Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-23
VALERIEIu
HALF p TRUTH.
"BY THE DUCHESS"

He should like to see her, he said; and
then asked after two or three others; and
by the time his questions were answered
the carriage stopped IN Whitehall Gardens,
and all the servants were in the hall 70
receive ''the Colonel"
He shook hands cordially with all, from
the housekeeper to the kitchen-maid a
few were strangers, and, with soldiers
quickness, he picked out these from the
other faces: but he greeted all warmly. and
thanked them for their welcome. which,
indeed, touched him deeply, for the genu-
inc delight with which he was received
was not to be mistaken.
You should have seen the fuss Mrs.
Cray (the housekeeper) made over your
IT oms, Max" said Lady Elinor, laughing,
she hardly liked me to say word, and
she busted them with her own hands half
dozen times"
"Ah. you soldiers!' cried Gerald; ''you
have lucky time of it with the Womeni
They all run after you-young and old,
they're all aIiken
'Wen then, Gerald, begin the goose-step
its never too late to mendr' returned
Max, and he went laughing into his dress
ing-roOm.
During dinner conversation was about
the war, friends in Egypt and friends at
home; but Colonel Beauregard still took
care that Valerie Herbert was not spoken
OF.
When, however, the dessert was placed on
the table and the servants had Withdrawn,
there was brief lull in the flow of talk.
Max broke it, pIunging at once an nlediGs
TeS.
And So he said, turning to Lady Eli
nor, with half smile, my lovely partner
OF the bennington ball is the bette OF the
London season. How does she stand the
test"
You ask the question, replied Elinor,
almost III Master y aiGefs words; ana
- ~ = 80 - 5tlo" 9s''l..
.lie = ilssy ossil - eNL'eeoeI nIol . sll
= eisslis tii.el eit : G1eia.
enioysr,
III hone Won are too severe Nellie y said
Colonel Raaurpoarl rently He was far
from accepting his sistpr-in-Ia1v,s verdict
Al another woman. bI1t his heart sank With
! borrihIa broad
~ don,t won't tn ba severe Nay. Init
vbat vonn0 craatnra could lead snob .
life a. Valprie,s and not he snoiled nv its
Tha f,,ss tbat il made over her tba vav
the mon rave aho1It her. and the Girls envy
her and cony her ooyyns-and she il daZ-
7IinoIv haantifnI and most cbarpine,. br,t
Che knows her newer and usas If
teWbatt Valerie garharf Turned "a.
o7attai,, soil NTox- incrad,IonsIv Erarv
word Flinor inferred had MERGED his heart
like 4 knife. but ha cave no outward sion.
Even Gerald Joined his wife,s Iaurb
"Dop't Won add one more to the tbronr
of her w0rshiDars. nv dear hoy. y he said
..for she treats hearts like plavthipps.
ssN-anea,,sor,, ,.,4,,,.,,,d NJ ,,,,lli,rr III,
,,,,,at,,,i,, Oil LII -
e., a. - - - :. =
-,
~ = ldtseLous pIat' AaA' salu Lauy
LlihoL' ana sue = an apC plpll III MIS-
AahSies SCHOOL que seems 20 thorough
II understand that she is to make "a good
match, and is quite willing to sell her
beauty in exchange for wealth, if one is to
judge by the encouragement she gives As
ION Lawford; and all the time she consid-
ers herself engaged to Mr.. Charters, who
is only clerk in the Foreign Office"
For moment Colonel Beauregard was
silent; for moment the strong self-com-
mand which habit had made second nature
almost failed him; the deeper paleness that
spread over features always pale was a
sign too slight to be noticed but he felt
that if in that moment he had spoken. his
voice might have betrayed too much; in the
next he was master of himself again, and
said, quietly:
Who told You, Nellie. OF her engage
ment to young Charteris?"
Mrs, Langley. OF course she does not
recognize threats the whole thing as a
boy and girl affair; but she is wise enough
not to forbid the two meeting sometimes.
Time and altered circumstances would do
their work with Valerie, she argued; and
1t looks as ii the girl was growing tired OF
love for loves sake. LaWford IS her bond
slave, ami though she fiirts all round, she
certainly gives him encouragement. she
is going on the Doy-seat of his drag 20 the
meet Of the FoUr-in-hand"
Gerald interposed here, sparing Colonel
Beauregard the necessity OF reply.
In worldly point of view the match
would be a splendid one: but I call it cruel
to throw away such a perfect creature as
Valerie Herbert on Aston Lawford. He is
more than twenty years her senior, and 9
matter-of-tact, prosaic fellow into the bar
gar"
But, 7 said Lady Elinor, Struggling heI
shoulders, he has, Heaven knows how
many thousands year! And you know,
Gerald, Valerie will have nothing. Mrs.
Langley has only life interest in the prop
erty. When She dies everything goes to
her husbands nephew"
Was all this true? Max Beauregard was
asking himself in agony, while he seemed
TO give half-carelesS attention to what he
heard. Was Valerie his Valerie - the