Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-09-30
1t was rather an extraordinary statement

1t was rather an extraordinary statement
to make TO an only child; but those who
knew Sir Arthur Worthington best would
rave wondered least. He had only one soft
spot in his heart or nature.
Something very like tears shone In Flor.
ence Worthinston's anxious eyes, but they
were driven, back and she looked calmly
enough into her aunt's face.
81 have never doubted papa's affection
for me, aunt Margaret; but / cannot un.
derstand what you are saying to me, and l
wish you would be o little more explicit, or
else keep silence altogether" Some i'm
stinctiye feeling seemed 10 possess Flor
ence Worthin2ton that the ground she now
shared with her aunt might soon be cut
from under her feet.
"well, I will be more explicit with you,
Florence. You shall not complain. i on
" wish the day were a little cooler one for
our argument. IL Is frightfully hot, Is il
not? However, as we have no carriage,
we cannot take a drive in the park, which
] must say I should have preferred doing"
Lady Raven said with provoking GOODNESS.
"But now let me be as clear with you as /
can, Florence. Acting under my advice,
your father intends this forthcoming ball
TO be the great crisis IN your life."
Miss Worthington looked amazed but
kept silence.
"Lord Harcourt has almost proposed to
your father for your hand. He probably
thinks you an h%eiress; but thai il his own
fault, and%--happily he has gone almost too
far 10 retract with honor. lie is evidently
deeply struck with your beauty; and this
ball must bring affairs 10 a crisis in all
ways. Your marriage, Florence, must be
hurried on, your fathers difficulties ward
ed Off IN some way-Heayen only knows
how. As Lady I%iarcourt, my dear, your
position may be a tolerably easy one; your
father must retreneh abroad as best he
can," Lady Raven declared.
"And Florence WorthiGgton be sold to
the highest bidder tie girl herself
thought bitterly; but yet the thought
was sweetened when she remembered
that the bidder was q lord, and that he
could place a coronet on q brow well wor-
thy TO wear IT,. "From all you teach me, IL
seems in our ~stafion, that ones own feel
ings count for little" she said aloud.
"Feelings, Florence. For Heavens
sake, do not give way 10 sentiment, or ev-
erything will be lost! All depends upon
your courage and good sense. my dear, and
! do not think YOU are going 10 fail us in
either" Lady Raven said more soothingly;
and then she added, "All we must think
of now is to avoid scandal of any kind,
and try 10 our utmost 10 keep the credit OF
our house ~untarnished. Oh, Florence,
your father has been the first Of his name
who has eyer-nay, increasingly tried TO
dim its brightness! His first folly was his
marriage mean no slur on your mothers
name, poor dear! Her ambition did but
little for her"
81 thought mammals marriage was q
loye-natch!" Florence asked quickly.
"a love-match? Well, | suppose IL was
at least on her side, poor thing! But
her love must have been sorely tried when
she found that her husband was ashamed
Of her-that all his friends looked coldly
on her. She was not OF u.s. the Countess
of Raven said slowly and with emphasis.
"But surely she was a lady? | have al
ways heard that"
"a lady, Florence? Well, she certain.
~ never misbehayed herself in any way
she always conducted herself with the
most modest propriety during her short
married life-I must say that" her lady
declared magnanimously; ..but she was q
chemists daughter, Florence, that is what
she was, child, If, you have never known
before-a chemists daughter" she repeat
ed, ''without the excuse of a penny"
There was certainly a look of something
very like horror on Miss Worthington's
face as she listened to the humiliating
statement-a look which did not escape
her aunt's observation.