Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-03-09
The Haunted Chamber.
by "TBE

faint voice
II am very foolish: IL was the heat. /
suppose, OF the nervousness of acting
before so many strangers, that has up
set pie. IL il eyer now. ! beg you will
not remember it, Sir Adrian, or speak
OF it to any one"
All this time she has not alloweL her
self to glance even in his direction.
so fearful is she Of further betraying
the mental agony she is enduring.
us it likely ! should speak of i'll" re-
turns Sir Adrian reproachfully. mo;
anything connected with you shall he
sacred to me. But--pardon me- still
think you are in grief, and, believe me,
i'll spite of everything, | would deem it
a privilege TO be allowed to befriend
you in any way"
1T Is impossible" murmurs Flor
ence, in a stiled tone.
"fou mean You will not accept my
help'-sadly. so be il then. have
no right, j know, to establish myself as
your champion. There are others. no
doubt, whose happiness lies in the fact
that they may render you a service
when 1t is in their power. | do not
complain, however. Nay, | would even
ask You to look upon me at least as a
friend"
Il shall always regard you as a
friend" Florence responds in a low
voice. 1T would be impossible to me
to look upon you in amy other light
Thank you for that" says Adrian
quickly. Though our lives must of
n comfort TO me TO know that at least.
wherever you may be, You will think of
me as a friend"
All" thinks Florence. with "A bitter
pang. "he Is now trying TO let me know
how absurd was my former idea that
he might perhaps learn to love mel"
This thought Is almost insuppOrtable.
Her pride rising III arms, she subdues
all remaining traces of her late emo
ton. and, turning suddenly. confronts
him. Her face is quite colorless. but
she can not altogether hide from him
the sadness that still deSolates her
eyes.
"You are right" she agrees. an the
future our lives will indeed be far dis
tant from each other. SO far apart that
the very tie of friendship will readily
be forgotten by us both
Florence, do not say that he Ell
treats, believing in his turn that she
alludes TO her coming marriage with
his cousin. "And-and-do not be an
cry with me; but ] would ask you to
consider long and earnestly before TAX
ing the step you have in view. Re-
member il is a bond that once sealed
can never be cancelled"
"A bond! / do not follow you," ex-
claims Florence bewildered.
"Ah, you will not trust me: You will
not conlide in me-"
Il have nothing to confide." persists
Florence; still deeply puzzled.
We'll, let it rest So" returns Adrian,
now greatly wounded at her deter
mined reserve. as he deems il. lie calls
to mind all Mrs. Talbot had said about
her s%lyness, and feels d~isheartened. At
least he has not deserved distrust at
her hands. Promise me-" he entreats
at last. that. if ever YOU are in danger,
you will accept my help"
II promise she replies family. Then
trying to rally her dropping spirits, She
continues, with an attempt at a smile,
Tell me that you will accept mine
should you he in any danger. Remem-
Der. the mouse once rescued the lion!'
and she smiles again, and glances at
him with a touch of her old archness.
1T il "A bargain, And now. will YOU
rest here awhile until you feel quite re-
stored 10 calmnesS?
But you must not remain with me-
Florence urges hurriedly. Your guests
are awaiting you. Probably"-with "a
faint smile-"your partner for this
waltz is impatiently wondering what
has become of you"
Il think not, says Adrian. returning
her smile. Fortunately | have no
ones name on my card for this waltz.
i say fortunately, because think
glancing at her t~enderly-"I have been
able TO bring back the smiles to your
face sooner than would have been the
case had You been left here alone to
brood owe your trouble, whatever it
may be-"
There is no trouble" declares Flor
ence. in "A somewhat distressed fashion.
turning her head r~estlessly to one side.
II wish you would dispossess yourself
Of that idea. And. do not stop here,
they-every N will accuse you of dis
courtesy II you absent yourself from
the ballroom any longer"
"Then. come with me-" says Adrian.
See, this waltz is only just beginning:
give it TO me-"
Carried away by his manner. she lays
her hand upon his arm, and oes with
him to the ballroom. There he passes
his arm around her waist, and present
" they are lost among the throng of
| whirling dancers. and both give them
selves up for the time being to the
mere delight of knowing that they are
together.
Two people, seeing them enter thus
together, on apparently friendly terms,
regard them with hostile glances. Dora
Talbot, who is coquetting sweetly with
I a gaunt man of middle age, who is evil
IDENTITY overpowered by her attentions,
letting her eyes rest upon Florence as
she waltzes past her with Sir Adrian,
| colors warmly, and, biting her lip, for
| gets the honeyed speech she was abouf
fe bestow upon her companion, who ~
| the owner Of a considerable property,
and lapses into silence, for which the
! gaunt man is devoutly grateful. as it
| luves him a moment in which to reflect
on the safest means Of getting rid OF
her without delay.
Dora's fair brow grows darker and
| darker as she watches Florence. and
notes the smile that lights OH her beau
| tiful face as she makes some answer TO
| one of Sir Adrian's sallies. Where ia
| D%ynecourt, that he has not been on the
| spot to prevent this dance, she Won
ders. She grows angry, and would
have stamped her little foot with I'M
| patient wrath at this moment, but for
| che fear Of displaying her vexation.
AS she is inwardly anathematizing
| Arthur, he energies from the throng,
and, the dance being at an end, re-
minds Miss Delmaine that the next is
his.
Florence unwillingly removes her
hand from Sir Adrian's arm, and lays
il upon Arthur's. Most disdainfully
| she moves away with him, and suffers
him to lead her to another part of the
room. And when she dances with him,
1t is with evident reluctance, as he
knows by the fact that she yisibly
| shrinks from him when he encircles her
waist with his arm.
Sir Adrian, who has noticed none OF
these symptoms, going up to Dora, so
| licits her hand for this dance.
"You are not engaged, | hopey' he
| says anxiously. 1t is a kind of wretch
ed comfort to him To be near Florence's
true friend. Ii not the rose, she has
| at least some connection with it.
II am afraid l am" Dora responds,
raising her limpid eyes to his. "Naugh-
ty man, why did you not come sooner?
Thought you had forgotten me alto
gether, and so got tired of keeping bar
rem spots upon my card for YOU"
Il couldn't help i'll was engaged. A
man I'm his own house has ALWAYS "A bad