Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1883-07-19
HER SINCERE FRIEND.
BY ETTIE ROGERS.

He is an attractive and entertaining
gentleman, but he cares very little for
tue society of ladies. No woman, were
she charming as Aphrodite herself,
could clptlyate Alaric Maury, said Miss
Champney.
"Could she not ?" Hilma laughed
iniscmeyously. 81 will wager anything
you like, Elena, that before the summer
As over | shall have made conquest of
this obdu,ate womnu-hater.
's You will lose," Miss Champney
predicted, confidently. GA monk in
marble could be no less susceptible than
he.
"Perhaps your opinions may
change" smiled the beautiful, merry
girl.
But she was already hall ashamed of
her boast, that was but bit of non
sense, silly jest, altogether unworthy
OF her sweet, sensible self; for Hilma
was gulitless of coquetry, and she could
almost despise herself for the foolish
vauut she had 81 heedlessly uttered.
And she was more than ever sorry
whom she at length met Alaric
Aiaury.
He was Il man OF fine presence and
perfect manners, and one who, while he
was seemingly Indifferent to woman's
loveliness had that rare and sometimes
fatal gift of swaying the moods of women
at his will. Nor was he one to love
lightly; he would have affection for af-
fection, truth for truth, or nothing.
Hilma felt that his earnest, contem-
plative eyes could penetrate every SEN
timent and motive of every heart, and
she felt decidedly uncomfortable when
ever mindful of her senseless wager.
am SO sorry about it," she sighed
to Miss Champney. >" 1t makes me feel
SO false, SO small, SO constrained in his
presence; for of course l have merited
this contempt"
Miss Champney regarded her with a
polite incrcdulity that was excessively
notifying.
Nevertheless, 1 should say that you
are succeeding pretty fairly in your
Irritation with him." she commented,
with the suspicion of q sneer in her
carefully modulated tones,
"But am not flirting with him IN
the least" expostulated Hilma, feeling
hurt and Indignant. "I esteem him
highly, and his attentions to me are
those of kindness and courtesy-noth-
ing more"
You need not look SO injured" the
other laughed with the manner of toler-
alton that is soyexing when one is inno-
cent of any real oifense. "But really,
dear, your assumption of shy simple.
fsy amuses me SO much, as it seems to
have fascinated Mr.. Maury. am will
ling to concede that you may win your
wager yet.
The speech was certainly uncivil-it
was the kind OF raillery from which one
winces as from an insult. Hilma mar
veled little; but the girl did not COM
prehend that the naughty Miss Champ.
ney might somehow be resenting what
she considered a slight to her own dubi.
GUS attractions.
And Elena Champney, cold, shrewd,
egotistic-had never yet distinguished
herself for magnanimity of thought or
action. At tile moment, the expression
of her countenance was singularly un-
amiable; behind the polished smile was
suggestion OF envy, ofcunning, of hate
full triumph. She exulted perhaps that
the more beautiful and more beloved
Hilma had SO unthinkingly armed her
hostile hand. For that bit OF folly about
the wager could be made very effective
indeed. Alaric Maury was fastidious in
his own way, and he surely would have
an aversion for the girl who had made
the conquest OF his affections the subject
of frivolous boast!
"Surely Elena would not repeat it to
him" the girl meditated measily. "And
how utterly contemplate I should seem
to him if he might know"
Days went by--happy days for Hilma,
who all unconsciously, had entered the
enchanting realms OF love. All uncon
sciously she had given her heart to Alaric
Maury; and he realized in her his ideal
of perfect womanhood, and loved her as
one OF his loyal nature ever does
owe the creature deemed all tr,,e and
iweet.