Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-14

Lady Best was delighted at the sue
cess Of her letter, and wrote again to
say that both she and Arthur were par
ticularly fond of pets.
Arthur had read Miss Milton's letter,
and merely said that he hoped the dogs.
if they were dogs, were thoroughbreds;
he hated everything that was not per-
feet.
So, till the fifth of July, the Cottage,
\ whenever Arthur went out-for it could
not be expected that he should endure
fuss and clatter-was convulsed with
preparations for the arrival of the heir
ess-niece and her retinue. A bedroom
was turned into a boudoir for her pri-
vate use, and two bedrooms adjoining
were set aside for herself and her maid.
The Cottage was one of those elastic
establishments, with countless small
rooms, capable of taking in a far larger
number of people than its exterior would
lead you to imagine.
Hannah Milton's home was in the
North; it would be quite evening before
she would arrive, and Lady Best passed
the day in a state of feverish excitement,
wandering from room to room. She
seemed to feel that there was a destiny
at stake; while Arthur-the person who
was in all probability the most CON
cerne0-was perfectly cool and col
lected, and passed the hours in his hab-
itual placid enjoyment of a book.
The mystic shade of twilight was al
ready creeping up the valley when
wheels were heard approaching the Cot
tage, and Lady Best went out into the
porch to receive her guest. Fain would
she have persuaded Arthur to accom-
pany her, but he preferred an armchair
by the window.
At last the carriage is at the door, and
Hannah Milton, having sprung out, is
DANGEROUSLY kissing her aunt.
There is nothing aesthetic or dreamy
about her. She has a broad, plain. hon
est, open face, with fine eyes, and a
large mouth full of strengthening white
teeth-not the slightest p~retention to
beauty, but you can see at q glance that
Hannah Milton is q thoroughly good,
kind, sincere woman. Her voice is very
loud, but it has the ring of q true heart.
It frightens Lady Best, however, as she
thinks, "'What will Arthur sayP" Will
he run away from Hannah, or allow
himself to be subdued by her?"
In the carriage beside Hannah-half
concealed by ~bird-cages, a Persian cat,
and three small dogs of different breeds
there is a 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 oc-
cupant of the carriage is stepping out,
Hannah turns around.
"Oh, I forgot; let me introduce my
dearest friend, Agatha Burghley. Of
course you expected her; she never
leaves me, you know"
Lady Best held out her hand in a well
come to which her heart did not re.
spond; nor did she speak, except to
say:
"And your maid, Hannah!"
Miss Milton burst out laughing.
''That is a luxury in which we don't in
dulge-do we, AggyP We arrange our
toilets ourselves, and very effective they
are sometimes-eh?"
Lady Best looked again at this COM
panion of whom she had never heard of
before. No, decidedly; if she had known
of her existence she would never have
asked Hannah to the Cottage. For
Agatha was beautiful, of that refined,
spiritualized beauty about which poets
rave.
For an indefinite period she had in
vited 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
cousin, but when the same formula of
introduction 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 a specter, 0 in fear than
admiration, as it seemed to his anxious
watching mother.
There was no time, however, for e
ulation as to what feelings Agatha had
awakened in.Arthur's breast, the neces-
sites were asserting themselves, and
Hannah in her blunt way declared her.
self to be furnishing.
"a Taplu tolAeI anu ulnner. come on,
Agatha, We shall not keep Lady Best
waiting long," and the two girls went
quickly up into the rooms that had been
prepared for them.
In less than a quarter of an hour they
came back, looking as s~pic-and-span as
if they had made no long journey. 1t
was very obvious that the services of .
maid were unnecessary.
The evening, however, was scarcely q
merry one. Arthur was more than
usually silent and meditative, Agatha
very tired; she was not so robust as
Hannah, who was the only lively one of
the party, and chatted ceaselessly to
Lady Best, who, for once in her life, was
not a good listener. All her attention was
rivited 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 full
vent; but Lady Best was by no means as
keen as she a
"While they were reforming, what
would Arthur and his beautiful Agatha
be doing?" she asked herself. "0h, if
Hannah would only turn her full atten-