Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-06-16
A PHANTOM BRIDE.
By tho Author or "TnE Ice CAR.
NIvAL.n
CHAPTER I.
IN III gTPlNn-

Inc tlty was ablaze with lights
who, indeed, ever knew il otherwise
towards eight O'Clock Of q frosty De.
cember evening, when in less than
eight-and-forty hours the arrival of
hoary Father Christmas-England's
sver.welcome annual guest-may DO
confidently anticipated.
Moreover, he promised to make his
appearance this season in the full pano-
ply OF frosty splendor. The stars twin
Killed. like gems tonight in the clear
cioudless sky: pendent ~icicles, clear as
crystal, gllstened from every available
spout and overhanging cave; even the
City pavements were, for once in n
way, thickly-coated over, like slices of
colossal b~ride-cake, with h~ard-trodden
frozen snow, and men, women and chill
dren muTmured one to another, as they
rubbed their hands or drew their COM
forters tight and tighter yet about their
ears, that there seemed indeed at
length some prospect Of enjoying a
Christmas OF the good old sort, as in
'the dear old times"
Through the Fleet-street crowd a tall
emaciated woman pushes along as best
she may an old, weather-beaten, dilap;-
dated piano-organ, mounted upon
wheels. Very close TO the curb she
steers her course, because of the cabs
and carts and horses hoofs which men
ace her in terribly close proximity on
the one hand. and of the frowning Pc
destrians and grun-voiced myrmidons
OF the law on the other, of whom she
stands, indeed, In yet deeper awe.
This woman wears a patched and
frayed t~hreadbare velvet bodice, with
furnished metal buttons, and some
strings Of colored beads about her
throat. Large brass rings in her ears,
and a scarlet cotton handkerchief fold
ed cornerwise across her head, are
vaguely designed to invest the wretched
creature with some aroma of foreign
interest; but she none the less first saw
the light in q miserable purlieu of Shelf
field. spent her infancy in the gutter,
childhood, youth and middle-age in due
course in the streets-the only home,
indeed, which it is ever likely she will
know unless she varies existence by a
spell OF the union, hospital or Jail, ere
she shufiies of the mortal coil, and with
It red handkerchief, beads, and other
foreign attributes all at once.
Yet is ii the trick Of her trade to re-
spond, "T'ankee, t'ankeeln as she drops
a curtsoy on receipt of a halfpenny
from the generous passer-by; and, If
Intercepted as TO her nationality, she
contents herself by an i%ncoherent MUIR
muir Of, ME no talkee English, sar!' or,
"Mees;" which species of verbal CHI
canery presumably conduces TO larger
profits than a straightforward reply in
that broad Yorkshire dialect which is
her native tongue.
The woman stops at last and glances
round; then, "Gretal Greta!' she Kisses
In a low peculiar monotone, ''hast a
,.I-I a. ~ Ira 49, lu.-D -. ...tlg&
keep straight long-sidep"
Thus ~apostrophised, a lean impish
figure (which had come TO a standstill
some few PAGES in the rear beside the
barrow OF a lame vendor OF hot chest
nuts, gave n sudden start as though a
pistol-shot had been discharged in dam
gerous proximity TO its ear; then sham
bled sulkily towards the woman, its
forefinger up 10 the knuck!e in its
mouth. its eyes still directed longingly
towards the glowing charcoal-stoye,
with the t~in-tray Of charred treasures
supported above.
The woman waited until the child's
head was within convenient distance OF
her arm when she struck out straight
from the shoulder" in sporting par
lance, and LANDED a fierce backhander"
on the nape of the girls neck.
Then a bitter cry escaped the poor
blue lips, as much, nay surely more,
from bewilderment than pain; for pain
Greta was well used TO bear in silence;
but now she positively reeled, half
stunned by the unexpectedness OF the
blow.
"wheer's tn tambourine?" growled
the woman
The girl held up this instrument Of
warfare, which emitted a tinkling pro-
test ere IL was tucked away again be-
meath her arm. Just look wheer'st
goin,' or TIL be wurser fur ye." the
woman further supplemented, and then
pushed on as before; the girl-deiant
now, whilst her ear still tingled-fol-
lowed reluctantly.
Immediately in front OF the Frivolity
Theatre however, once again she
paused; a brougham and pair had
drawn up before the doors, and Greta's
eyes caught so dazzling an apparition
In satin and lace within, that she forth
with lodged under the very noses of
the horses, and took up her stand open
eyed, open-mouthed, beside the snowy
wheel-regardless of the magisterial
wave OF q stout policeman's arm. in
tended as a peremptory Move on"
Then out she stepped. that radiant
being, with trailing silken draperies
and floating ribbons narrowly escaping
contact with the miry curb; her golden
plaits. in which great diamond butter
flies cleaned and glistened, seeming to
weave n nimbus around her queenly
head, the perfume of the flowers in her
hand casting a subtle fragrance on the
surrounding frosty air.
Until this vision of loneliness was
lost to view Greta remained literally
unconscious of the world beyond, and
not until the last fold Of those brocad-
ed-skirts disappeared within the EN-
trance doors did the child's gaze revert
to q figure now beside her-the lady's
escort, a tall young EngIishman, who
had returned for some forgotten trifie
in the carriage and nov stood with his
hand upon the door, giving final direc-
tions 10 the coachman on the box.
Meanwhile he CHANGED to jerk from
his b%uttonhole a white moss rosebud
and feathery fern, which fell at Greta's
feet-only, however, TO be instantly
rescued from the mire by her eager
claw-like hand.
Hey! it wur beauytiful!" such was
her mental comment, as with the III
stinctive habit which in her case, had.
indeed, become second nature" she
hurriedly concealed the flowers beneath
the ragged tartan shawl knOtted about
her waist. But even as she did so, she
glanced up again in the young mans
face, and 1t seemed to her ever 'beau-
tifuller" than the flowers; beautiful
Ter" than the lady's; beautiful, i'll truth,
as those of the angels in that far-0ff
world of which one still Sabbath even
ing she had heard a minister" in q
white '~'nee'loth" preach TO a meagre
crowd OH Barnes Common not very