Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-01-06
'cmiDgs Of the previous day.
icrdship was aroused from
N ,SNy the sight.of his fiancee's facs
n coiorIess.

M -uSNy the sight'of his fiancee's fac,
IM eolorle.s.
T$Ice, fear you were really suffer
Ihg mTe than l thought yesterday. n
was pJt caprice wbich prevented yonr see
ing me-and j really gave you credit fol
Florence raised her eyes steadily 10 bi,
iofdship's face and answered calmly
"Nevertheless, Lord Harcourt, / mus
confess that IL was csprice--eyen wors,
caprice. i was perfectly well yester
tfday, and my denial was premeditated. !,
pln mute astonishment his lordship lnnL ..
Mt his bancee. Then che got up quickly
and stood before him.
/ Lord Harcourt, cannot marry YOU"
she said clearly and distinctly. There was
no mistaking her words.
81 on cannot marry me, Miss Worthing.
ton' Are you madY Within a fortnight
OF our marriage you presume to tell me
this - he exclaimed Indignantly. "You
can only be jesting of course--but IL is an
ugly jest, and one 1 must beg you to re-
tract"
That lie disbelieved the possibility Of
what She said was evident, but he was un.
mistakably incensed.
"It is no jest, Lord Harcourt, and have
no excuse 20 offer you-except that You
may have afforded Inc a precedent for my
| conduct" she Went on quickly. 81 have
tired TO like you, / have tried TO force N.Y.
sell TO fulh my promise; but / cannot--I
dislike you too much," she said desperate.
ly. ave have not one thought in common
i cannot believe that you have spark Of
anection or even esteem for me. You can.
not have, when you remember the terms Of
our engagement. And YOU do not come to
me even with clean hands and pure heart,
had II been ever so cold a one. No-I
Know" she added, reddening deeply; edo
not try to disabuse me OF my knowledge
That you should be 40 taxed by my lips is,
iHNY, most painful. But, at any rate,
LorRliarcourt, YOU are a gentleman in the
conventional sense Of the word; you will
not try TO deny what accuse you Of. Help
me rather 10 break this engagement which
can bring us DO happiness"
Every trace Of color had vanished from
his lordship's face, leaving it unpleasantly
liyid.
81 think your conduct both unwarrant.
able and disgraceful," said his lordship. II
will not accept your decision now. Your
aversion TO me cannot have arisen so sud.
denly. And by what excuse can you clear
yourself in the eyes Of the world. Do you
imagine for one moment that you will not
be utterly disgraced In society as the vic.
tim Of twice broken engagement. What
construction can be put upon your con.
duct?"
Not word was said Of his rejected love,
OF his grief at the bare thought OF losing
her, Of his sorrow at her broken faith. She
tad iyt.l
what he cared or thought, or what the
world might say. She knew herself now,
and she knew also that she could not sacri.
dee her whole life's peace for ambition
She had tried; but her strength, happily,
had failed.
Miss Worthington, / will not suffer thi,
insult at your hands"' Lord Harcourt de.
clared psssionately. "My reputation is
something to me, il you do not value your
own. Your conduct is Unprecedented, and
you shall not throw me of with so little
courtesyr'
But Miss Worthington raised her eyes to
his without being one whit abashed.
"Do You threaten me Lord Harcourt! !
admit that my conduct is TO be condemned
because of its ingratitude; nevertheless ]
cannot marry you. More, confess TO you
that j should wrong you too deeply II J
did. You may say anything, everything,
you can think Of, detrimental 10 myself-I
will deny nothing; but my freedom l win
have"
What excuse have you to offer me,
Florence;" his lordship asked still white
with rage. "What can have so quickly
changed your feelings towards me during
the last two days-your pretended afec.
tion for me,'
"stop there, Lord Harcourt % she cried
quickly. "On your honor, have i ever re.
vealed the slightest regard for you, Did
/ not tell you, ON our engagement being re-
newed, that could never love you-that I
submitted to your wish only to crafty my
ssys..lssspscr wouTu ndee taia iHfiRK V trsfIs
for 90 poor prize. That your Offer called
for deeper gratitude I admit--and know
psIIvls an al ulrI, sql III psaoIIoy sAsU
lIBsQ lm pun 'isssi " spnlneIS lssdssp
itu p0uIys sAyq souo lqs!m nol" 'iilusS
)IoW p!ss aus ..'lInooLuH pLo1 NV 1ou
~ lLusQ Inoi 'p9Qonol ilsLos 90 ium apiid
Inol V5noql 'luQl :! ssi5 uao Au ul 9W
IoJ spug sousl5suoo im ssnox9 SIuo sqIv
pslssd5I sqs ..'noi kIIsm louuuo 'euIvs
qua uIpmai sirMIg lsum uoIs!9sp im 'iInoS
JeH pIoI 'sm aAl5 noi cum IsAslrqMv
..'5q ll!M suspl L9q luVa mouS lleA
qSuoQl- ipuI QIlM IIusuoo o. 'ssSu
.pvm Inoi IsAo HuIql OF smll Sul91, Iuok
uodn islsuI I 'uolSulqiIe "A ss!T 'Aou
uolsIo5p Inoi ldsoov ol osnJsI | puvv
q: :nol iIIvtu ,ouuvo
I arsdsI I anq ~ pslInbsI sAsq III Moq
puy 'sm ouop 9ArU uoi Iouor ap1 ITnJ sql o,
-
white, his brow angry and lowering. fes,
who could tell? In all my trouble, in what
you deemed my disgrace, when the world
was very hard for inc, you left me pitlless-
ly to my fate; you threw me back my free
dom bur too easily"
She saw that the shaft told. His lord
ships face flushed slightly
.sAll this is idle recrimination, Miss
worthington. | repeat l will not take
your dismissal to-day, or even at all. Girls
OF your age are often seized with some
sudden fancy, OF which their minds are
happily as easily disabused. Al all events
you shall have time for reflection; decline
your dismissal to-day. Later l may see
your aunt; but until tomorrow / shall
give YOU time for thought" He would
have liked to say repentance" but some
thing in Florenee's face prevented him from
saying il.
..Lord Harcourt, believe me, l am sin.
ccrely gtateful for the honor you would do
me, the patience you are willing to show
me; but can never marry you," she re-
turned in clear calm tones, beyond all mis-
taking, not a shadow of tenderness on her
face.
"a man is not so easily repulsed, Miss
Wor;hington, when he has so much ut stake.
I will not accept your decision to-day; and
ther fore abstain from expressing my
opinion on your conduct"
Lord Harcourt Vernon knew perfectly
well that the woman he would gladly pay
30 high prize for to grace his title. TO sir
at the head of his table, 10 wear his jewels,
to make his curiosity patent to the world,
was slipping from his grasp. She had been
held by no ties Of tenderness. no sympathy (;
there had been but little forbearanee oil
her noble lovers part. IL had simply been
q worldly engagement: and the sacrifice,
with all its splendid accessories, had fallen
lar short Of the true happiness Florence
crayed for, and knew might be hers. Her
courage aud powers OF endurance had
failed her, even to crafty her pride and
ambition. Soouer or later she must have
broken her gildej' ehaia. she knew, for
they were intolerably heavy and CALLING
She was reckless AS 10 what the world
might say or think. She thought only OF
one haven. where all her shortcomings
might be pardoned, where she might find
al-satisfying happiness instead Of glitter