Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-09-30
yer tissue, delicate satin. and lace neces,a.

| credit she must send IL home perfect, and
Of no slight expense. She may really wei
demur, as she evidently thinks payment for
II may be indefinitely postponed; and
there IN also Q considerable sum In ar.
rcsr,n her ladyship declared.
..What do you mean by payment being
indefinitely postponed?" Miss WorthiDgton
asked haughtily. l have never been I'm ar
rear with her before! Even papa has at
ways been content with the way i have
managed my affairs. 1t IL simply pa
pas dreadful habit Of procrastination
which Is putting me to this Inconvenience
now. Papa could write me twenty checks,
II he liked" Florence ayerred. "Really
/ don't know what is the best 10 be done
now" she added. "You see this is no
common dress; and / don't know any other
person 10 apply to. But Thcrese at any
sacrifice, shall never make me another"
"Haye you no money, Florence, with
which you could content her for the time?
Surely IL might be wiser to do that than 10
quarrel with her under existing circum-
stances"
"The sum total Of my riches at the pres
ent time, aunt Margaret mounts to about
seven pounds. j don't think Therese would
thank me much Cor that. Besides, she shall
work no more for me! The moment papa
returns / shall insist upon his giving me q
check for the whole, and rid myself Of her at
once. i can never stand impertinence like
that. And l did not like her manner the
other day.n
Lady Raven apparently did not, on the
present occasion, see affairs in the same
light ms her niece. She was silent and her
face betrayed some annoyance or p~erpiexity.
care all arrangements made for your
ball on the 25th, Florence!" her ladyship
inquired.
81 think So"
"Wbo provides the support"
"Morton-this time
al thought Bunter provided the iast!"
eyes, last year he did; but tseems that
papa has had some unpleasantness with
him, so this year he has arranged with Nor
ton. lie will do as well, 1 fancy.n
"And who provides the flowers, and ar.
ranges thems" Lady Raven asked.
"Willson or Williams forget which
But they seem quite efficient and are anx.
ious TO satisfy us; at least so papa says"
IL thought Fuller was your floristY"-
Lady Raven asked again, with q meaning
look on her face.
"He has been hitherto" Miss worthing-
ton answered; but papa does not seem TO
have been contented with him either. For
this occasion he made arrangements him
self with Williams"
care you sure they are nader"
"Certain on that point, aunt Margaret.
Williams has been here himself to see the
rooms and staircases."
care you equally sure that Lord Har-
court Is coming?S
g.Xpu Snann raal1y yary auvinna np hfa
lordship's account" Miss Worthington re-
joined, with assumed carelessness; 'but I
can set my mind at rest on that point. i
have his written acceptance. i can tell you
also that papa has lately seen him, and he
has been polite enough to express interest
in my costume, and suggest that he should
wear a companion 10 it,"
A more hopeful expression passed over
Lady Ravens face as she answered.
at seems a rather suspicious suggestion
for his lordship to make, Florence, does il
noti If you are TO be Medora, he intends
to play Conrad, ! suppose IL will suit him
too"
Florence laughed u~neasily and Redeemed.
at seems TO me rather as if he will be
destined to play Conrad without a Medora.
My costume for the occasion appears to be
falling 10 the ground. Twill not-no 1 will
not" Miss Worthington, declared vehe-
mently, "sssume any hackneyed, common
costume-any kind Of peasant or flower
girls dress! They are always so stupid
and m~onotonous. / detest q dress that any
girl can wear! Mine must be q recherche
one, il / wear a costume at all. 1t is most
provoking about Theresa! And il is not
only for this one OCCASION; but after her
rudeness, i can never 60 TO her again, al.
though she has suited me 30 we'll"
81 tell you candidly, Florence, / think
you will never 60 TO her again." Lady Ra-
ven said oracularly.
The tone Of her voice made Miss Worth
ington look up.
IL do not understand you, aunt Margs-
ret"
"No, my dear, / dare say not. And per.
haps l am wrong in wishing to enlighten
you; but yet il seems to me scarcely wise
TO let YOU be walking perpetually over a
mine that Is likely to explode at any mo-
ment."
"You are still more enigmatical," Miss
Worthipgton answered, with a little more
haughtiuess in her voice than she generally
favored SO Important 9 parsonage IS Tie
Countess Of Raven with.
alt is extraordinary to me, Florence,
that you appear to remain In such complete
ignorance yourself. Everything / have
seen in your house lately-everything you
have told me ~to-day-only proves to me
what l have feared for several years past,
Your father Is on the verge Of ruin. He
has weathered the storm many times be.
fore; but l fear his resources are pretty
nearly exhausted now, and his relatives
tired OF lending what he will never be able
TO return."
A scarlet flush dyed Miss Worthington's
beautiful face, and faded again as quickly
Her hands were pressed tightly together,
as II she were trying to restrain any emo
ton which her aInt's words called forth.
"For goodness sake, don't faint, child
To manage your affairs with any amount Of
cleyerness you must exert all your cour
age, and l think you have a fair share"
But Miss Worthington had entirely re
covered her ordinary self-possession-al
least outwardly.
al am certain you are wrong in all you
imagine, aunt Margaret. Iou were Away.
prejudiced against papa, and have moi
shown the best taste, l think, in trying Il
make him appear In the worst light TO me-
"You may take In bad or good part wha,
/ have said to you, Florence" Lady Raven
answered carelessly; .'bur / am only try
ing to treat you as n woman, and TO pre-
vent an inevitable blow from falling OF
YOU too suddenly. Ny imagination, as YOU
term it, has nothing to do with 1t, my pref
udice less. / speak from facts and what
know and you will do better, my DEAR
she said more gently, s.to make a friend o.
me and avail yourself Of my experience
than to quarrel with me. Your father
gambling propensities are incurable.-
Where Is he at this moments? What Is hs
doingf"
Florence bent her head and covered hel
Of her birth, the poison Of her nature; ant
she felt that 1t was to be bitterly hurt. II
was struggling now with still stronger
deeper feelings, which she was trying Il
restrain with s~uperhuman strength.
"Better take what / say TO you in goot
part, FlorcNice, my dear, and let mt aiC
you as far as I cam" Lady Raven repeated
"Aunt Margaret, l canno think my fa
Their would blindly lead me into all thi,
additional extravaganza and expense if, a.
you think, he Is on the verge of ruin. Thi,
ball, &c you know; which he persists In Civ
ing will cost him at least three or four hun
dred pounGs."
alt will cost some one that, any way
Florence; but IL Is I fear your fathers las
aud dearest stake, and just what I wish Il
consult you upon; and you must listen pa
tiently TO me. First, / appeal to your goo(
sense. Why has YOU father employed
williams instead NJ EullerS whv has IA.