Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-09-13

W master, he had given his very heart and
soul into the keeping of a woman.
~.
That a man OF CaITiston's rank. breeding
and refinement should meet his fate within
the walls of a lonely farmhouse, beyond the
TroSsachs, seems incredible. One would
scarcely expect TO find among such humble
surroundings a wife suitable TO a man OF his
stamp. And yet when saw the woman who
had won him | neither wondered at the con-
quest nor did | blame hun for weakness.
made the great discovery on the morning
after my arrival. Eager 10 taste the fresh
ness OF the morning air, | rose betimes and
went for a short stroll. | returned. and
whilst standing at the door of the house, was
positively startled by the beauty OF a girl
who passed me and entered, as if She were a
regular inhabitant of the place. Not a rosy
Scotch lassie, such as one would expect to
find indigenous to the soil but a slim, grace
ful girl, with delicate classical features, A
girl with a mass of knotted light hair, yet
with the apparent anomaly, dark eyes, eye
lashes, and eyebrows combination which,
to my mind, makes a style of beauty rare,
irresistible, and dangerous above all Others.
The features which filled the exquisite oval
of her face were refined and faultless. Her
complexion was pale, but its pallor limo way
suggested anything save perfect health. To
cut my enthusiastic description short, | may
at once say II has never been my good for
tune to cast my eyes on a loyelier creature
than this young girl.
Although her dress was of the plainest and
simplest description, no one could have mis-
taken her for a servant; and much as | adj
mire the bonny, healthy Scotch country las
sic, l felt sure that mountain air had never
reared a being of this e~thereally beautiful
type. As she passed me l raised my hat i'm
s,inctlyely. She gracefully bent her golden
head, and babe me a quiet but unembarrassed
good-morning. My eyes followed her until
she vanished at the end Of the dark passage
which led TO the back of the house.
Even during the brief glimpse 1 enjoyed of
this fair unknown a strange idea occurred TO
me. There was a remarkable likeness be-
tween her delicate features and those, scarce
ly less delicate, of Carriston. This reseni-
blance may have added to the interest the
girls appearance awoke in my mine Any
way l entered our sitting-room and, q prey
to curiosity and, perhaps, hunger, awaited
with much Impotence the appearance OF
Carriston-and breakfast.
The former arrived first. Generally speak
ing he was afoot long before l was, but this
morning we had reversed the usual order OF
things. As soon as ] saw him | cried
'Carriston, tell Inc at once who is the love
ly girl / met outside. An angel with dark
eyes and golden hair. Is she staying here
like ourselves
A look of pleasure flashed into his eyes-a
look which pretty we'll told me everything.
Nevertheless he answered as carelessly as If
such lovely young women were as common
10 the mountain side as rocks and brambles.
IL expect YOU mean Miss Rowan: a niece
Of our worthy landlady. She lives with
her"
.'She cannot be Scotch with such a face and
eyes,
Half and half. Her father was called an
EDglishman: but was, / believe, of French
extraction. They say the name was origi-
nally Rohan."
Carriston seemed to have made close in
guiries as 10 Miss Rowan's %parentage.
"But what brings her here"' l asked.
"She has nowhere else 10 60. Rowan was
an artist. He married a sister of our hostess,
and bore her away from her native land.
Some years ago she died, leaving this one
daughter. Last year the father died, penni-
less, they tell me, so the girl has since then
lived with her only relative, her aunt"
SWELL" / said, las you seem to know all
about her, you can Introduce me by and by"
with the greatest pleasure, If Miss Rowan
permits" said Carriston. | was glad TO hear
him give the conditional promise with as
much respect to the lady's wishes as If she
had been a duchess. +.
Then, with the liberty a close friend may
take, l drew toward me a portfolio, full, /
presumed, of sketches of surrounding scenery.
TO my surprise Carriston jumped up hastily
and snatched 1t from me. ''They are too bad
TO look at, " he said. As i struggled TO 10
gain possession, sundry strings broke, and, 10
und Den01d! me fio0r was Uttered, not WITH
delineations of rock, lake, and torrent, but
with images of the young girl l had seen a
few minutes before. Full face, profile, three
quarter face, five, even seven-eighth face, all
were ~there-each study perfectly executed
by Carriston's clever pencil. l threw myself
into a chair and laughed aloud, whilst the
young man, blushing and disconnected,
quickly huddled the portraits between the
covers, just rs q genuine Scotch lassie bore In
the plentiful and. to me, very welcome break
fast.
Carriston did favor me with his company
during the whole of that day, but, in spite of
my having come TO Scotland to enjoy his so-
ciety, that day, from easily-gnessed reasons,
was the only one In which ] had undisputed
possession OF my friend.
Or course l bantered him a great deal on
the portfolio episode. He took 1t in good
part, attempting little or no defense. Indeed.
before night he had told me with all a boys
feryor how he had loved Madeline Rowan at
first sight how I'm the short space OF time
which had elapsed since that meeting he had
wooed her and won her; how good and beau
tiful she was; how he worshiped her; how
happy he felt; how, when | went south, he
should accompany me, and, after making all
necessary arrangements, return at n G and
bear his bride away.
l could only listen TO him, and congratulate
him. II wss not my place to act the elder,
and advise him either for or against the mar
riage. Carriston had only himself to please,
and II he made a rash step only himself to
blame for the consequences. And why
should l have dissuaded?--l, who In two
days enyied the boys good fortune.
I saw q great deal OF Madeline Rowan.
How strange and 0utr0f-place her name and
face seemed amid our Surroundings. III at
first somewhat shy and retiring, she soon, II
only for Carriston's sake. consented 10 look
upon me a. . friend, and talked 10 me freely
and unreservcdly. Then l found that her