Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-03-28

speed from my shelter and stood up.
being still i'm a line with the boards
and not easily distinguishable. AS she
had said, il was a dark morning. but
the roofs OF the houses-now high. now
low-could be plainly discerned against
a gray drifting sky wherein the
first signs OF dawn were Wis
ible and the blank outline of
the streets which met al this point.
could be seen. Six or seven yards from
me, i'm the middle Of the roadway. stood
three dus<y figures. of whom / judged
the nearer from their attitudes. to be
the two women The farthest seemed
to be a man.
| was astonished TO see that he was
standing cap in hand-nay. ! was dis
gusted as we'll for ! had crept out hot
listed, expecting to be called upon to
defend the women. But. despite the
cry ! had heard they were talking 10
him quietly enough as far as | could
hear. And In a minute or SO j sa W
the taller woman give him something
He took ii, with a low bow, and APP
peared almost 10 sweep the dirt with
his bonnet She waved her hand in
dismissal and he stood back. still un-
covered. And-hey, prestoi-the women
tripped swiftly away
BY this time my curiosity was in
tensely excited. but for moment |
thought Il was doomed to disappoint-
menL | thought that il was all over.
II was not by any means. The man
stood looking after them until they
reached the corner. and the moment
they had passed IT he followed His
stealthy manner Of going aud his fash
ion of peering after them was enough
for me. | guessed at once that he was
dogging them following them unknown
to them and against their will and
with considerable elation | started after
him. using the same precautions What
was sauce for the geese was sauce for
the gander, So We went-two. one.
one slipping after one another through
half dozen dark streets. tending gen
orally southward.
Following him in this way I seldom
caught a glimpse OF he women The
man kept at a considerable distance be
hind them and had my attention fixed
on him But once or twice when, turn
ing a corner, ! all but trod on his heels,
/ saw them, and presently an odd point
about them struck me There was a
white kerChief or something attached
apparently 10 the back OF the ones
cloak which considera bly, assisted my
stedlthy friend 10 keep them in view.
IL puzzled me Was II signal TO him d?
Was he really all the time acting in
concert with them, and was I throw
ing away my palms, Or was the white
object which so betrayed them merely
The result Of carelessness and the lack
of foresight OF women graphing with
condition of things TO which they
were unacCustomed2 or course ! could
not decide this. the more as at that
distance failed 20 distinguish what
the white something was or even which
OF the two wore IL.
Presently ! got clew TO our position.
for we crossed Cheapside close TO
Pauls cross which my childish memor-
les OF he town enabled me TO reCog-
nize. even by that light. Here my
friend looked up and down and hung
a minute on his heel before ne fol-
lowed the women. as If expecting or
looking for someone il might be that
he was trying TO make certain that the
watch were not iU sight They were
not AT any rate. Probably they had
gone home TO bed for the morning was
growing And after a momeutary hest
tatiou he plunged into the narrow
street down which the women had
fitted.
{Coptiuued MeNt WeaLl