Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-12-20
The Widows Lodqer.

the child's. Give me that letter, Mar
garet, 1t will prove to your Uncle
Michael the vindictive unforgiving
spirit we have to deal with. You may
90 and see her when you please, it shall
aot be said that / left any means UNI
tried to effect a reconciliation; you may
Tell her that ever if she will not see me
[, as Arthur's mother, should like TO
see Arthur's boy, and perhaps she will
permit you to bring him here some-
times, and say that if she thinks it more
becoming our respective ages I will
visit her myself"
II will say exactly what you tell me,
mamma"
81 know you will" Mrs. AI1enby said,
angrily, sand in the same tone and
manner, if you could, but that is not
what I want"
"May I 60 to-dayP"
"This minute if you like"
81 will tell her what you say" Mar
garet said gently, ''and soften it as far
as | can, for I should like to see you re-
conciled. We ought to remember how
Arthur loved her."
IF | could forget that" Mrs. Allen
by said, II could forgive her every
thing"
Margaret took her at her word and
went, much to her mothers disappoint-
ment. Mary was out, but baby was at
home. She could hear him in the din
lng-room, making enough noise for a
regiment of babies, and she asked very
wistfully If she might see him.
IF you do not mind going in" Mar
tina said; she is playing with Mr.. Park
er, and he is nobody-quite as big a
baby as the other. VIII you 60 in, Miss
Allenby?"
"Oh, certainly" and she opened the
dining-room door.
Here's a lady to see the baby, SIR
Miss Allenby."
Come in said Mr.. Parker, cheer
fully. He had notheard the first words,
and quite misunderstood the last.
Come in, Mrs. Allenby; / don't mind
you, though | look very absurd. Moth
ing else Will suit the little man but |
must sit on the floor. and pretend to
play the trombone while he beats the
drum. I have quite taken the place of
the old gentleman upstairs, and-good
gracious mel"
Nothing certainly could have been
more absurd than the picture he pre-
sented, with the absurdity intensified
by his dlsmay at the unexpected ap-
paarance of a stranger. Margaret could
not help laughing, in spite of her tear.
full delight, as she caught Arthur's boy
in her arms.
"What a donkey you must think me-
said Mr.. Parker, scrambling to his feet.
II thought 1t was Mrs. Allenby-his
mamma, you know. What a donkey
you must think me-"
Indeed l do not, Mr.. Parker-the
servant told me your name-unless tc
be a donkey is TO love children very
much. and then, / like donkies. ! ar
baby's auntie, and my name is Allenby,
that is how the mistake arose"
TO be sure; nothing could be moro
natural" said Mortimer Postlethwaite,
whose eDses had gone on a wool-gath-
ering expedition. Pray sit down and
make yourself at home. Mrs. Allenby
will not be long. Would you like a cup
of tea if you wouldn't mind? | have
some apricot jam and biscuits, and
several things, if | knew where to find
them. but the little fellow has put the
key of the chiffonier somewhere-in the
fire. / think"
Twill you give me a cup OF tea?" said
Margaret, anxious to put the poor fell
| lnvv OF hfa aaca CT chntnl1 liEa n vnrv
much.n
"How delightful" and he rang the
bell. Some tea please, Martha. The
boy quite takes to you, Miss Allenby,
so he does to me; but there is no n
like the old gentleman upstairs. II is
really very good OF you to take a cup of
tea. You do not know how delighted
I am"
And Mr.. Parker was very far from
knowing the good impression he had
made on Margaret. She saw the simple,
chivalrous good nature under the sur
face Of his nervousness, and he improv-
ed greatly on acquaintance. He went
into the next room, smoothed his tum-
bled hair, settled his collar and tie, and
changed his study coat for one more
pr~esentable. BY the time he had done
this the tray was on the table. Baby
settled the apricot JAM dfficulty by
producing the chiffonier key from be-
meath the hearthrug.
He had taken to Margaret, but he did
not understand her yet. He CAV her al
vast amount of unintelligible informa-
ton concerning "Boko," who lived, i
his tiny finger IA to be believed, some
where in the ceiling. He patted he
face and said "poor" when he saw th
tears in her eyes, and let her give hin
as many kisses as she chose; but on tie
whole, there was his playmate on tie
apricot jam side Of the table, and afsr
D very brief consultation with himslf
the little fellow clambered over to hin.
Up to this period of his career Maser
Arthur evinced a decided preference
for his own sex.
Mr.. Parker had never enjoyed han
self so much. Miss Allenby put hin so
delightfully."- at his ease. She hadthe
rare quality of tact, the cultivatedlin in
stinct of a fine, delicate, and genepus
nature. She led him by degrees tosalk
Of his own profession, the house he lived
In, his fellow ledger. and Mary. lar
garet learned that Mary was his ida of
perfection, that his fellow ledger was
an extraordinary combination of con-
trarieties, that the house he lived il was
the dearest spot on earth, and thit his
professional hopes were modest to a
degree, but no was confident in quiet
way.
II shall make a position in twenty
years or So" he said; land If | can pay
nv expenses in the meantime, Il is all
| have a right to expect. The house
physician is very kind and eneourag-
ing. Sometimes l despond, and feel
afraid that 1 have mistaken my voca-
tion."
THAT is a good sign, Mr.. Parker. l
read somewhere, quite recently, that
no man ever yet attained greatness in
his profession who had not suffered
from that respondent feeling-a doubt
Of his own worthiness and power. 1t
may not be a proof Of genius, but it
shows at least that he has higher aims
Ia desire TO do his best"