Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1884-02-28

,,La., up the valley when
wneeis were heard approaching the cot
tage, and Lady Best went out into the
porch to receive her guest. Fain wouId
sne nave persuaded Arthur to accom-.
pany her, but he preferred an arm .cbai,
by the window. - -
AT last the carriage is at the door.
ana Hannah Milton, having sprung ont
ls ciamorously kissing her aunt.
i There is nothing aesthetic or dreamy
about her. She has a broad. nla;n
honest, open face, with fine eyes and 4
large mouth full Of strong-lookipg white
teetn-not the slightest pretens;on to
beauty, usyou can see at glance that
Hannah Milton is thoroughly good.
Llnd, sincere woman. Her voice is yery
loud, but it has the ring of true heart.
IL hightens Lady Best, however, as she
thinks, "What will Arthur say? viii
ne run away from Hannah, or allow
himself to be subdued by her 2"
In the carriage beside Hannah. half
concealed by bird cages, Persian cat
and three small dogs of different breeds.
there is girl-the maid, of course.
The dogs and the cat spring out after
Hannah and the footman takes the bird
cages. Just as the unnoticed occupant
OF the carriage is stepping out Hannah
turns round.
"Oh! forgot; let me introduce nv
dearest friend, Agatha Burghley. OF
course you expected her; she never
leaves me, you know"
Lady Best held out her hand in a
welcome to which her heart did not
respond; nor did she speak, except to
say:
And your maid, Hannah?"
Miss Milton burst out laughing.
That is luxury in which we don't in
duige-do wo, Aggy? We arrange our
toilets ourselves, and very effective they
are sometimes, eh?''
Lady Best looked again at this com.
panlon OF whom she had never heard
before. No, decidedly; if she had
known of her existence she would
not have asked Hannah to the cottage,
For Agatha was beautiful, of that re-
tined spirituaized beauty about which
poets rave.
For an indefinite period she had in
1, yited Hannah, and this companion. this
Agatha, was she also to be their daily
associate for weeks?
| The meeting with Arthur, however,
could not be deferred, and Lady Best
led the way into the drawing. room.
He was as cordial as it was in his
nature to be in his reception of his cous-
IN, but when the same, formula sof in
PRODUCTION with which Lady Best had
been greeted was gone through, and
Agatha, dragged forward by her ener-
getic friend, stood before him, with the
pale CLEAN of the rising moonlight on
her face, he started back as though he
had seen spectre, more in fear than
admiration, as 1t seemed to his anxious
watching mother.
There was no time, however, for
speculation as to what feeling Agatha
had awaked in Arthur's breast. the
necessities were asserting themselves
and Hannah in her blunt way declared
herself famishing.
ga rapid toilet and dinner. Come on
Agatha, we shall not keep Lady Best
waiting long," and the two girls went
i quickly up into the rooms that had been
prepared for them. '.s,s's4ss
came back, looking as spic-and-span as
if they had made no long journey. It
was very obvious that the services of
u AAuiA WCAO uuuCCc6SuIHs
The evening however, was
scarcely merry one. Arthur was more
than usually silent and meditative,
Agatha very tired; she was not sorobust
as Hannah, who was the lively one OF
the party and chattered ceaselessly to
Lady Best, who for once in her life was
not good listener. All her attention
was riveted on ''that young person." as
she already, in her mind, designated
the somewhat lackadaisical Agatha.
Hannah was very full of the projected
dairy reforms. She loved everything
that gave her practical tendencies fnil
vent; but Lady Best was by no means
as keen as she was.
"While they were reforming what
would Arthur and this beautiful Agatha
4 be doing?" she asked herself. s.Oh,
if Hannah would only turn her fuIlatten.
ton on the far more important work of
reforming Arthur.
Lady Best was, however, too much of
q diplomatist to let her thoughts appear
in words; no, she must act, maneuvre
watch.
OF course the next morning Hannah
expressed wish to go over the farm,
aud accompanied by Agatha, she and
4 Lady Best started on a tour of inspec-
ton. Arthur had seen the farm ad
,,auseuna, he said, and it did not amuse
him; he preferred remaining in the
house till luncheon-time. ~
With the explanations and discussions
which this farming pilgrimage entailed,
Lady Besps spirits rose and she became
thoroughly absorbed in her subject, re-
ioicing that she had found 80 congenial
companion and able co. worker MS Han
nah. On sudden, however, her spirits
fell to zero-Agatha had disappeared.
"Of course she had gone to join Arthur;
it was a preconcerted plan between
them," and the mother, as she thought
of it became perfectly miserable.
!, No more talk about gallons of milk,
London market. home consumption etc.
She was tired, she said, and if Hannah
did not mind, they would return to the
house. They reached the bottom of the
| garden, which lay in front Of the draw
ing room windows, just as Agatha, ac-
companied by Arthur, strolled up the
terrace towards the wood.
i The sight was past bearing; this then
was to be the end of all her loving care
for Arthur; he was to marry Hannah's
penniless companion. Nor did Han
i nah's remark, as she too perceived them,
tend to calm the excited mothers fears.
"Oh! they are going to have little
chat. I told Aggy the sooner it was
over the better.
s'A chat with my son? Has this
this Miss Burghley met Arthur before?''
Hannah laughed. Ibid you not
know? Oh! then I must not tell the
secrets OF the prison-house. But pray
don't look 80 rueful, aunty mine. The
secret is not of a very dreadful nature. u
comforted '1 by , this % intelligence. e w. s @Ar.
thur had been carrying on with this girl
unknown to her and hence the reason of
his detection and listlessness. OF course
the neighbors were right; love was the
root of the evil. And to think of the
little mink forcing herself in here under
Hannah's auspices. Oh! it was too bad