Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-11-15
The Widows Ledger.

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Mrs. Allenby did not ALWAYS axe a
rebuke 80 patiently, but there was moth
ing to be done with DR.. Hyde. She
could oyerawe most people with the
majesty OF her presence, and the inn
pressiyeness OF her double chin. She
was a large woman, with a thick. rich
~contralto voice, which she cultivated to
Its lowest pitch; altogether rather a for
midable person, excepted to a man like
DR.. Hyde.
He had found out her weakness long
since. Mrs. Allenby was rather inclin.
ed to be a bully In a lady-like, ell-hred
way. For what some timid humorist
has called the gentler sex is not without
its representatives of that undesirable
thing, but she was at heart a coward.
and she had an innate consciousness
that he knew IL, and that he was a man
not to be trifled with. Under his imper-
turbable good temper, that would rise
to the surface when least expected, and
q single word or glance would pierce
through her panoply Of flesh and selfish
arrogance, when he was in that mood.
To the world In general Mrs. Allenby
was a very majestic and impressive wo-
man, to DIR. Hyde she was a physiology
cal study. He told her once that she
was a living wonder.
do you see," he said, with the slow
ness that was only saved from being a
drawl by the deliberate purpose with
which he always spoke, "such an
amount of adipnse matter Is not COM
patible with such a very healthy state
OF the digestive organs; that must be
due TO your singularly tranquil and
philosophic temperament. 1t Is very
fortunate you possess that tempera-
ment. IL IS fortunate, too. that YOU do
not take stimulant. Stimulant induces
frritability and excitement. Irritable
ty or excitement would be fatal to you.
You have an exceptionally fine consti-
tuition, but your mental organization is
extremely delicate. That is where the
danger lies.m
Without quite seeing the connection
between an exceptionally fine constitu-
Tic and an extremely delicate mental
organization, Mrs. Allenby felt flatter-
ed. 1t was something also TO be told
That she did not take stimulant. and
was not irritable. 1t was indirectly a
permit TO take MS much as she had been
in the habit of taking, and the largest
item in her wine merchants bill was
for spirits.
II only knew the people as / saw
them" she said, ''and | NAV be wrong.
i saw them with him quite by accident,
and you are aware, George, how bitter
ly he disappointed me-"
"Well, yes: but ne pleased himself.
and, unhappily, it seems as IL a man is
sure to disappoint somebody when he
does that"
You are really very provoking when
you like, George, but / want to ask YOU
a question. You know that just before
poor Arthur died he was writing a let
ter-a long letter; was it ever finished
or sent?"
ut was never finished-and never
sentl" said George, gravely. "Maryl"I
Mary" Mrs. Allenby repeated.
"Oh, yes, l always call her Mary
Arthur told me TO! | was his chosen
brother, and he left her TO his brother
when he confded her to me. The poor
girl put IL away with her most sacred
meineatees, and | do not suppose it will
ever see the light again"
II never could find out about thatlet-
ter" said Mrs. Allenby. II Jaw II sew
eral times, but he never got far with it
at a sitting. 1 often wondered whether
1t was intended for his Uncle Michael"
ION that point / can set your mind
at rest" said George. 1T was intended
for his Uncle Michael. Arthur was not
a good correspondent; it was a fault for
which he often reproached himself. /
do not think more than one exchange
OF letters passed between his uncle and
himself from the time he married till
he died; he had not heard Of his Uncle
Michael for mor than two years."
do you KNOW asked Mrs. Allenby,
keenly interested, where he was then?'
AT Barbados"
And / heard of him from Jamaica
quite a year ago. He talked then of
coming home. He told me not to x
pect to hear from him frequently, and
not to be surprised at ANY moment if we
saw him; and i should not, for he is
very eccentric-immensely rich, though.
That is why / should like to have Ar
thurs boy here, but never with that girl,
woman, never!"