The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-02-13

Wfere Sne inquired, IN u tome VI SUI
prise. Il did not find it; it was given
to me-"
by Robin Freemantle-is it not SOP"
he eagerly interrupted.
Robin Freemantle! What could
make you imagine that ne gave 1t to
me?" she cried, in an accent OF IN
tense establishment.
| My dear V~iScountess, surely you are
aware that this rascal, disguised IN my
mask and domino, followed you the
whole evening of the masquerade
ball"
rs it possible?" cried Prue, with the
prettiest imaginable air of increduhty.
La! what strange things happen at a
masquerade"
Possible? IT'S a fact" replied
Beachcombe; and it's easy to under
stand that having fallen nladly In love
with you
THE outrageous monster!" shrieked
Prue.
Even monsters are human, dear
Viscountess, n who can wonder that
the beauty that has wrought such
havoc in my-in our-in all beholders,
should ave smitten this fellow, who is
reported to have Swallowed your foot
steps all Monday night, disguised in
a red domino and mask. That mask
and domino were mine, Inc he robbed
me of them in the same house by the
river side where you were k last
night. A den of thieves, V~iscountess.
from which~your escape unframed was
hardly less than a miracle"
MY escape? Nobody attempted to
detain me. In fact ! saw no one. and
the only danger L escaped was of be-
ing taken prisoner by the soldiers who
came to search for-rebels, / UNDER
stood them to say" 4 as
Rebels! Ha! ha! tbs true, this jail
bird has the audacity to mix himself
up with Jacobite plots and claim that
he only steals purses on the chance
of their containing papers of value to
the ~pretender's cause! Speaking OF
papers brings me back to. my own af-
fairs. When his villain stole my dom
inc. he also robbed me of a packet Of
papers. He returned the domino-after
putting 1t to the use you wot of-but
the papers, of great value, he refused
to give up. Is it possible, dear Lady
Prudence, that while you were in this
Prue shook her head. The SOL
diers took everything they could
find in the place." she said reflec-
lively. IF L We're you. I would make
inquiries Of them"
At have done So" he said; but they
brought away no such packet"
Perhaps it was opened and they
have the contents
II have reason to think that unlike
ly," replied Beachcombe, biting his lips
n Sowing.
"Or destroyed?" she suggested.
NO, indeed; If 1 could hope for
that"
What, hope for the destruction Of
valuable private papers? 1t is not to
you, then, that they are valuable?"
she cried shrewdly.
He started and eyed her suspicious
replied emphatically; but you can
surely understand, Lady Prudence,
that same family documents would be
better destroyed than in the hands of
An enemy"
Was Rob-Captain F~reemantle--
1T seems tt me that some one-who
can it ave been?-said he was your
relative. He calls himself De Cliffe,
doesn't hep"
Lord Beachcombe looked at her
again with growing m~istrust. Did he
Cliffe, when he addressed you at the
ball, Viscountess? 2" he demanded.
LAT! no: and If he had-people can
say anything behind a mask, without
fear of being believed" she retorted,
laughing. "I recollect now that twas
Barbara sweeting, when she told us
OF the loss of the queens necklace.
h told us how you had obtained his
pardon when condemned to be hanged,
and afterward set the soldiers upon
him
Beachcombe benz his sullcn glance
upon the carpet, tracing out it's faded
pattern with his Malacca cane. Every
family has its painful secrets. Lady
Prudence he began, land this packet
contains one of the De Cliffe family
secrets-a painful one, but not fmpor
tant-oh-not at all Important. Had
the soldiers found it, it would have
an easy matter to recoyer it
a few guineas at most-but If it is
still in his possession
What like was tt?" Prue incurred
l1stlessly, for she was growing weary
of a subject that had SO little of per-
sonal interest for her.
The packet? Oh, a small thing.
o the size and appearance Of a let
ter-a billet doux''-he forced a laugh
-"sealed and addressed to Mistress
Mistress-the name has escaped me FOR
the moment, but twas in care of the
hostess Of the Fox and Grapes"
A sudden glow of color swept across
Prue's face. In her joy at finding that
the source of many q Jealous pang
not Robins after all, it is to be
feared that h quite overlooked the
gravity of Lord Beachcombe's accusa-
ton. What did it matter to her whose
letter 1t was--if it We're not Robins
written to another woman? She had
an impulse to return it, and her hand
in~voluntarily rose to the laces about
her neck, where she had kept 1t con-
cea1ed except when she thrust 1t under
her pillow, where it lay all night per-
vading her dreams.
(Continued Next week.1
The Tale of the Stamp.