The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-11-28

knees before her and own everything
and implore her to save Robins life"
Great Heaven;" gaspeds Peggie.
What on earth do you suppose she
would have done Il your"
II do not know, and I am not sure
that I care much sighed Prue. sink
ing back on her pillow. ssBut I'm q
wretched coward az heart. and d lump
came UP In my throat and stified the
words, and all / could say when she
saw the tears running down my fac
was some f0olishness about the play
being so affecting, when every one
round me was Laughing and didn't
ing about"
What did the duchess say 2" asked
Peggie. eager for all the information
she could obtain while her cousin was
In b g mood to tell II.
THAT ! was a'little fool. And Lord
Ripworth said, Not at all, that I want
ed them to see how lovely / looked in
tears And they all joked me until 7
would rather have been hanged myself
life"
Peggie assured her that it was much
better as II was and that nothing would
have come OF such a self betrayal but
scandal and disgrace that would have
broken their grandmother's heart and
Danished them forever from society.
Then she kissed and petted her until
she fell asleep, much as a grieved and
irigntened child might do, with long,
drawn signs and broken sobs gradu-
ally softening into the tranquil resptra-
ton OF dreamless repose
But there was the morrow's waking
come, and 1t came to Prue with q
sudden sweep Of consciousness and
recollection that scorched her brain and
tstopped the beating OF her heart. III
clock on the mantel chimed the half
hour, and starting up in a panic she
saw that the hands pointed to half
past seven.
n Robin Freemantle was to die at
o'clock. Even now he was on the
way to Tyburn, shackIed to other naIey
factors In the dreadful cart which ne
would never leave alive. Even now the
MOB was Jeering him and his wretched
companions n gloating over the pros
pect OF the last dying speeches and
confessions" which were expected to
play SO important a part In the morn
ings entertainment. Four OF them were
to be hanged that morning-two coin
ers, q house breaker and-Prue's hus-
pand! The hideousness OF the thought
struck her again with an agony Of
shame that tingled in every nerve and
tor the moment dried the tears upon
an bullAihB IdC6s# 81 .' nl.ua.. sH.t... fHM.
She heard Peggie moving In the next
room n sprang out OF bed, dashing
cold water ayer her face and head in
feYerish haste to wash Off the tears
n cool Town the turgtd blood that
throbbed In her temples and crimsoned
her cheeks. ga.~
Just then the clock struck 8. A neigh
Boring church clock took UP the chime.
and then another at a little distance.
AZ was Robins death kneIl. PRIZE
CROPPED blindly a few steps and then.
with q low, wailing cry, fell on the floor
In a deathly swoon.
reggie ran in and by main force lift
ea her up and laid her on the bed.
The application of such simple remedies
g cold water and hartshorn soon
Drought back consciousness. and with AZ
nooos OF tears n such heart broken
iamentations that Peggie began to ask
nerseit whether there could be any
nasiS an the marriage service to make
a WIDOW mourn so bitterly for a hus-
pand she a only seen on two occas-
IONS, and masked on one OF tboaai
Sne wisely ~refrained from inyestiRat-
ing q source OF Prue's emotion, how
lever, rightly judging that the more
ollpleteIy q gave way to II the
quicker 1t would wear itself out. 49,
In fact, after an hour or SO the vio-
2 OF her grief subsidized, leaving her
pale n languid and much disposed to
PITY herself as In some mysterious way
Very cruelty used by fate nj alto
gether a most interesting victim.
In this frame OF mind she insisted
upon rummaging out a black dress and
arranging her curly locks in as sub
dued q fashion as their luxuriance and
natural willfulness would submit to.
Then permitted Peggie to lead her
downstairs. -
Behind the dining room there was a
L 0fnRV- QIlnIAQQ litfla Ifhror = lnnIrK-- -
upon a few feet Of neglected backward
n n blank wall Of a neighboring
mansion. To- this p~enitential apart-
ment Prue retired, delegating to Peggie
the task Of receiving her callers and
making what she pleased for
her absence.
Say I am I'll; say / am dead: say
whatever you think will get rid OF
them quickest, Peggie, but don't let
them imagine hat / am unhappy, for
that IL the deadliest breach Of good
manners and would make me an object
Of ridicule." ..-
L. Well. promise me you will not fret
any more" besought Peggfe, caressing
her. Your sweet eyes are all puffed
up you won't be At for ths mas
querade ball IL you cry any more"
Prue promised to control herself, and
by way OF keeping her word threw her.
self on the door before the door closed
upon her cousin, and fiinging her arms
out upon the seat OF q chair, laid her
face upon them and gave way to
quieter n more subdued. but not less
bitter weeping. "| .
She had not long been thus when
the door opened n some one looked
in. Thinking that she was being sought
for and SIRE that where she lay she
was safely hidden, she kept very still.
CONTINUED Next Week.)