Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-09-24

health, for his strange ~fancies, and his re-
lance on such a staff as Crawford Garden.
III seemed to me a miserable life spent In
these dark rooms over the ehess-taDie. :ilI
the player scarcely knew VIII ether it were
the ivory pieces or the fates OF his nepheys
and nieces he wal playing with.
Yet he appeared 10 find pleasure i'm II:
and tsey told me that since my coming he
had frightened up and improved both in
health and spirits. He had little Thought
or sympathy for me; / must always be i'm
my place at the fixed time, always ready To
read aloud. or sing, or play at chess, as he
chose. But he liked to have me In the room,
he was always courteous in manner. and
kindly, If abrupt, in words. Sometimes he
would 20 out on fine days in his bath-chair.
with his man-servant; but still he preferred
that i should walk by his side and talk 10
him.
o old bachelor as he was, he had spent
his life in loneliness, and grown suspicious
OF every one, and, above all. Of those who
might expect any share I'm his heart or his
money; he had qusrrelled with nearly all
his kinsfolk, and the three beautiful girls
whom he had In some measure adopted, per.
haps in the hope of a frightened home. had
gone their ways in the unconscious selfish
ness OF their youth, never dreaming what
solace they might have brought to the cank.
cred heart Of the aged man.
So it was partly thought Of him that made
me shrink from revealing my secret. He
was used to me, even fond of me. | fancjed
in his dry cold way, and he could not have
many years left OH this earth. Itseemed 50
hsrd to let him know that even another had
deceived him, that he was right in thinking
himself justified to set a watch over all.
/ had been reading TO him that afternoon
from ArmdddIe, for, after the Times. he
liked to hear a novel, especially those with /,
Intricate plots which took attention and
ingenuity to fathOm, and he would not have
me stop TIL tea-tlme anne. When L rejoin- |
ed him, Gwendoline and HfYda went with
me, and he told them he was too tired for
their company, and wanted only a nuiet
game with Miss Thorne.
/ thought, az they turned away. that
Hilda's naughty face had a harder set. and
that her eyes as she passed me were more
coldly contemptuous than ever. | was ouiy-
ering with my own fears and doubts, and
did not notice greatly then but remember.
ed them afterwards, when | learned that
Hilda Farquhar was hating me with a bitter
Jealousy because had gained the favor of
the uncle she had neglected and the heart
OF the man she loved.
When they were gone, ! learned the mean
Ing or Mr.. Gascoigne's impatience. Craw-
fOrd Garden was expected. On this evening,
OF all Others, | felt that | could not face his
crafty eyes, that | could not listen to his
compliments, which were becoming more
free and more familiar each week, and more
odious.
tried TO shut out his voice and his pres
ence by resorting 10 my old refuge, the
piano. played my favorite pieces, | sang
any song that came uppermost. From one
air passed quickly to another, so that he
should nave no time TO pause In his detec-
1--WE talk and bestuw on me his hateful
praises. l sang Bonnie Prince Charlie"
and The Clang of the Wooden Shoon,'
The Lost Chord" and Ruby and gradu-
ally / drlfted away from the long dim room
and ceased 70 hear the jargon keptup at the
little table In the distant bay, where the
hght or the sunset came hazily through the
lozenge panes, growing paler and fainter.
By-and-by | began to sing a song ! heard
Gilbert sing alright or two before at Norbury.
1 had gone 10 o quiet garden-party with
Annls, and, after tennis on the lawn, there
had been some music in the drawing-ToOm.
Gilbert had a clear pleasant voice, and he
chose this ballad, a sad little story Of two
lovers who met BY a garden wall, and then
one was false, or perhaps died, and the
other was left to wander there alone, hear.
ing
"A whisper mocking Ger and DER,
Whale. er may Dc, wbere'er thou ART,
Dear love, | love thee evCrmore,'"
and haunted with the refrain, as II haunted
me
only a whisper, a whisper.
Tender and soft. loving and sweet,
only a whisper, Il WHISPER,
From hearts that may nevermore meet"
ITO be ,dntinlsdl