The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-06-18

| i ne Old lie, the life of prosperous easy
Independence was over; she was a beggnr,
or but little better-one who fronts the world
to ask something at its hands. Her small
stock of powers and possibilities was now to
be brought to judgmcnt--and what were her
powers and possibiitiesp Old-fashioned ac-
complis!imcnts, antiQuated erudtion, half
forgotten sciences, whose very outlines later
developments had obliterated AS Mr.. Horn
by had said, she was ages behind the times.
But it was too late to think of all this now
too late to orcmemberher shyncss, her spinstcr
timidity; too late to regret her quiet life, and
/ simple pleasures and small sphere of useful
| ness. She had sacrificed all this to Letty's
son, who, perhaps, scarcely thanked her, and
she had ITO alternative now but to accept the
consequences OF her action.
| CHAPTER II.
Mr.. Thomas Hornby sat ut breakfast IN a
large, luxurious dinng-room; and Mrs.
Thomas uornby looked large and luxurious
herself. She wore a gown of conspicuous
pattern, and had bits of color intersperscd in
the !aces of her cap, and many rings on her
plump hands.
Opposite was her husband, the rcctors
brother, man who asserted himself seldom.
On either hand were the young Hornbys,
| who asserted themselves often.
The silver urn was Kissing vigorously, and
the other pieces Of plate caught the SUMS
rays as they came broadly through the open
window. Mr.. Tom was reading the news
paper; Mrs. Tom was giving lessons in de-
pertinent to her offspring, who received in
strnction as reluctantly as is the wont of
youth. 1t was only as Mr. Tom was about
to take his way toward the omnibus that
L I'm IN tbn ,it tbnt Ia;
dressed him.
u have had a letter from your brother
George, to-day"
Mr.. Tom stopped in mid-carccr.
"Indeed! !! George is nota great correspond
ent"
No; but like other people, he can write,
when he wants anything"
"lIas he been begging of you, for another;
pet hobbyT' Mr. Tom smiled family, as
people do with whom smiles are rare.
Not this time, but he has some woman on
his hands, and he wants me to dispose Of
herr
"a woman, Georgew
A flicker of amusement played over Mrs.
TOMS face.
''Somc person in his parish has got into
trouble; lady, he says, who has been com
| fortably provided for, but has chosen to be-
| Stow her fortune or a worthless relative,and
so finds herself, in middle life, at the mercy
of the world Serves her right, say /. can
do nothing for herr
"Now, wonder who that could be? There
are not many moneyed ladies IN Fairyew."
Mr.. Tom looked reflective.
Let me see He gives her name. Comp
ton-yes, Miss Priscilla Compton"
Priscilla Compton, Mr.. Tom sat down
and let his particular omnibus follow its
predecessors. "Why, she is our oldest friend.
1t was her fathers influence that got George
Fairview. What can have happened to hur?"
Gle only says that she has sacrificed her
independence to the needs of some undcscrv-
Ing relative, and now wishes to work for her
bread. Such folly, as if the world could find
work for woman grown old in dleness"
Priscilla Compton working Tor her brcadl
| Dear, dear! remember her, q pretty girl
! that held her head rs high as any one Why,
once upon time George worshiped the very
ground she walked on, and now to think of
lin trying to get her n situation! Well, time
does work wonders'
"Your brother loved her?" Mrs Tom said,
looking at the letter with new interest.
Yes, though would not venture to say
that he ever told her So"
yet he married another?
Yes; men do so sometimes, when an encr-
getic woman catches them on the rebound"
He looked at her and uttered a little caek-
! ling laugh that came awkwardly as though
ashamed of itself.
II suppose he is free to marry his first love
now, if he will, !" Mrs. Tom said coldly.
And he'll do it-as sure as I live he'll do
it!' Mr.. Tom struck his hands together as
he spoke. "Now that things are ata crisis
with her.
''You would like it-I do believe you would
like it though you know that our children
arc his heirs"
oh, hang it, Rcbccca! Our children will
be rs rich as Jews, and why should we
giudgc him fragment of contcntmcnt in
his old age?'
Becoming suddenly conscious of the pas
sage of time, Mr.. Tom made his exit hastily,
ard his wife was left alone to ponder
! The rector was a widowcr and childlcss,
his parish was good one and as he had al
ways lived economically, he must have a
go0dly store of nccumulations now. Mrs.
Tom liked money, and Mrs Tom had man
aged to make many indirect streams trickle
into her own pockets ere this through man
agcment. Mrs. Tom would not have been
guilty of a criminal action for the world,
neither would she permit herself any course
that might seem like schcming; but in her
time Mrs. Tom had known the value Of
| many artfully simple little lodges, and the
| chief of these was to remove temptation
when She knew it might be formidable.
Mrs. Thomas Hornby had as many annual
thousands as her husbands brother had hun
dreds, but what did that matter? Business
was uncertain, said prudence; who could tell
what godsend the rector's savings might
prove one day to her poor children? II she
could help it, she would not permit this
second marriage.
Mrs Tom discussed the matter with her
self, pondcred on the possibility of circun,-,
stances playing into her hands, and finally
/ decided that it was safest to rely only on
/, herself She sat quite still for half an hour,
! and then she rose with rustic expressive of
/ decision, and took her way up the wide, soft
/ ly carpeted stairs.
Fine rooms opened on either hand, fine
| pictures smiled down on her from the walls;
but Mrs. Tom went on to her room at the end
OF the corridor, and opened the door.
A pale woman, who stood buttoning her
| gloves by the window, started and looked up
timidly as Mrs. Tom sailed in.
'sAre you going ont, Miss Spcnce?''
|! "Yes; the children have asked for an carly
walk since the weather has grown SO hot
and so have taken them to the park for the
last week after breakfast"
"You should have consulted me about it."
Mrs. Tom said coldly
II did not think 1t mattered," " the govern
ess answered, shrinking a little. "rhcy arc
to have q walk, ana when they get 1t at tho
best time"
'rhe best time is questionable; in any
case you should have consulted me-"
Miss Spence did not answer that. Address
ing this large, prosperous, self-assertive wo-
man was an ordeal from which she shrank.
! "Indced / have often thought lately that
You assume too lnuch," Mrs. Tom went on.
'sYou are too independent in your ways, too
confident of your own infallibility." Miss
Spence looked up at her with the soft, plead
ing eyes that were the sole beauty in her
pale, plain little face. Mrs Tom did not
care to meet them as she continued: "And
SO have decided that it would be better for
us both to make a change"