyes upon. His, left arm
hung withered at his side; at his
girdle he swung q bunch Of keys, with
any one OF which u strong man might
have Drained an OK. Every evil pas
sion which curses the face Of men had
left It's imprint upon his lowering coun-
tenanCe. Yet for a moment, when his
gaze rested upon the girl, 1t was as
though some spark Of her loneliness
drove the villainy from his face. He
was hardly 30 tall as she who stood be-
side him watching me, the sembance
Of a hooking sneer about her lips.
Looking rast them both / could see
what OF place 1t was. A smoky
oil lamp sputtered In the rear, suffl-
cientlv distinct to disclose the paved
couI. yard, covered with the green
slime which marks the place where no
sun aver shines. Further than this l
could see nothing except the tall gray
buildings which shut in every side and
this wall in front. That door once
locked upon the intruder there would
be no easy egress. Instinctively l held
back.
Monsieur Is afraid?" she inquired.
then tossed back her head, n laughed
such q low disdainful, mean laugh, as
fired my every nerve to hear. l hest
tdlcu IO lOuSSI' Leu COlliS Ni1dl "hi'
let the governors errand look to itself,
for no man or woman could ever laugh
at me like that.
Holding my blade at easy command,
l stepped inside. Immediately the door
closed, and the rasping of the key told
me 1t was securely locked as before.
Then came regret, but came too late.
What l had so foolishly commenced, I
must now see finished. The cup had
been taken in hand and the dice must
be thrown.
AS we came, / followed her again.
though at much closer range. We
crossed the yard diagonally, across the
broken panes, bits of casks, wine
bottles and other refuse scattered
about. / liked not the aspect Of the
place. As the girl was about to enter