The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1906-11-08

suddenly developed sufficient calmness to
decide this step.
II will stay with Pierce. He belonged
to my poor Edward. He cannot refuse
to take me. know he is angry with his
girl--yes, he Is angry with Antonia," !"
Lady Betty babbled on, because the fool
ish girl refused TO marry Gerald Tenby
Poor Edward was so upset about 1t.
There was great scene at my house, but
Pierce cannot be hard to me now; he
must take me in. long to go back to the
place where dear Edward lived as boy.
| cannot breathe in this hot London"
She knew that Gerald Tehby was at
Mill Cross Court. She had, in fact, OBJ
tanned this information direct herself the
evening after he had started northward.
When dusk had fallen on the summer
evening Lady Betty had crept from her
house carefully shrouded from observation
and had made her way once again to Ger
AIDS chambers.
The news that he was gone North an
gered her at first, but she had not the
intention of letting this separate them
very long.
IF he can go North l can go there
Also" she had said to herself; and now,
behold, she was installed at Egremont,
within stones throw of the man she
had determined to make her second hus-
band.
Lord Marchmont hastened to tell the
widow that he thought she was wise to go
out, to do anything to distract her
thoughts, and 50 the very next day after
her arrival Lady Betty found herself tax
ing the walk from Egremont to Mill Cross
Court.
It was not often that she INDUCED in
such long walk. She was determined to
speak plain, cruel truths. For by this
time Lady Betty was convinced that Ger
aid had great secret he wished to hide.
Everything pointed TO this purpose,
though nothing was definite save that
strange intimacy between himself and
Stanton.
1t was in this mood that she advanced
over the grass under the tall, leafy trees
and drew near to Gerald.
lie did not see her coming. He was
lost in dream of thought. Stretched
in low chair, he lay with his eyes fixed
on the family moving canopy of leaves
above his head. Beside him were placed
writing materials.
: As the swish of her dress reached his
ears Gerald started, then sprang to his
feet. His FIRST thought was that he should
see Antonia. The girl lived so vividly be-
fore him that this was natural thought,
and for an instant a joy took possession
of him; then as he saw that small, black
robed figure, with its mocking smile and
it's hard expression, standing before him,
he turned gray and the sunshine was
blackened.
Elizabeth Marchmont saw that look on
his face; she saw him recoil from her,
and she was convulsed with passion.
"Have you no word to say to me, Ger
ald?" she said. shri..J mo word of well
come?'
why do you come to me?" he asked.
What have l to do with you?'
'You belong to lne," she said; II have
come to tell you this"
His eyes fell suddenly upon the papers
scattered on that table close beside her.
She caught sight of Antonia's name, and
as she bent forward she read some of the
passionate words he had just written.
She took the papers up and tore them
viciously into small pieces.
There is no other love for you," she
said; you belong to me-"
''You are mad" he said Il am moth
ing to YOU. l never have been anything.
1t is true in the past / amused myself
a little by flirting with you, but 1 never
GOV shn 60 10
there was anything more than mere
amusement. You do yourself a great
wrong, Lady Betty, and you do me
wrong also. I have seen this approach
ing; I have tried to check it. There is
nothing in life that can bring us together"
you are wrong" she said; 1--WE are
linked together by crime! We stand here
well thought of by all the world, yet we
know ourselves for what we really are
do not hesitate to tell you, Gerald, that
have stopped ct nothing that would give
81 much better than / am? BY what
right do you live in this place? Why
should you possess so much? What have
you done with Hubert Tenby?"
That gray, ashen look crept anew over
Gerald's face.
Not even crime" he answered her,
thickly, ''can put me on the same level
with you. IL you have sunk TO degrada-
tion to satisfy your vanity, you will get
no help from me. / deny your right 10
class yourself in with. me. l deny your
right to question me. You have some
mad idea in your brain. Hubert Tenby is
dead. l am master here. / know" he
went on, more quickly, "what folly it is
you have put into your brain, and you
have been deceived by the story Miss
Marchmont has told you. She told it to
me also, that story that spoke of her
meeting with man who called himself
Hubert Tenby. Such things do happen
now and then, that the chance of an ex-
resemblance is used as a
means for fraud. ! myself have seen this
man." Gerald went on, gathering bold