Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-06-29

door. The muddy river rose aud fell with
the distant tide. At rare intervals u col
lier discharged its cargo on the moulder-
Ing quay, or an empty barge took in q load
OF hay. One bold house advertised in q
dirty window, apartments 10 let. There
was a lawyer in the town. who nad no oc
casion To keep u clerk, and there was n
doctor who hoped 10 sell his practice for
anything il wouhl fetch. The directors OF
the new railwa~, NJ or a stormy meeting.
decided on Offering (by means of "a s~tation)
n last chance Of revival OF the diving town.
The town had not vitality enough left TO
be grateful: the railway stimulnnt pro.
duced no effect. or all his colleagues in
Great Britain n Ireland, the station
master at Honeybuzzard was the idlest
mainland this. ms he said to the unem.
ployed porter. through no want Of energy
on his own part.
Late on n rainy autumn afternoon. the
slow train left one traveller at the station.
He got out Of q first-class carriage: he car.
ried an umbrella and n traveling-bag; and
he asked his way TO the best inn. The
statiOn-maste and the porter compared
notes. One OF them said: Evidently q
gentleman" The other added: "Wha
can he possibly van hercy"
The stranger twice lost his way In the
t%ortuons old streets of the town before he
reached the inn. On giving his orders, II
appeared that he wanted three things: q
private room, something TO eat. and. while
the dinner was being cooked, materials for
writing "A letter.
Answering her daughters questions
downstairs, the landlady described her
gnest rs n nice-lOoking man dressed In
deep mourning. Young. my dear, with
beautiful dark brown hair. and "A grand
beard. and a sweet sorrowful look. All,
his eyes would tell anybody that his black
clothes are not a mere sham. Whether
V,oprfa1 ng sfuOia Of gnnrun \ oupft 49,,
But | noticed the name on his travelling
bag. A distinguished name, in my opin.
iOn-Hngh Mountjoy. / wonder what
he'll order 10 drink when he has his din.
ner' What "A mercy il will be IL we can
get rid Of another bottle of the sour French
winel"
The bell ia the private room rang at that
moment, and the la~ndlady's daughter, il
IL needless TO say, took the opportunity Of
forming her oNn opinion OF Mr.. Hugh
Mountjoy.
She returned viii a letter in her hand,
consumed by Il vain longing for the adj.
yantagcs of gentle birth. "Ah, mother,
II | was a young lady OF the higher classes,
] know whose wife | should like to be-
Not particularly interested In sentimental
aspirations, the laudlady asked 10 see Mr..
Mountjoy's letter. The messenger who
delivered IL was to wait for an answer. Ii
was addressed 10: Miss Henley. care Of
SidItuIt luiPhhf ISIuilt, ItOucl DuL-
gard" Urged by an excited imagination,
the daughter longed to see Miss Henley.
The mother was at a loss TO understand
why Mr.. MOuntjoy should have troubled
himself to write the letter at all. "If he
knows the young lady who is staying at
the doctors house, she said, why doesn't
he call on Miss Henley!' She handed
the letter back TO her daughter. ''Therel
let the ostler take it,; he's got nothing to
do"
mo. mother. The oStler's dirty hands
mustn't touch it'll take the letter my.
self Perhaps | may see Miss Henley"
Such was the impression which MIR. Hugh
Mountioy had innocently produced on u
sensitive young person., condemned by
destiny TO the barren sphere OF action at-
forded by a country inn!
The landlady herself took the dinner up
stairs-a first course of mutton chops and
potatoes: cooked to a degree OF imperfec-
ton only attained In an English kitchen.
The sour French wine was still on the
good woman's mind. What would you
choose TO drink. siry" she asked. Mr..
Mountioy seemed to feel no interest in
what he might have to drink. 1--WE have
some French wine, SIR Thank you,
ma'am: that will do"
When the bell rang again, md the time
came to produce the second course of
cheese and celery, the landlady allowed
the waiter To take her place. Her expert.
ence OF the farmers who f~requented the
inn, and who had in some few cases been
Induced to taste the wine. warned her to
anticipate an outbreak Of just anger from
Mr.. Mountjoy. He, like the others, would
probably ask what she meant by poison
Ing him with such stuf as that" On the
return OF the waiter she put the question:
DID the gentleman complain OF the
French wlnei"
"He wants to see you about IL, ma'am."
IN. All la, rVa tNn1a Tho ~ VNac
sion of Mr.. Monntjoy's indignation was
evidently reserved tor the mistress of the
house. did he swear, she asked. when
he tasted it!"
Lord bless you, ma'am, no! Drank 1t
out of n tumbler, and--it You will believe
me-actually seemed 10 like it."
The landlady~ recovered her color. Graf
itude TO Providence for having sent a Gus
toner TO the inn, who could drink sour
wine without discovering il, was the up |
permost feeling In her ample bosom MS she
entered the private room. Mr.. MountJoy
justified her anticipatious. tie was simple
euough-with his tumbler before him, und
the wine as il were under his nose-to De-
gin with an apology.
II am sorry 10 trouble you, ma'am. May
| ask where you got this winei"
1.-THE wine. sir. wa one OF m v late hus.
bands bad debts. II vas all he could
get from a Frenchman who owed him
MONEY!"
"lt's worth money. ma'am."
''Indeed. sirg"
Eyes. indeed. This is some Of the finest
and purest claret that I have tasted for
many u long day past"
An alarming suspicion disturbed the
serenity Of the landlady's mind. Was this
extraordinary opinion OF the wine sincerei
Or was it Mr.. Monnijoy's wicked design
10 eutrap her into praising her ciaret n
then to imply hat she was n cheat by de-
clnring what he really thought Of III She
took refuge In n cautious reply:
'You are the first gentleman, sir, who
has not found fault with it,
'In that case. pcrhaps You would like tn
get rid OF the winet" MIR. Mountjoy sug
gcstel.
The landau was still cautious. "Who
will buy IL Of me. sirt"
al will. How much do You charge for 1t
by the bottles"
It was. by this time. clear that he was
not mischievous-only n little crazy. The
woriliy-wise hostess took advantage OF
that circumstance 10 double the price.
Without hesitation, she said: Five shil-
lings n hottie: SIR"
Often. too often, the irony OF circnm-
stances brings together, ON this earthly
scene. the opposite types OF vice and vir-
tue, A lying landlady aud a guest incap-
ALL ~ deceit we're looking at each other
urrt3 ~ nATfbW tibic. cqItiy UtcDuSClOus
Of the iinme1surrblH moral gulf that Ia
hrt' vcen then. l"lI nic" Ia ho ioritle !
e. ne. Inn f,Rt liu n Mount, i,s'i,
the ,anA'a Tvs sraql fer money To the ful
gaiiaa of hrm n cul | lily.
.. ,iua't tn NIX you ar. aware NJ the vain,
OF orr wine" he said. II have clsrst H.
mv cellar which IN not so good as this, anl
which casts moro than you have asked. IL
Is onlv f,irt TO o.fcr you se,eu-and -sixpence
II h~n'tle.h
When m eccentric traveller Is asked to
pay a price, aud 4 liberately raises that
price igains, himself. where IL the sensi-
w%oinrn--et ncci DIV IL she happens to
be n willow cpliactins an unproftable ]
bnsincss-who woald hesitate to improve