The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-11-20
CHATTER XIV.

Mildred stood speechl sss for nome mo
nenss after thos. words of Casteliani's
looking ~ him wsth kin.tling eyes.
"llow dare yoag" she cried at last.
How dare You sccuse MY hushand-she
nohlest Of men -
THE MODEST Of men d. strange things
scsaesi mes upon AN eva impulse. and
when they are not quite right here"
touching his forehead.
MY husband. ,;eogge Greswcld. y toe
high . mark for yeur mali entity. Dc
you think you era make me believe evil
Of him after fourteen years Of married
lief His in,elact IL the ~clearest and
the sonndest I h,ve ever found in man
or woman. Yosi can lo more shake my
faith In his poesr Of brain than In his
goodness Of heart"
Perhaps no.. The CsoHe Greswold
intellect and un1s.mistet character. But
the George Ranse NE whom l knew seven
teen years ago MAY . gentleman who was
shrewdly suspected Of having made away
with his wife. std WHO was confined in
a public asylur, In tie cnvirons OF Nice
~ q dangerous iunatic. II you doubt
these facts you have only to 20 to Nice,
or 10 81. Jean. where Mr. Ransome and
his wife lived fer some time in turtle
dove retirement. which ended tragically.
Seventeen years does not obliterate the
evidence OF ssch q tragedy as that in
which your hu shand was chief actor"
Il do not be ieve one word-and ! hops
| may never hear your voice again." said
Mildred, with her hand on the electric
bell.
She did not move her hand till her ser
want. the cou, Ter, opened the DIOR. A
look told him his duty. Castellani took
UP his hat without a word and Albrecht
deferentially attended him to the land
ing. and politely whistle6 for the lift to
CONVEX him to the vestibule below.
TOO soon r. he muttered to himself.
'.She took the carcs out Of my hands
she forced my play. and spoiled KY game.
But ! have given her something to think
about. She will not forget to-day's in
terview in a hurry"
Mildred walked up ard down the room,
trying to control the confusion Of her
thoughts, trying to reason calmly upon
that hideous accusation which she had
affected to despise, but which yet had
struck terror to her sonl. Would he dare
to bring such 4 charge--villain and trai.
tor as he was-if there were not some
ground for the accusation, some glimmer
Of truth amidst a cloud OF falsehocd?
And her husbands manner his re-
fusal to tell her the history OF his first
marriage: his reticence. his secrecy-reti-
cence so out OF harmony with his boldly
truthful nature the gloom upon his face
when she forced him to speak of that
past life all these things anne back upon
her with appalling force. and even tribes
assumed a direful significance.
"Oh, my beloved! what was that dark
story, and why did you leave me to hear
it from such false lips as thosa:"
She was on her way to Genoa with
Pamela and their attendants before the
following noon. Miss Ransone repined
at this sudden departure.
Just as we were going to be engaged"
she sobbed, when she and Mildred were
alone in a railway compartment. 1T is
really unkind Of you to whisk one Of 10
such . way. aunt"
my dear Pamela, you have had Z lucky
escape: and I hope you win never men,
ton Mr.. Castellani's name again. He =
u utterly bad man."
"How crua to say such q thing !-bs-
hind his back. too! What has he done
that 10 bad. I should like to known
II cannot enter into details: but I
can tell ron Que thing, Pamela; - has
never had any idea Of asking yua to b
his wife. He told me that In the plain
ct language"
Ito b c~ontinued.)