Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-05-16

he could desire. spent a minute or
two peering about the causeway. but
round nothing that would serve our
purpose. There was no course left
then put to cross the planks and seek
what l wanted in the hamlet. Remem-
pering now the timbers had creaked
ana clattered when l went over them
in the daylight, i stole across on tin
toe. l fancied 1 had seen a pile of
stones near one of the posts at that
enc, put l could not find them now,
ana after cropping about awhile-for
TINS part was at the moment in dark
ness crept cautiously past the first
mover, peertng to right and left as I
Went L did not like to confess to NV
sell that 1 was afraid TO be alone in
the dark, but that was nearly
the truth. was feverishly anxious to
ma what / wanted and return to NV
companion.
suddenly paused and held my
breath slight sound had fallen ON
my ears, nervously ready TO catch the
sllghtest. l paused and listened Yes.
there IT was again--a whispering of
cautious voices close to me. within a
rev feet of me. l could see no one. but
rev thoughts told me that the speak
ers were hidden by the farther corner
mol Oh the cottage abreast OF which stood
The sound of human voices. the asslr-
ance or living companionship, steadied
my nerves and to some extent rid me
Oh my tolLy. l took a step to one side,
SO as TO be more completely in the
shadow cast by the reed matched
caves ana then softly advanced until I
commanded view OF the whisperers.
Ihey were two-a man and a woman
and the woman was of all people
Dymphna! She had her back to me.
put she stood In the moonlight, and I
knew her hood in a moment The man
surely the man was Van Tree. then,
II the woman was Dymphna? / stared.
L telt sure II must be Van Tree Ii
was wonderful enough that Dympnna
should so far have regained nerve and
composure as to rise and come out TO
meet him. But in that case her con-
duct, though strange, was explicable.
II not, however, if the man were not
Van Tree
Wen, he certainly was not. Stare as
might, rub my eyes as / might, 1
could not alter the mans figure. which
was of the tallest, whereas l have said
that the young Dutchman was short.
rms mans face, too, though il was OBJ
scured as he bent over the girl by his
CLOAK, which was pulled high up about
ms throat, was swarthy-swarthy and
beardless, l made out. More. his cap
ana teather' and even as he stood still
thought / read the soldier in his at
titude-the soldier and the Spaniardl
What did it mean? On what strange
combination had lit? Dymphna and a
Spaniard! Impossible! Yet a thousand
doubts and thoughts ran riot in nv
brain; thousand conjectures jostled
one another TO get uppermost. What
was l to do? Go nearer to them. as
near as possible, and listen and learn
the truth or steal back the way / had
come and fetch Master Lindstrom But
hrst. was 1t certain that the girl was
there OF her own free will? Yes. the
question was answered as soon as nut.
The man laid his hand gently on her
shoulder. She did not draw back.
Confident of this, and consequently of
Dymphna's bodily safety, / hesitated
and was beginning to consider whether
the best course might not be to with
draw and say nothing leaving the cues
ton OF future proceedings to be de-
cided after l had spoken to her on the
morrow, when movement diverted
my thoughts. The man at last raised
his head. The moonlight fell cold and
bright on his face, displaying every
feature as clearly as if IL had been day.
and though l had only once seen his
face before l knew II again.
Continued Next Weekly