Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1883-07-12
: LEsTER-LAWRENCE., ),

~. 1oes, was considered an extremely
eng,oie man. In the greater glory q
MS piother's beauty and prestige, frank
raced, oark.eyed John Lester was com
pseteiy oyershadowed, and almost for
eotteh until wiley matron, whose
younger daughter had angled in vain fo,
tue handsome Harry, suddenly remem
'oered seeing the younger Mr.. Lester in
company with that forward mink at the
iafmhouse-yon know the one mean'
10 her special contidant, Mrs. Eugene
falriax-.tbs girl that passes here so
oiteh. believe somebody invited he,
TO the hop Saturday night"
''Oh, You mean that Ed,e I.awrenca,
nave neard OF her-an incorripihle
Hirt; she and John Lester have been =
goou deal toge ther, but it is evident 70
me that she is using MIN as n tool. =,
course 1t would be ouly natural fhat
Harry shonI join his brother onc,, Sn y
whtie; trust me for 1t, john Laste,. -,
be thrown over, :,s the men 81 :. ~, ~,
ouce his handsome brothe. 20 mnIn ~
caught" 10 i1!rly
Mrs. ta,tfas> eSidsr.tly hit uoon m
nausuai 'n.a a,a. srue sessHtsn OF her nelebbor's
,ose Ias,a., a.a'rs Re BARELY week later John
LES LISTERS III ,(ses az tue tabls was vacant
% ,.ir.s \ fia4f;g, anu his brother acknowl.
tttIt he mad left
.as Aawrence's mother went Inv the
>eReng trdip, tnd her elder daughter.
oid.4elii, c~me down to take her place.
a-ad plny chsperone to Edie. Miss 6phe'
ina LaWrence, ralher quiet and retiring,
'wi1't sseady, gray eyes, and kind, pleas
'ant lace, good, rather than beautiful. was
regarded as good deal OF an old maid,
"aa hot' pV ahy s,eans, to be feared as
ri7ai by tao laiiies of the west end;
thefet IRE Sue was rather more of fay
"f,se nan uer ptstsy younger sister.
L'ie came 'dto the house one night
htmmins lively tune; Ophelia sus-
ecteu tpaa she had not been alone.
H,ti" was th with you, Edith ?"
sue askf.d very grAvely.
NJ. Lester" was the reply. "He
~au' d not come III.
:" DID you walk with him last evening
ais? 2 Inquired Ophelia.
eyes, said Edie, n title impatiently,
AMI her sister said &c more.
But Later. shen they were alone in
tho chambor they shared together, Ope-
liza retaened 10 the subject.
Aren't you Il great deal with Mr..
A.ssle', lately, Eule
Edle didn't know; was she?
Yes and people notice it, dear; they
SAY Io Is flirting with you.
E6tth laughed little.
DO they? How silly"
know it is foolish, but l don't like
to have it said of you, my sister," per.
sisted Ophelia "Only tonight heard
Mrs. Dayton say to Miss Shewen that
you We're his latest conquest. You know
he has the reputation OF being hirt,
Eiic; that most despicable thing--a
male hirt!"
Edith's blue eyes flashed dangerous
ly.
And the world, including Mrs. Dav-
ton, has at times been good enough to
supply tue same epithet to me p she said.
with curling lips aud an assumption of
jhaughtiness that was Just trife over
'acted. g Yet you do not manifest any
sgseat alarm FOR the safety OF Mr.. Les
ter's peace.
Because your natural gayety and
freedom Of manner are far enough from
flirting; no one thinks it of you; but Mr..
Lester-'
Don't be a goose" yawned Edith.
''Iet's go to sleep"
Ophelia gave up the subject with a
troubled sigh. Her sisters happiness
was very dear to her, and her own ex-
perlence warned her of flirting men.
She was practical woman of 80 now,
and had little to do with the romantic
'slie of life; but she had the memory of
the time when her heart was as light aud
her life as full of romance as Ediths
own; time that had vanished years
ago, when she lost faith in the mau who
had won her girlish love for the pastime
OF summer holiday, and then cast it
aside when he was weary of it. No
wonder her heart was heavy when she
thought of like fnte for her sister.
And what could she do to avert that
fate?
Ophella Lawrence was wise, bnt when
did happy-hcarted girl ever profit by
the experience of a disappointed elder
sister? The very next morning Edith
went out sailing with Harry Lester.
They were only summer visitors at this
pleasant watering place. Edith had
been there month, and it was her first
meeting with either of the Messrs. Les
ter; but Ophelia had once met Mr..
Harry Lester in town, knew the world
called him consummate hirt, and she
had heard a good deal of the same talk
down here. 1t was two or three years
since she had seen him, but even now
she remembered the bluff, hearty, un-
conventional way he had; Just the oppo-
site of what one would naturally expect
to find with man who pridod himself
on the idle conquest of women's hearts,
but all the more dangerous, perhaps, for
that very reason; and she recalled with
a sigh, as she thought of Edith, how
the wonderful charm of voice and man
ner haunted her hours after he was
away.
Mr.. Lester was very attentive to
Edith when they met: he would always
take her out sailing, or even riding once
or twice, and come to the door, or gate.
rather, of the house with her, rs in duty
bound; but he never came in. and
Ophelia had never known him to call at
the house and pay visit once in a while,
as men generally do when they are sup
posed to be counting.
Ophelia said something Of this to her
sister, and barely three nights later
Edie brought in her cavalier; brown,
course, he was introduced to Ophelia,
.ScoheCtctt u,ifiuS luc AOuoI " ueet
ner before, had never forgotten that
pleasure, hoped Ophelia had remem-
bered him, and begged her to count him
among her friends.
" II only for Edith's sake" he smiled.
seeing that through her l shall claim
a little relationship to you"
Ophelia looked at him in sharp sur
prise, and then glanced at Edie, who
blushea and laughed, and bit her lips.
and she said nothing, but thought:
And SO they are engaged. Heaven
grant he may be true to her!"
That evening she went into the par
lor, where Edie was sitting in the dusk,
and sat down by her side. They talked
awhile as sisters do; by-and-by Ophelia
whispered: 81 Are you engaged to Mr..
Lester?"
Edith shyly answered: eyes