Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-07-21

nights growth upon his upper lip in
the highly polished toilette mirror.
CHAPTER VII.
AT BEAK HOUSE.
After cburch-attended by Dick in
compliance with what he termed pa
ternal Rreiudices'--a light luncheon
followed at the yicarage; then the
young man had 10 choice but to tear
himself away from the manifold attrac-
tions Of the home circle, not less TO his
personal chagrin than the despair of the
fair sisterhood, but it had been previ-
ously arranged that the young man was
to dine on Christmas Day with his pat
ron, Sir Jasper Earle. at Bleak House,
an appropriately named residence stu
ated In a lonely spot some ~half-dozen
miles from Durham Vicarage.
In this direction, then, a couple OF
hours after noon. Dick turned his
horses head. and after little more than
an hours ride passed in at the grim for
bidding iron gates guarding the en-
trance to the now drear and leafless
avenue. which conducted up TO the very
doors Of the ~paronial mansion.
To the young mans infinite relief he
found the stern old widower not alto
gether solitary; a certain Doctor Hol-
lingshead, a London physician Of some
note, having arrived from town the pre-
vious day In order to spend Christmas
with his old friend, and this pair of
cronies," as Dick forthwith irreverent-
ly dubbed them mentally, sat together
before a dreary spoonful Of fire IN the
vast and sparsely-furnished library. en-
- NA@o ~ toto nvDn
cigars and a glass Of sherry, when the
young fellow suddenly intruded. Dim
ner had been ordered at five o'clock in
order to enable Dick to join a party OF
skaters upon a famous sheet Of water
known as Burnham Lake. in the
grounds of an adjoining mansion,
whose owner had issued tickets Of invi-
tation to the neighboring gentry. en-
joining them TO make free use or his
lake whilst the frost lasted. Here the
girls from the vicarage were TO adjourn
after evening service; skating by torch
light was to be de rigieur, this long
promised al treSco entertainment having
been the theme of universal discussion
since first the ice gave hopes of bear
ing over Christmas Day.
Supported by the prospect of ultimate
| GNtaIO " WIS Vi . 1AtNI
resigned himself as gracefully as cir
cumstances would permit TO present
boredom, and drew in to the circle at
Sir Jasper's invitation, slipping a glass
of best pale Here's, and listening in re-
spectful silence TO the prosings OF his
elders.
DR.. Hollingshead was relating dreary
stories of the prevailing restitution
amoug~1h poor in town; disease was
rife, additionally aggravated by the I'M
usual rigor Of the season; the hospitals
we're compared respecting it, and a
striking similarity of detail in each in
stance was not the least remarkable
coincidence in this mysterious affair.
Even was fain to confess ''she
certainly had fancied, for the space Of
about half a moment, that-that a
small white face peered in through the
shutters, and then disappeared in q
trice."
But good Mrs. Carlisle FASTENED to
supplement this admission by hazard
ing a conviction that, without doubt,
it was but one of the villagers children
who had peered in for mischief, en- pass
SAINT, attracted by the lights"
This suggestion was received with the
contempt it so richly merited. Confess
eddy, or unconfessedly, each OF the
girls, and professedly Dick himself, was
firmly impressed with the belief that,
on this particular Christmas Eve, in the
present wear of grace. the inmates OF
Burnham Vicarage had collectively
been privileged TO see the far-famed
Barnes Common Ghost: mot a bad,
wicked ghost that one need be afraid
off, as Edie impressed upon her sisters
with an anxiety calculated to convey q
suspicion that by the force OF argu-
ment she was seeking to reassure her.
self. "but that kindly spirit who, each
Christmas Eve, did annual penanca
were full TO overlooking. and no less
than three deaths from starvation had
been reported during the current week.
1t made a man uncomfortably reflect
i've. the doctor added, sitting at his ease
AL a land of plenty, FOR II was surely
difficult to enjoy ones glass of wine and
Christmas fare. recoiiecting that at that
very moment there were thousands OF
ones fellow-creatures actually famish-
ing for mere want of daily bread,
scarce a stone's-throw from ones
doors.
lie was tolerably callous and indif-
ferent. he went on TO say, after nearly
twenty years. professional experience,
yet he confessed that he had been pain
fully affected before leaving town the
very day before by a certain case which
had come under his immediate notice.
A wretched woman-an organ-grind-
er, or something of the sort-had been
picked up by the police, swooning in
the streets, and brought in due course
to st. Georges Hospital, where it had
fallen to the duty Of DR.. Hollingshead
to attend her.
1.-The poor creature vas terribly ema-
ciated," he continued, land had but
three half-pence in her possession. Her
clothes were q mere collection OF rags,
the skin barely covered her bones; vet
she had been exposed to the terrible
frost of Wednesday last, during the en-.
tire day, and when she died, post-mor'
TEN examination proved that the stom'
ach must have been empty for days
past. The miserable wretch was n
willingly in the last stage or consump-
tion; the best of nourishment, care, at
tention, and warmth could at best but
have prolonged her life for a few weeks
! or months ut most; as it was, however
She literally persisted from want Of
food and exposure to the elements
|, She was brought in late on Wednesday
!! and died before o o yesterday. WheT
uSktu WA8k was 10 DO uOuc Will Hcl
effects and whether she had any fina
Instructions to give, she desired tina
the three half-pence might be handed Il
the nurse, who had been kind TO her
: The organ was to be returned to a Ger
: tain address in the City, for, as II
t~ranspircd, IL was only hired from al
Italian, who made his living by letting
/, out these instruments of public tortur'
! at so much per week or month";.
! "Ah, sad enough, for the Onlooken
at any rate, no Doubt" observed 81
Jasper gruiiy; Notwithstanding which
, my dear Hollingshead, you must per
NIT me to doubt whether the decease'
, is after all 90 greatly to be pitied. Sh'
Is at rest, her troubles are over; she ha'
|, laid her burthen down-that burthel
! which. after all, may have been no viii
heavier lifted to her back than tina
, which most Of us, In some form or an
, other ara destined to bear to the end
The troubles OF this world, In my opin
, ion, = melted out less ~unevenly thaI
might Ut fFst appsar-each human uni