The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-09-19

mence those mysterious preparations
which / have witnessed from time to
time. Harass the cook, worry the but
Ter, torment your maid, fdget yourself
into q at or fever, simply because there's
q woman coming to stay for a few days.
Go, my dear, and leave mo to quiet
contemplation Of the great event.
Miss Jane, in mute obedience, took
up her key basket and left the breakfast
room, while her brother threw down
the Times and marched up and down
the apartment in q sort of comic con-
s~ternation.
A tall, broad-shouldered, deep chest
ed man Of forty, looking much older,
with brown eyes, deeply set un-
der heavy brows, brown skin,
brown hair, whiskers, beard and
moustache, o v for the streaks of silver
they showed, q fine set of white teeth,
and q firm, decided china handsome,
healthy, wealthy man, with an iron CON
stitution and perfect digestion; by hab-
it grim, sarcastic, taciturn, a man
who, without any. apparent earthly rea-
son, adopted misanthropy rs a religion,
and vigorously lived up to his creed
such was Hervey Davenant.
At five and twenty he had returned
from q prolonged foreign tour to find
both his father and mother dead and
himself heir to a large unencumbered
estate. Without any demonstration Of
JOY or sorrow, he had settled down at
Davenant Hall with his only sister,
where his persistent seclusion soon
a1,k p htt,e nH frNro y o1I ~ ,y>Jo ~-I
prevented him from making new.
Miss. Jane, though ten years old
er, looked up to and r~everenced her
brother with q blind sort Of hero-wor-
ship. Though personally fond of socie-
ty, she acquiesced in all Hervey's plans,
and fell into his way insensibly. Miss
Jane had met with a disappointment
when very young, and, though neither
soured nor blighted by it, people saw at
a glance that Miss Jane" she would
remain to the end of the chapter.
Bnt for all her apparent devotion to
Heryey and unprotesting scanction of
his mode Of life, Miss Jane, in her secret
soul, was not satisfied. She thought it
a sin and q shame that her grand, hand
some, clever brother should nope away
the best years of his life in q gloomy
library, surrounded by musty folios, and
dusty dead bats and beetles, and other
hateful debris Of animal life. She longed
to see him married md filling his
proper place in society, and, not ven
turing to openly express her wishes, set
numerous little traps to catch his un-
~suspecting and unwary affections. But
though Miss Jane fancied that she ar
ranged her plans with Machiavellian
diplomacy, they were as transparent as
water to the keen perception of the in
tended victim. Hervey seemed to know
by intuition when an ambuscade was
prepared, and always managed to v
his retreat, if not with dignity, at least
with security TO himself and defeat to
the enemy.
But Miss Jane was an inveterate
matchmaker, and pursued her designs
year after year, very hopeful of ultimate
success, despite repeated failure though
the ninety ninth matrimonial bait for
Hervey failed, she set the hundredth
with mistaken faith. Miss Treherne
she meant to take the citadel by storm.
Never before had she gone SO openly
and undisguisedly to work; and her
plan would at least have the advantage
of novelty.
"A ~lady-visitor at Davenant Hall the
misanthrope regarded as simple nuisance
which necessitated his leaving home for
as long aperiod as she chose to remain;
but, as he could generally contrive to
make himself tolerabiy comfortable in
a hotel somewhere, he did not regard
the arrival of one of James friends as a
very serious disaster. But that there
should be a'yisitor, and that he would
have to remain at home, meet her, and
help to entertain her, was quite anoth-.
er thing; how to set about such o task
exercised his mind a good deal. Still,
he reflected. Jane was a very good
creature, who seldom troubled him in
any way; doubtless her friend was q
very dear old one, or she would not be
SO anxious that he should show her
some attention. She was not dan
gerous from a matrimonial point
of view-on that head he was
quite satistied-or she would have
been introduced surreptitiously, and
made known to him without warning.
In all probability she was a prim, anti
quated lady, in lace mittens and specta-
cles, probably with extremely religious
views, and perhaps chronic bronchitis.
She would be q bore, however-of that
he was morally certain; still, to oblige'
Jane, he could, if it were necessary, be
civil to any six of the most objectiona-
BILE Of her schoolfellows, for in his Sc
cret heart, far down below the cynical
and misanthropical strata, Hervey DAY.
enant dearly loved his sister.
aThis is Miss Treherne, Hervey.
Efie, my love, this is my brother"
Miss Jane said hurriedly, inverting the
usual order OF introduction in her blind
belief that in Mr.. Davenant's absolute
supremacy.
How do youdo, Mr.. Davenant n
The misanthrope vas standing on
the white heacy hearthrug in the draw
ing-room. looking down %curiously at O
young girl who knelt there, warming
her hands before q blazing fire-a very
slight girl dressed in black, with pale,
golden wavy hair fastened carelessly
with q black ribbon low down on her
neck, bright hazeEeyes, o delicate col
orons complexion, and sweet, happy
smile. She looked little more than a
child as5she knelt in the freight and
glanced up half curiously, half fear
fully ut Hervey, who after making a
formal bow and muttering some unin-
telligible commonplace on the pleasure
OF meeting his sisters friend, stood SOL
emily silent.
A bright, imperlous, winning little
girl, with a half-pleading, half-com-.
manding voice and wholly fascinat-
ing manner, Efie Treherne rub
bed her delicate little white hands,
and prattled about her journey,
her impressions Of the country.
of Davenant Hall, and every object that
CHANGED to catch her obseryant eve as