Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-09-01

very miserable. / merely felt an outcast for
the time being, and took no interest what
ever In my new associations.
AS / sat thus, I must have fallen into q
brown study, from which o slight sound
startled me.
Looking up, | met the flash OF two dark
eyes which Were i~ntently regarding me.
Are you the new boy?' said a clear voice.
i nodded, and stared at my interrogation, a
girl of about my own age, whose black eye
brows were knitted in a way very curious in
~ young a child as she seemed.
Her arms and neck were bare. and she was
fondling a kitten, whose bright eyes and lis
som movements seemed TO have something
In common with her own beauty. j noticed,
too, that she wore earrings, and that they
wero very bright and glistening.
'What IS your name?' she continued, in
the anne clear questioning tone, altogether
with the manner of a superior who was not
TO be trlfled with.
Hugh"
"Hugh whatg'
"Hugh Trelawney."
l felt somewhat oyerawed by the tone OF
the little lady, who, TO my boyish eyes, seem
ed mucf more my senior than she was in
reality.
OtlN w ltAh1h Nv w Wv bhti]D
keen scrutiny, and then said, looking at my
attire:
WHO is deddf'
/ still wore black for my mother, and, with
q somewhat faltering voice, | told her so.
She did not seem surprised, and expressed
no sympathy; but walking to the school
room window, looked out, saying, "Why
don't you go Qua and play with the other
boyy"
Il don't care about play. / am tired"
Tired with what?' She questioned, quick
E.>
/ made nc reply, for l was not prepared for
the question. / had meant to imply that /
was low-spirited and dull, but had not cared
70 confess 81 much In 80 many words.
She understood me-, however, and, although
she seemed indifferent TO my condition,
troubled me with no more questions.
Glad to direct her attention from myself,
for hen bright eyes troubled me and made me
feel ashamed, l stopped down and stroked
the kitten, which she had placed upon the
floor. Even as | did so, l could feel her eyes
still fixed upon me; but when | looked up
again with All annoyed expression, she turn
ed her eyes away, and laughed.
This imboldened me, and l began TO ques-
ton In my turn.
Are YOU the schoolmaster's daughterF'
At this she laughed the more-so brightly
and pleasantly, with such a good-hunored
sympathy with my blunder that my first i'm
preston of her began to improve, and | saw
that, besides being q rather imperious, size
was a very pretty. young lady.
"Why do you laugh?' | remarked.
AT you" she replied; because You take
me for Mr.. MINISTER'S child. / am a stranger
here, like yourself. My people live far away
In South America, and are very rich. My
mother is dead, and l don't remember her.
NV father has sent me here to be taught;
but | shall soon go back to him. Have you
a father2" she added, quickly.
/ nodded.
'Is he kind to you, and was it he that sent
you to school?'' she asked.
But without waiting for my reply to her
questions, she continued. M father cried
when I lett him, though he Is a great man,
and when he gave me these earrings, he told
me my mother had worn them before me,
and ne kissed them. We live far away from
here, in a brighter place. Don't you hate En-
glandg'
This was rather a startling query, but be-
ing in a state of mind bordering on disgust
for life In general, l readily assented. Her
eyes CLEANED.
ut is a dreary place" she cried; dull and
miserable, and it rains nearly every day. But
II Is different where l come from. IL Is al
ways bright there, and there are flowers
everywhere, and the trees are full of fruit;
and there are bright insects, and beautiful
snakes without stings, that can be taught to
Irvine round your neck, and feed out of your
hand"
As she spoke thus, indeed, 1t seemed that I
was transported to the land of which she
spoke; her eyes were so sparkling, her face
so bright and sunny, her form so foreign in
Its slender beauty-and her earrings glisten-
ed, and her beautiful ivory teeth cleaned
and / saw her walking in that land, a won
der among all wonders there, with fruits and
flowers over her head, and brilliant insects
foating round her. and luminous snakes
cleaning harmless In her path, and dusky
slaves waiting upon her and doing her court
estes. For II must be borne in mind that I
had been a studious boy, fond OF reading
wild books of travel and adventure, and of
picturing in my mind the wonders OF foreign
lands. Much that l had fancied of jewellers
I'm distant regions was realized in the face I
now beheld for the first time.
At what age is a beautiful human creature
and more particularly one belonging TO the
gentler sex-insensible to admiration? l am
certain that my new friend perceived mine,
and that it did not displease her. 1t was, at
any rate, genuine homage. quietly expressed,
almost against my will, IN the pleased yet
timid glances of my eyes.
When she next spoke, her clear impetious
tone was greatly changed and softened, and
. kinder light dwelt on her face.
"if you will come with me-" she said, 81
will show you the place. There is not much
to see but the garden, and that l like well
enough. win you Gomez
l rose awkwardly, as IL at a word of coin
mand; and, taking my cap from the peg
| where 1t hung, swung il I'm my hand as l fol-
lowed her to the door.
Ashamed, yet pleased. to be chaperoned
by a girl. l wondered what my schoolfellows
would think OF il.
Close to the school-room was the play
ground, or rather the capacious piece of
lawn, dignified by that name.
My schoolfellows were playing cricket
thereon. They paid no attention TO me as |
passed, but looked at my companion with 4
curious and not too friendly expression. She,
for her part, passed along imperiously, with
out deigning to cast a single look In their di.
rection: ana 1 noticed that her look had
stiaAzCi aeaiii. uhiu liidl lCL uath DtOWs WtIC
knitted with the former unpleasant express
sion. She said nothing, however, for some
minutes.
Our first visit was to tae top of a high knoll
behind the house, whence We could see the
surrounding country, and, some miles to the
southwark, the distant sea, with u white
frost OF pillows on the edge of ~liver-colored
sands.
1t was q quiet, sunless day; but far away
there were CLEANS Of watery light on the
white sails Of ships passing by under full
canvas.
The girl looked seward at the passing
sails with much the same peculiar expression
she had worn on our iirst encounter.
How could l fathom her thoughts? 1 guess
Cd she was thinking of her home, but l was
wrong.
"Are you cleverf' she asked suddenly.
This was a question which l, as a modest
boy, felt totally unprepared to answer. l
looked at the ground, peeped at her, and
laughed. Her expression did not change.
VI mean do you know much" she contin-
ued, In explanation. "Have you learned
muck beforey'
i explained TO her. rs well as possible, that
my requirements were very slender indeed,
and merely consisted OF the stray crumbs Of
knowledge which I had been enabled to pick
up at day schools in the various towns where
ny father bad resided during my childhood.