Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-11-02
Mr.. NELSON'S WILL.
6Y n. o e

MY dear" answered Lady Hoimhurst
with a glance at her widows weeds. :"
have no low dresses; though, perhaps,
tan find some among the things pu
AWAY before we sailed, ~ and her eyes file,
with tears.
Augusta took her hand, and they begar
10 talk Of that great bereavement and o.
their wonderful survival, till ut las
she led the conversation round to little
Dick, and Bessie Holmhurst smiled again
1t the thought that her darling boy. her
only child, was safe asleep up stairs, and
not, as she had believed, washing to and
fro at the bottom Of the ocean. She took
Augustus hand and kissed it. and blessed
her for having saved the child, TIL sud-
denly, somewhat TO the relief of the latter.
the butler opened the door and said that
two gentlemen wanted very particularly
10 speak TO Miss Smithers. And then she
was once more handed over to her old enc
mics, the interviewers, and after them
the representatives of the company, and
then more special reporters, and then an
artist from one of the illustrated papers,
who insisted upon her giving him an ap-
pointment in language that, though DO
lite, indicated that he mean b have his
way; and so on till nearly midnight. when
she rushed off to bed and locked her door.
Next morning Augusta appeared at
breakfast dressed in an exceedingly be-
coming low dress. which Lady Holmhurst
sent up TO her with her hot water. She
had never worn one before, and il certain
ly is trying to put on q low dress for the
first time in full daylight-indeed, she felt
rs guilty as do.Sa-narsnD-af intanaa~-atA
brandy and soda before getting up. How
ever, there was 40 help for It; so, throw
ing a shawl over her shoulders, she de-
scended.
"My dear, do let me see," said Lady
Hoimhurst, as soon as the servant had
left the room.
With q sigh Augusta uncovered her
shoulders. and her friend ran around the
table 10 look at them. There, on her back,
was the viii. The cutie ink had proved
al excellent medium, and the tattooing
was as fresh as the day on which ii had
been done, and would, no doubt, remain
SO till the last hour of her life.
"Well,' said Lady Holmhurst, 81 hope
that the young man viii be duly grateful.
l should have 10 be very much in love-"
and she looked meaningly at Augusta,
before l would spoil myself in that fash.
lon for any man"
Augusta blushed at the insinuation, and
said nothing. At ten o'clock, just as they
were half through breakfast, there came q
ring at the bell
"Here he IS" said Lady Holmhurst,
slapping her hands. well, if this isn't
the very funniest thing that / ever heard
Of! told Jones TO show him in here"
II,-Il- 49, ~ x~a-I4p -N ~ ha~ r,anv-fh
when the butler, who looked as solemn as
y mute in his deep mourning: opened the
door, and announced "Mr. Eustace Nee
son." in those deep aud commanding toms
which iunkies, and fiunkies alone, have
at their command. There was a moment S
pause. Augusta half rose from her chair,
and then sat down again; and, noticing
her embarrassment, Lady Holmhurst
smiled maliciously. Then in came Eus-
tace himself, looking rather handsome,
exceedingly nervous. and beautifully got
up-in a frock coat, with a flower in it.
''Oh, how do YOU dog" he said TO Angus
Ia, holding out his hand, which she took
rather coldly.
"How do you do, Mr.. Meeson," she an
swered. Let me introduce you to Lady
Holmhurst. Mr.. Meeson, Lady Holm
hurst" Eustsce bowed, and put his hat
down on the butter dish, for no was very
much overcome.
II hope that / have not come toe early"
he said, in great confusion, as he perceived
his mistake. Il thought that you would
have done breakfast"
"Oh, not at all, Mr.. Mecson," said Lady
Holmhurst. Wont you have a cup of
tea, Augusta, give Mr.. Meeson a cup Of
tea"
In the least, and hen there came an awk-
ward silence. Nobody seemed TO know
how 10 begin the conversation.
How did you find the house. Mr.. Nee
Bon," said Lady Holmhurst at last. ''Afiss
Smithers gave you no address, and there
are two Lady Holmhursts-my mother-in-
law and myself"
ooh, l looked il out, and then / walked
here last night and saw you both sitting
ut the window"
"Indeedg said Lady Holmhurst. "And
why did you not com in, You might
have helped to protect Miss Smithers from
the reporters"
Il don't know" he answered confused
ly. II did not like TO; and, besides, a pol.
iceman thought i was a suspicious charac-
ter and told me to move on"
Dear me, Mr.. Meeson, you must have
been having a good look az us"
Here Augusta i~nterposed, fearing lest
her admirer-for, with an unerring in
stinct, she now guessed how matters stood
should say something foolish. A young
man who is capable of standing to stare al
q house in Hanover Square is, she thought,
evidently capable OF anything.
II was so surprised TO see you yesterday
she said. "How did you know that we
were coming"
Eustace told her that he had seen it In
the Globe. II am sure you cannot have
been so surprised as / was" he went on;
81 had made sure that you were drowned.
i went up To Birmingham 10 call on you
after you had gone and found that you
had vanished and left no address. The
maid servant declared that you had sailed
in a ship called the 'Conger E~el'-which ]
afterward found out was the Kangaroo
And then she went down; and after a long
time they published a full list of the pas
sengers and your name was not among
them, and l thought that after all you
might have got OF the ship or something.
Then, some days a.terward, came a tele-
~ A. 49, - "