Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-10-26
A FAIR EXCHANGE.

w WI ~ w" VIZ Va uJltl EAhNutSS lIlt
young man hurried forward and
clasped the girl to his breast-clasped
her aud kissed her, and looked down
j~oyfdliy into the startled violet-blue
eyes; but she, laughing and blushing
in lovely embarrassment, tore her
self put of his arms and stood shyly be
fore him.
I'm not Diana-I'm only Dolly.
she explained demurely. "And yo,
must be Rupert Leslie, though | iii,
not know Diana was expecting you
home so soon"
''She was not expecting me: ]
planned to take her by surprise. Is il
possible this is little DollyP You are
the living image of your sister" he
said, regarding her with Il mingled
look of surprise, confusion, and adj
miration.
ooh, indced!" answered Miss Dolly,
nocparticularly ilattcred. "But she is
u great deal older than / am"
''Of course murmured the young
man, more and more COMPOUNDED;
you are the picture of what she was
five years ago, when l saw her last"
81 am eighteen, and my sister is
twenty-three," remarked Dolly, with a
little air of superiority. 'But Diana is
just as pretty rs ever" she added,
patronisingly. land will be awfully
glad to have you back, | suppose.
Shall / run to the house and tell herP"
III have been in the house and spoken
to your mother. Diana was out here
in the garden, she said, and that was
one reason / made the mistake, | sup
pose" he said dreamily, his eyes still
lingering on the beautiful, flower-like
face, so fresh so piquant. so perfect.
Dolly was a born coquette, and
selfish to the core of her heart. She was
fully aware of the impression she was
making; even now she was thinking,
with n thrill, would it be possible to
Il Diana out, and catch this handsome
and generous fellow for herself?
: For the Davenports were poor, and
Dolly longcd for costlier dresses and
jewels to set off her beauty; she envied
her elder sister her good luck; beaux
Miss Dolly had, in superabundance,
but amon~ them no such excellent
qdrti as this-rich and fascinating. She
glanced up at him from under her
long curling lashes.
''1t's too bad | got the first kiss!"
she laughed, the soft color flying to
her wild-rose face. Diana will be
furious"
Don't tell her them" murmured
laughing a little, too, and un-
able to withdraw his admiring gaze
from the lovely young girl. Five
| never thought about their
Diana; yet, of course, / am
older as well us She"
''Oh, nut n mania man ought to be
eight or ten years the older!!"
Have you anyone in particular in
your minds eye, Dolly" he asked,
laughing because she laughed.
mot yet" with a little affected sigh.
"'But, really, l must look about for my
sister. You must be dying t o see her,
/ know, after all these years. Why,
five years seem to me like half n life
time! / wonder you've had the patience
TO stand here, listening to my nom
sense; | won't tell Diana, nor how you
took me for her!"
Rupert Leslie himself wondered why
he had remained by Dolly and let her
talk without demanding to sec his
sweetheart. He had come into that
sweet June garden, eyes and heart
aglow, his whole soul rushing in adj
vance of his footsteps; for now, at last,
after" long "toil and endeavor." the
supreme hour, so intensely longed for,
was here, when he SHOULD feel the
of his true love round him once
He had seen her, he thought, fairer
than ever, standing there in the old
rose-arbor, dressed in white. and he
had stolen forward and caught her to
breast in a burst of rapture; and
after all, it had not been his Diana, but
that little sister of hers grown up! He
was conscious Of n slight shrinking
from the idea of the first meeting, now
with the real Diana.
Meantime. o six feet away, out
side the leafy arbor, sitting in the
deep, glistening fragrant grass, n book
in her lap, showers of rosc-pctals drop
ping over her golden hair and pale
blue dress, was Diana Davenport--a
moment ago dreaming happily of her
coming lover, but now white AS death,
her hands clinched, her lips %quiyering.
She gave no token other n%carncss, and
the two moving away IN search of her.
did not learn that she had overheard
their little chat.
'Dolly was always entirely selfish"
she whispered to herself. after Il time.
Il have given mp everything else to
her, and now she will try to win him."
She crept carefully out of the garden
into ihe.house.
"My dear, Rupert has comcr. her
mother called out joyfully, as she was
slipping up to her room.
Yes, mamma; / must smooth my
Once safe in her room she looked at
herself long aud sadly in her mirror.
"If 1 am pale and grave and thought
she murmured, II have, become
waiting and watching for him. II
! had loved him less | might not have
pinned away my roses. Ycs, Dolly is
love' '-soft and tender and lovely Is