Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-03-08
AARON PENCILS RUSE.

'hcio suouIu eNcT DC anything tnat i
can do for you'll swear to do it, said
Julian Hicks. you can ask me moth.
ing which, at any personal sacrifice, ]
will not endeavor to accomplish. |
mean that when | say it. / beg of you
to remember it. You are rich-f am
poor. You are somebody am no
body. But the time may come when
the promise is worth something, and,
on the honor Of a gentleman, l will
keep it,"
An hour before this speech was made,
Aaron Pennel had saved Julian Hicks
sister from a watery grave and brought
her safe in his strong arms to the very
spot upon the beach of Northtown
where the two men now stood together.
And Ada Hicks was in very truth a
pearl of great price to her brother
~Jqlian-the only one of his near kin
still liying,younger than himself by ten
good years, and from her birth a pet
and plaything. SO he made this VOW
to the man beside him, hitherto a mere
acquaintance in the fulness Of his graft
tude TO one who had done all that one
could do for another.
AhNAN Y hVNNl !" lAlCu 5O ulltIl1
unlike as Julian Hicks and Aaron PEN
mel. The first, a hard-working profess
sional man, who had struggled for such
little success as Fate had meted out to
him, unaided save by his own hands
and brain; not handsome, not snowy;
his greatest charm a certain gentle
sweetness, peculiarly manifested to
women. The other, a man who had
had Fortune to his friend from his
birth; who neither toiled nor spun;who
was very handsome, very elegant, very
charming, q man OF society, and one
with whom fine women might easily
fall in love.
But from that day they we're friends,
not only as the world goes, but in very
truth. And so it came to pass that
walking one day, arm In arm CATER
their return from the seaside TO town.
they met Amy Atkins, that Aaron in
troduced her TO Julian, and that, a few
evenings afterwards, Aaron took Julian
TO call upon her.
She was an heiress. She was beauti-
full, or had the name of being so. Her
eyes were black and velvety; her hair,
natures own bright gold. All the
enamel In the chemists shops could not
make a complexion like hers. But that
tells you nothing about the woman
the frank sweet, sparkling, womanly
woman with whom Julian fell In love
before he had known her q month,
though ii seemed to him that he must
In some mysterious way have known
her ever since he began to guess what
love was, since she did not seem SO
much like d new friend as like one long
loved and hoped for.
Wrapt up in his profession rs an
architect, e~ngrossed by struggles for
bread and butter, which, while they
seldom prevent q man from doing great
things, always unfit him for society,
Julian had known few women OF Miss
Atkins position. He had no expert.
ence by which to guide himself, or by
which TO measure his feelings.
For a while he did not suspect he was
In love. and so was drawn nearer and
nearer to the whirlpool, until, when the
truth at last dawned upon him, there
was no retreat. He whose means were
insufficient for any thought Of matri-
mony, had lost his heart to the heiress.
He who, in his alteration of human
beauty, had sometimes almost hated
himself for being so very plain, loved
and worshipped the loveliest woman
the sun shone onl
1t was put of the question that she
should like him. 1t was impossible for
him now to cease to love her-to be
happy without her-to leave her and
see her no more! AS the moth, which
fluttered about a flame until its wing
arc singed, Is still tempted to its doom,
so he felt he must linger near the
woman who had his heart in her keep
ing. That she could care for him never
entered his mind; that she did, would
have been an absurdity too preposter'
Gus to dream Of. But 1t was true
nevertheless. Amy Atkins, though too
bright not to keep the fact a secret, hat
grown fonder of Julian Hicks than she
had thought that she could be of any
man.
So now the play began IN earnest
drama oftener acted than most people
guess. Two hearts afire, while one woult
think. from look and speech and man
ner, that they were ice to each other
love guarding itself with a shield o
calm good breeding!
Amy said, IF he care ever so little
for me | will make very sure that h
does not perceive l care one whit To-
him."
Julian said, 'She shall never laugh
at me, though she does not love me
She shall respect me and never CUES
her power, whatever pain l may have
to bear"
And so they met and parted, da.
after day, and no n fancied that any
thing troubled the heircss but AaroI
Pennel; and only two-the same Aaroi
Pennel and Julian's sister-saw how
pale Julian grew-how sad his swee
mouth came to below at times q hope
less look was In his eyes. Poor Ada
who in her terror asked Aaron Penne
one day II he thought that her brothe
Julian was i'll.
He Is so unlike himself" she said
with tears in her blue eyes. ''He pace
the floor Of his Dol at night; he sigh
bitterly; be works as hard asever, blu
he does not care to play at all. l an
frightened, Mr.. Pennel."
And Aaron had said: II think tina
your brother can not be very Ill. Mis-
Ada; and If anything troubles him, tina
the time must come very soon whel
that trouble viii pass away and b.
changed for happiness"
But do you know of anything tina
can trouble Julianw asked Ada.
And Aaron answered: Perhaps
guess at something, Miss Ada, but an
not certain Of Il. Time will take car,
of IL, l am very sure"
They were together q good deal now
Aaron and Ada. 1t had enteret
Julian's head at times that this splendit
fellow liked his pet sister very we'll; o
late, that 1t was possible that he love'
her. But Ada. at IL, seemed q chill,
TO him. and he thought Of this only q
something the future might develop.
As she had said. he worked very hard
but toll could not Danish the .'haunte'
thought Of his life. It grew stronge
instead Of fading. IS he had thought !
might. His nights werc sleepless hour
of sad unrest. He feared FOR healtl
and reason. At last he resolved TO IT,.
what charm there might be In absence