Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-10-28

declared. MYou see I could not possibly
take her with me to my sick friend at Scar.
borough; and my London house Is let,
and In the autumn I pay my long-proTh-
ised visit to my married daughter u
Nice"
Mrs. Darlington politely expressed her
pleasure at having her niece with her, and
q nope that her visit might be prolonged
indefinitely.
s.You must bring some roses back to her
cheeks" said her ladyship. "And you
must write often TO me, Florence-con-
stantlv," she added turning to her niece
.sAnd on my return Mrs. Darlington, l
shall hope to sec q great deal Of you aud OF
your dear girls. No doubt by that time
Florence and her cousins will be insepara-
rable. You have n son too!" her ladyship
Intercepted hesitatingly.
Tho existence of this son had at times
given her a few qualms Of uneasiness.-
What If he should be presentable and at
t~ractiye in some way, and, from living al
ways in the house with him, Florence
should fall into the error common 10 all
girls, and fancy herself in love with him,
or, any rate get into some kind of entaf-
glenlensy There was not much chance OF
this; but still there was the bare p%ossibili-
ty, against which she had thought il better
not to warn Florence, for fear OF putting
it into her head. But, after all, Mrs. Car
rington relieved her mind entirely on this
point.
ale Is not my own son, Lady Raven,
though ! believe he Is dearer 10 me than
any son of my own could be-" Mrs. Car
rington said with sudden feeling as she
thought of him. "He is my husbands on
ly son b.. his first wife; but | have had the
care of him since he was eight years old,
and he is just the same to me Is one OF my
w girls. He does not always live with
Us; he has rooms close to his business, and
comes bcme when he is able"
A thrill of dread passed through Miss
Worthington's mind as she thought OF this
unknown cousln-a thousand times worse
than a girl-who was probably u baker,
butcher, or candlestick-maker-she little
knew or cared; all she did know was that
he was 4 tradesman-probably with large,
dirty hands, n coarse loud voice. and vulgar
ideas. lie would be the last drop in her
cup Of humiliation and disgust in her new
home she thought. But Lady Raven took
everything in good part.
GLOW very nice IL must be for YOU, Mrs.
Carrington! You see both Of my chill
uItU ult away HUM ll', uuu Il al HtAllg
always alone. Florence will have &c
make up for them when l return. I
should liked TO have seen your husband
her ladyship shamelessly declared. spray
give my kindest compliments to him
Florence, dear. l must say goodbye TO YOU
now. Good-byes are always SO painful"
and her ladyship made u show, real or
feigned, of some feeling, with which Flor
49,. LID ..At IN atF,,at ~ fhfUa
Miss Worthington suffered her aunt's
lips to touch her check, and listened with
complete apathy to her adieux. In a few
moments more she was alone with her aunt
and cousins-simple, w~arm-hearted people,
quite prepared to receive her as one Of
themselves, to show her al their care and
.oye, as well as not a little admiration for
her beauty, aid with a due regard for what
they were pleased to think her high posi-
ton and her condcscension in coming t,
them.
.My DEAR" said Mrs. Darlington, ''yoV
look tired and tagged to death. Go to
your rooms with the girls. and let them
help you take of your things-do not scru-
pie TO ask for anything YOU would like or
would wish TO have done-and then come
down stairs TO our sitting room"
Florence followed her cousins up stairs
to two pretty rooms which had been set
apart for her use; and her heart would
have been a harder one than it was
had she not softened n little to the two
pretty refined girls so unaffected and eager
~ give her help or comfort, both as yet a
little shy with her, but evidently trying
their best TO make her comfortable.
Florence could not help expressing her
admiration as she entered the rooms pre-
pared for her; she even said a little Srs-
ciously-
alt is so kind of Won to have me.'
CTO be Continually