Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-09-14

I'M "ADf a. "a III " uSOA
and bless. cursed with such extraordinary
vigor. II may even strike the discerning
rcader-2cd all readers, or at least nearly
ali readers, are OF course discerning: far
too much so, ~indeed-that there must have
been a reason for it, and the discerning
reader Will be right. Augustus gray eyes
had been too much for Mr.. Tombey, as
they had been too much for Eustace Nee
son before him. His passion had sprung
up and rpened in that peculiarly rapid
and vigorous fashion that passions do ON
board ship. A passenger steame is Gu
pid's own hotbed, and in this way differs
from a sailing ship. On the sailing ship.
indeed, the preliminary stages are the
same. The seed roots as strongly, and
grows, and flowers with equal vigor: but
here comes the melancholy part-it withers
and decays with equal rapidity. The voy-
age Is too long. Too much is mutually re-
vealed. The matrimonial iron cannot be
struck while il is hot, and long before the
weary ninety days are over it is once more
cold and black, or at the best glows with
but a feeble heat. But on the steamship
there is no time for this, as any traveller
knows. Myself, the historic a-have,
WIKI my own eyes, seen a couple meet for
tie first time at Madeira, get married at
the Cape, and 90 on as man and wife in
the same vessel 10 Natal. And, therefore,
/, came to pass that that very evening a
touching, and, on the whole, melancholy,
little scene was enacted near the smoke
stack Of the kangaroo.
Tr. Tornbey and Miss Augusta Smithers
We're leaning together over the bulwarks
ond watching the phosphorescent foam 90
flashing past. Mr.. TomDey was nervous
and Ill at ease; Miss Smithers very much
az ease, and reiectingthdt her companions
aUstachios would very well become a
villain IN a novel
Mr.. Tumbey looked at the star-spangIed
sky, on which the Southern Cross hung
low, and he looked at the phosphorescent
sen; but from neither did inspiration come.
Inspiration is from within. and not from
without. At last, however, he made a
gallant and a desperate effort.
"Miss Smithers." he said, in a voice
trembling with agitation.
Eyes, Mr.. Tombey," answered Augusta,
quietly: what is it,"
Miss Smithers,' he went on-"Miss
Augusta, l don't know what youwill think
of me, but | must tell you, l a keep it
in any longer. love your
Augusta fairly jumped. Mr.. Tombey
had been very, even remarkably, polite,
and she, not being a fool, had seen that he
admired her; but she had never expected
this, and the suttienness with which the
shot wa fired was somewhat bewildering.
why, Mr.. Tombey," she said in a sur
prised voice, you have only known me for
a little more than a fortnight"
Il fell in love with you when / had only
known you for an hour, he answered with
evident sincerity. please listen to me. /
know / am not worthy of you! But ! do
love you so very dearly, and / would make
you a good husband: indeed | would. /
am well of; though, of course, that is
nothing: and il you don't like New Tea
land, l would give il up and go TO live In
England. Do you think that you can take
me: II you only knew how dearly / love
you, / am sure you would"
Augusta collected her wits as well "a
she could. The man evidently did love
her: there was no doubling the sincerity OF
his words, and she liked him, and he was
a gentleman. II she married him, there
would be an end of all her worries and
troubles, and she could rest ~contentedly
on his strong arm. Woman, even gifted
woman, is not made TO fight the world
with her own hand, and the prospect had
a~llurements. But while she thought Eus-
tace Nelson's bonny face rose before her
eyes, and as il did so a faint feeling of re-
pulsion TO the man who was pleading with
her took form and color in her breast.
Eustace Meeson, of course, was nothing 10
her: no word or sign of affection had passed
between them. and the probability was
that she would never set her eyes upon
him again. And yet that face rose up be-
tween her and this man who was pleading
at her side. Many women, likely enough,
have seen some such vision from the past
and have d~isregarded it, only TO find too
late tina that which is thrust aside is not
necessarily hidden; tor alas! those faces OF
our departed youth have an uncanny trick
of rising from the tomb OF our foTgetful-
ness. But Augusta was not OF the great
order Of op~portunists. Because a thing
might be convenient, it did not according
10 the dictates of her moral sense follow
that it was lawful. Therefore, she was a
woman to be respected. For a woman
who, except under most exceptional cir
cumstances. gives her instincts the lie in
order 70 pander to her convenience, or her
desire tor wealth and social ease, is NOT al
together a woman 10 be respected.
Ia a very few seconds she had made up
her mind.
Il am ve-y much obliged to you, Mr.
Tombey." she said; you have done me 8
great honor. the greatest honor a man caa
do 70 q woman: but l cannot marry ycu."
Are yoa sures'' gasped tine unfortunate
Tom6ey, for his hopes had been high. is
there no hope for me? Perhaps there is
somebody else:'
There is nobody else, Mr.. Tombey; and.
I am sorry to say, o don't know how
much il pains me TO say il, l cannot hold
out any prospect that I shall change my
mind"
He dropped his head upon his hands for
q minute, and then lifted it again.
Very well" he said slowly; lit can't be
helped. never loved any woman before,
; and ! never shall again. 1t is a pity
with a hard, little laughl-'that so much
' first-class affection should be wasted.
I But, there you are; il is all part and parcel
T OF the pleasant experiences which make
up our lives. Goodbye, Miss Smithers; at
least, goodbye as a friend"
I'VE can still be friends, she faitered.
!. ..Oh, no,' he answered. with another
|. laugh; that Is an exploded notion. Friend
. ship Of that nature is not very safe under
! aay circumstances. Certainly not unaeI