Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-02-10
CHAPTER vi.

~
noon, and Florence and his young part
ner. George Speed, were strolling leisure
ly through the garden towards the pretty
home they jointly occupied. They were
talking earnestly on business matters.
"You must look out" said Speed, cor we
shall find the Barclays dangerous rivals"
Florence had no fears; for he knew his
strength. and had had vast experience.
s.Then. too" he added-"but this is con-
fdential: am on the track of a new in
vention that will be fortune in itself"
BY this time they had crossed the care
fuly-kept garden, with its acaeias almost
as old a. the house itself. aad its heavy
walls veiled with dark ivy.
BY Georges side Florence looked like a
clerk rendering an account of the days
transactions. He stopped every few steps
to finish sentence, for his words came
slowly. He had no idea that pretty
face was looking RI him through the
curtains Of an upper window.
Mrs. Florence was waiting for her hus-
band TO come 10 luncheon. and was very
impatient AT his delay. She beckoned to
him. but Florence did not see her He was
occupied with the Speed baby, who was
taking the air in the arms Of her nurse. a
mass of lace and ribbons. How pretty the
little creature was!
"Your very image, Mrs. George"
DO you think sol And yet almost
everyone thinks her more like her father
"She resembles him, Of course but
And all Of them--father, mother, Flor
ence, and the nurse-gravely examine
the atom Of humanity. who looked a.:
them, in turn. with wide-open, wonder
ing eyes. Sylvia leant from her open
window TO see what they were all doing,
and why her husband did not come up.
Florence had just taken the infant in
to his own arms, and stood. envel-
oped in the floating robes and blue rib
bons, trying to win smile or COO Of de-
light from the child. He looked like his
grandfather.
"How old the poor man is growing"
thought Sylvia; "and how absurd he
looks playing with that baby
AT last, tired of waiting. she sent her
maid 70 say that lunch was waiting. Flor
renee consigned the infant TO its nurse
with evi lent regret. and ran up the stair
case. laughing like schoolboy. He
laughed still AS he entered the dining
room, but one look at his wife checked his
merriment. She was seated at the table.
and he knew that she was thoroughly
out Of temper by her martyr like air.
You made up your mind to come in at
last. then. How fortunstc!"
Florence seated himself, somewhat
abashed.
Il could not help it, my dear; that
child is So"
"How often am to beg you not TO call
me my dear'f'
but If we are alonef'
"You can never understand anything"
answered his wife impatiently; .and the
result is that no one here pays me the
least respect. Even Tom, the gardener.
hardly touches his hat when pass him.
To be sure, l am not Speed, and l have
no carriage"
"But. my dear--I beg your pardon-I
mean you can always use Mrs. Georges
brougham. She has told you that it is at
your service whenever yon like"
.And how often am TO tell you that
VIII 40. l.acc myself under any obligation
to that woman!"
'Oh, SYLVIA
"Oh. yes; / understand, I must not
breathe a word against this doll. l must
allow her always to tread me under foot ~
My child"
And poor Florence tried to soothe his
wife. and TO say few words in favor Of
his dear Mrs. George. His success was
not great; for suddenly Sylvia burst into
voluble torrent of indignation.
Il tell you, in spite of her quiet look
and sanity expression, that woman is
naughty and malicious. She detests me.
and know it. When was little Sylvia
to whom she could give her broken play
things and cast off clothes. was all very
well. But now that l have good po-
sition, and need no assistance from her,
she would like 10 humiliate me at every
turn. She presumes to volunteer her ad-
vice and to criticise everything do. She
was kind enough to express her astonish-
ment al my engaging a maid-had l not
always been accustomed to waiting upon
myselfi She seeks every opportunity to
wound and annoy me. When | present
myself on her reccption-day, you should
hear the coudescending tone in which she
asks after dear Mrs. Cbipp! All, well.
Yes: l am Chipp. and she is a Speed.
My grandfather was q chemist, and hers
was money lending tradesman! l shall
tell her so one fine day, and shall also
take occasion to mention that the little
girl of whom they are so proud is the
living image of old Gray. and heaven
knows that he is no beauty
"Sylviaw gasped Florence, who could
find no words TO answer such TRADE.
"Yes; admire that baby if you choose Z
1t is always i'll. and cried half the night,
and keeps me awake. In the morning the
mothers piano begins"
Florence adopted the wisest course he
said not one syllable in reply. But after
q while when he saw that his wife was
calmer, and looked little ashamed Of her
outbreak, he began TO say few comph,
mentary words to her.
'.That is very pretty dress. Are you
going to pay some calls to-dayf"
mo; ] am not going out" answered
Sylvia. On the contrary l receive. This
is my day" Seeing her husbands look
Of utter astonishment she continued: !:
"Yes; il is my day. Why should not
have n day as well as Mrs. Speedi'
''Oh. Of course. certainly" muttered
pccr Florence. looking about him anxious
ly. THAT is the reason. then, that there
are SD many flowers in the roomsl"
'fes. This morning, when l sent Jane
into the garden--- am wrong again.
then, am II You do not say 30. but / cap
see that You think had no right to scrl
Jane for flowers. thou~ht +hS
iongeo 10 us as well us to the Speedsf"
at does, certainly: but IL would have
been better"
ITO ask for them, suppose. OF coursel
Pile on the humiliations, 1 beg Of youi A
few miserable chrysanthemums, and sone
green leaves, are worth asking for, ara
they not At all events took them open-
ly, and when she comes up by -and-by I
win show them to her."
"She is coming thenf How:good Of her ."
Sylvia started up in rage.
''Good of her! And why, prayi Do l
not go every Wednesday to her rooms,
where l am bored to death by her afYects-
tion and rubbishf"
MIS-. Florence omitted to state that
these same Wednesdays had been Of i'm
mense service to her; that they were like
. weekly fashion book, where she had
been taught how to enter and leave q
room, how to receive and dismiss q guest,
where to place her flowers. Nor did Syl-
via say that Annie's friends, Of whom
she had spoken so disdainfully. were the
people whom she had begged to come to
her on her s'at home" day.
But would they comet That remained
to he proved. And would young Mrs.
Speed herself make her appearancei syl-
via grew more and more disturbed and
anxious ~ the time went ON.
MAKE hastcw she cried iinpatiently;