The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1907-04-19

MS preparations, he said, that he had
no time for It,"
Indeed? It's a bore to be hurried.
Where was he checked to-"
We'll, really. the name of the place
mas escaped me. Some little town In
New Hampshire or Maine, l think. We
do so much of this business that my
memory is treacherous about such
things"
Were you speaking of Castrani?"
asked Tom Clifford, a friend of
Archer's. removing his cigar from his
mouth. Deuced fine fellow! Wish |
a some Of his spare shillings.
Though he's generous as a prince.
Met him this morning just Us he was
coming down the steps Of the Astor.
Had to get up early to see after that
c%onfounded store of mine. Walkers
too lazy to open 1t mornings"
You met Mr.. Castrani?" said Archer,
referring to the point.
yes. He told me he was going away.
Woman somewhere mixed up in the
case. Said he expected to find n
somewhere-well, hanged If 1 can tell
where. There's always a m at
the bottom Of everything"
He did not mention who this one
was?"
Not he. But l must be going. It's
nearly lunch time. Good morning"
Trevlyn stopped a few moments with
Mr.. Harris, and then went back to his
rooms. He was satisfied. Hard as it
was for him to believe it, he had no
other alternative. Margie was false,
and she had gone away from him under
the protection Of Castrani. He could
have forgiven her anything but that.
If she had ceased to love him, and had
transferred her affections, he could still
have wished her all happiness, if she
had only been free and frank with him.
But to profess love for him all the
while h was planning to elope with
another man, was too much! His heart
hardened toward her.
If there had been, in reality, as he
had at first had supposed, any mis~9-
Outstanding between him and her. ansi
she had gone alone, he would have fol
lowed her to the ends of the earth. and
have had everything made clear. But
as it was now, he would not pursue her
an inch. Let her go! False and per-
ldious! Why should her flight ever
trouble him?
But though he tried to believe her
worthy of all scorn and contempt, his
heart was still very tender of her. He
kissed the sweet face of the picture he
had worn so long in his bosom, before
he locked it away from his sight. and
dropped some tears that were no dis
honor to his manhood, over the half.
dozen elegant little trifles she had given
him before he committed them to the
flames.
There was a nine days wonder over
Miss Harrison's sudden exodus. But
her aunt was a discreet and it
was generally understood shat Margie
had taken advantage of the pause in
the fashionable season to visit some
distant relatives, and if any n coupled
her flight and the departure of Castrani
together, it was not made the subject of
remark. AleXandrine kept what she
knew to herself, and of course Archer
Trevlyn did not proclaim his own de-
sertion.
For a week, nearly, he managed to
keep about, and at the end of that time
he called at Mrs. Lees. He wanted to
question ~Alexandrine a little further
The idea possessed him that in some
way she might be cognizant of Margie's
destination. And though he had given
the girl up, he longed desperately 10
l.por ~ che boro- H. L.l ~.
strangely giddy all day, and the heat of
Mrs. Lees parlors operated unfavcrably
upon him. He was sitting on a sofa
conversing with that lady ant her
daughter, when suddenly he put his
hand to his forehead, and sank back,
pale and sp%eechless.
In the widest alarm, they called a
physician, who put him to bed, and en-
joined the everest quiet. Mr.. Trey
Ign. he said, had received a severe
shock to his nervous system, and there
was imminent danger of congestive
fever of the brain.
His fears were verified. Archer did
not rally, and on the second day he was
delirious. Then the womanly nature
of AleXandrine Lee came out and
asserted itself. She banished all at
tendants from the sick room, and took
sole charge herself of the sufferer. Not
even her mother would she allow to take
her place. When tempted by intense
WEAKNESS to resign her post she would
take that stained glove from her bosom,
and the sight of it would Danish ali
thought of admitting a stranger.
"No." she said to herself, people in
delirium speak of their most cherished
secrets, and he shall not criminate him
self. If he did that terrible deed. only
| of all the world can bring a shadow of
suspicion against him, and the secret
shall never be revealed to any other"
So she sat the long days and longer
nights away by the side of this man she
loved so hopelessly, bathing his fevered
brow, holding his parched hand, and
lingering fondly over the flushed, IN
conscious face.
He sank lower and lower day by day
so very low that the physician said he