The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-01-14

IF | could only induce you to for
give her" began Hetty, throwing ost
her hands to the Wrandalls, only TO os
met by a gesture of repugnance from
the grim old mar.
Your story, Miss Castleton." he
said hoarsely.
From the beginning, II you please
added the lawyer quietly. Leave out
nothing"
Clearly, steadily and with the ut
most sincerity in her voice and man
ner, the girl began the story Of her
life. She passed hastily ove the ear
lier periods, frankly exposing the un.
happy conditions attending her home
life, her subsequent activities as q
performer on the London stage after
Colonel Castleton's detection; the few
months devoted to posing for Hawk
right. the painter, and later on her
engagement as governess in the
wealthy Budlong family. She devoted
some time and deiniteness to her first
encounter with Challis W%randall on
board the west-bound steamer, an in.
cident that came to pass in a perfectly
natural way. Her deck chair stood
next to his, and he was not slow In
making himself agreeable. 1t did not
occur to her till long afterwards that
he deliberately had traded positions
with an elderly gentleman who occu.
pied the chair on the first day out.
RpfNra tho end sf Tho unua1n fAAa
were very good friends.
When we landed in New York, he
assisted me In many ways. After
wards, on learning hat l was not to
so to California. / called him up on
the telephone to explain my predicR
ment. He urged me to stay In New
York; he guaranteed that there would
be no difficulty in securing a splendid
position in the east. | had no means
of knowing that he was married. J
accepted him for what l thought him
to be-: a genuine American gentleman.
They are supposed to be particularly
considerate with women His conduct
toward me was beyond reproach. ]
nave never known a man who was so
courteous, so gentle. To me, he vas
the most fascinating man in the world.
No woman could have resisted him, ]
am sure of that"
She shot a quick, appealing glance
at Booths hard-set face. Her lip
trembled for a second.
Il fell madly in love with him." she
went on resolutely. 81 dreamed OF
him, | could hardly wait for the time
to come when | was to see him. H.
never came to the wretched little lodg.
ing house l have told you about. II
net him outside. One night he told
me that he loved me, loved me pas.
sionately. II said that ! would be
his wife. Somehow it seemed to me
that he regarded me very curiously
for a moment or two. He seemed to
be surprised, uncertain. remember
that he laughed rather queerly. II
did not occur to me to doubt him. One
day he came for me, saying that he
wanted me to see the little apartment
he had taken, where we were to live
after we were married. | went with
him. He said that if | liked it, | could
move in at once, but I would not con.
sent to such an arrangement. For the
first time / began to feel hat every.
thing was not as 1t should be. II
remained in the apartment but a few
minutes. The next day he came to
me, greatly excited and more demon.
strative than ever before, to say that
he had arranged for a quiet. tolll
little wedding up in the
Strangely enough, I experienced a
queer feeling that all was not as II
should be, but his eagerness, his per
sistence dispelled the small doubt
that had begun even then to shape
itself. | consented to go with him on
the next night to an inn out in the
country, where a college friend who
was a minister of the gospel would
meet us, driving over from his parish
a few miles away. l said that | pre-
ferred to be married In a church. He
laughed and said it could be arranged
when we got to the inn and had talked
IT. over with the minister. Still un.
easy, | asked why ii was necessary
to employ secrecy. He told me that
his family were in Europe and that he
wanted to surprise them by giving
them a daughter who was actually re-
lated to an English nobleman. The
family had been urging him to marry
a stupid but rich New York girl and
he-oh. well he uttered a great deal
Of nonsense about my beauty, my
charm, and all that sort Of thing"
She paused for a moment. No one
spoke. Her audience Of judges, with
the exception Of the elder Mrs. Wran.
dali, watched her as IL fascinated.
Their faces were almost expression.
less. With a %perceptible effort. she
resumed her story, narrating events
that carried 1t up to the hour when
she walked into the little upstairs
room at Burton's inn with the man
who was to be her husband.