The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-11-28

knees before her and own everything
and tmplore her to save Robins life
.Great Heaven!s gasped Peggie.
what on earth do rot suppose she
would have done to your"
.iAQo not know. and I IN not sure
that ! care much,'' sighed Prue. sink
wretched coward at heart, and a lump
came up In my throat and stified the
words. q all I could say when she
saw the tears running down my face
Wasgfsome foolishness about the play
being so affecting, when every one
round me was laughing and / didn't
even know what h actors were talk
ing about
What did the duchess say?" asked
Peggte, eager for all the information
she could obtain while her cousin was
In the mood to tell 1t.
Tha I was a little fool. And Lord
R1pWorth said, MOI at all, that I want
ed them to see how lovely / looked in
tears, And they all joked me until I
Would rather nave been hanged myself
life"
Peggie assured her that it was much
better as 1t was M that nothing would
have come of such a self-betrayal but
scandal and disgrace that would have
broken their grandmother's heart and
banlshed them forever from society.
Ihen she kissed and petted her until
she.fell asleep, much as a grieyed and
frightened child might do, with long
drawn signs and broken sobs gradI-
ally softening into the tranquil respira-
ton of dreamless repose.
But there was the morrow's waking
10 come, and 1t came to Prue with a
sudden sweep Of consciousness and
recoliection that scorched her brain and
CfnnnaH tho - - L-.N - ra EH
CLOCK on the mantel chimed the half
hour, and starting up in a panic she
saw that the hands pointed to half
past seven.
And Robin Freemantle was to die at
. O'Clock. Even now he was on the
way 10 Iyburn, sEackled to other male
Factors In he dreadful cart which he
would never leave alive. Even now the
mob was jeering him and his wretched
and gloating over the pros
pect or the last dying speeches and
concessions" which were expected to
play SO important a part in the morn
ing,s entertainment. Four of them were
TO be hanged that morning-two coin
ers, a 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
her burning face.
M ~ 3SS6lS llOSlUR III the nGXt
room and sprang out of bed, dashtng
coId water over her face and head in
IeVerlsh haste to wash off the tears
ana cool down the turgid blood that
lhrobbed in her temples and crirnsoned
her cheeks.
lust then the clock struck 8. A neigh
boring church clock took up the chime
ana then another at a little distance.
II was Robins death knell. PRIZE
CROPPED blindly a few steps and then.
Win a low, wailing cry, fell on the floor
IN a deathly swoon.
Peggie "a in and by main force lift
ed her up and laid her on the he'd.
The application Of such simple remedies
as cold water and hartshorn soon
Dug back consciousness. and with a
moods OF tears and such heart broken
aiaendatlons that Peggie began to ask
nerselr whether there could be any
magic n the marriage service to make
q widow mourn SO bitterly for a hnss
pano she had only seen on two occas-
IONS, n masked on one Of thosei
oHe wisely refrained from Investigate
ing the source Of Prue's emotion. how
ever eve, rightly Judging that the more
quicker it would wear itself out.
"a 1act, after an hour or SO the yio-
fence OF her grief subsidized, leaving her
pale and languid and much disposed to
ply nefse!f as In some mysterious way
y ciueiiy USED by fate and 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 a fashion as their luxuriance and
natura! willfulness would submit to.
Inen she permitted Peggie to lead her
downstairs.
Behind the dining room there was a
dingy, sunless little library looking out
upon a few feet Of neglected backward
and the 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 excuses she pleased for
her absence.
Say 1 am i'll; say I am dead; say
Whatever you think will get rid Of
them imagine h a 1 am unhappy, for
that is the deadliest breach Of good
manners and would max me an object
of ridicule."
Well. promise me you will not fret
any more" besought Peggte, caressing
her. You sweet eyes are all puffed
up and o won't be fit for the mas
querade ball If you cry n more"
Prue promised to control herself, and
by way Of keeping her word threw her
self on the floor before the door closed
upon her cousin, INC f1inging her arms
out upon the seat Of a chair, laid her
face upon them and gave way to
quieter and more subdued, but not less
bitter weeping.
She had not long beer thus when
the DOR opened and some one looked
in. Thinking that she was being sought
for and sure that where she lay she
was safely hidden, she kept very still.
Continued Next Weekly