The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-05-23

memorial custom, nlGh feaStS ana
Christmas gatherings have always
been held in SilvertOn Castle.
\ very handsome man is Baron Lii
Durne of Silverton. though he is old to
have two daughters so young and 50
fair as Kate and Grace.
There had been some romance about
the baron's early life, and he was
quite Il middle aged man when he mar
ried Hates mother. a wealthy heiress,
whom he had loved from his youth.
His happiness, however, was of
short duration. He had scarcely be ~
married year when his wife present
ed him with daughter; then closed
her eyes in the long endless sleep that
knows no waking.
The mOtherleSs infant was left at
the castle to be nursed by the wife of
the head gardener, who had just lost
her own baby, and Lord Lilburne went
abroad and tried to forget his grief
and his short-lived happiness.
He succeeded so well in his efforts
that when his wife had been dead
little more than year he married a
pretty girl young enough to be his own
daughter, and brought her home to
SilvertOn Castle.
But the girl bride soon wearied Of
her old husband and of her magnifi-
cent surroundings.
She had spent a very wandering life
before she became acquainted with
Lord Lilburne.
Her father had held commission in
Il line regiment. and she had lived
Ia, I a
always found little else but excitement
and amusement.
The quiet life she led with her state
ly husband soon became intolera bic to
her, and this feeling was augmented
by his too evident disappointment ut
the sex of her infant. who, like the
child of his first wife, was a girl.
Lady Lilburne chose to take offence
at his veXatiOn, and she became dis
contented and irritable.
She next filled the castle with guests
Of whom he disapproved and finally
she eloped with young officer of drd
goonS leaving her child behind.
The indignant peer did not attempt
to follow his faithless wife: he simply
ignored her existence, and he took 40
notice of her letters when she wrote
long afterward protesting repentance
and asking forgiveness.
She is dead now. but the outra ged
husband often remembers her when
he looks on the face Of his youngest
daughter, and this may be one OF the
causes why Grace is not his favorite
child.
But the party Of nearly forty guests
have seated themselves at the long
dining table in the old banqueting hall
and the servants are bringing In huge
joints of beef, in addition to geese and
turkeys, hares and fowls. besides an
enormous bears head, as though they
We're intent upon feeding a hungry
army.
While the guests are being helped by
the attentive servants, some Of those
who are here for the first time look
about them at the magnificent dimen-
siOns of the old hall, which formed
part of the ancient castle, and had
been left standing when the more mod
ern portion of the mansion was built
by the proceeding baron.
Il always admire this fine old hall"
said Lord Roland Ayre to Grace Lii
burne, who sat by his side. she having
managed that he should take her in
to dinner. II almost wonder your IA
Their does not use it more often than he
does"
Yes" assented the girl. "it Is a de-
liShtful party, such as we have to-day
or for a dance, but you have no idea
how desolate papa and Kate and l
m hnn n hnrn Inv
ourselves. We tried it once or twice
but ii gave us the horrors, so we went
back to our ordinary dining-rOOm, and
only use the hall two or three times Il
year. Do you admire my ancestress
who is looking down from the wall
there upon us, Lord ROlandW
Yes, she is very like your sister;
l have marked the strong resemblance
before to-day"
His eyes, as he said this. wandered
to the end Of the table where Kate
sat, and they fingered so long and so
lovingly upon her that he did not OBJ
serve the flash Of anger that cleaned
ont of Grace Lilburne's blue eyes. nor
did he see the savage way in which
she bit her lip with modification.
An attentive servant, looking after
his wants soon recalled him to the de-
SRA illty Of doing justice to the Christ
mas cheer. and he found very little
time to notice jealousy how attentive
Sir Algernon Colebrook was TO the
fair hostess.
Even a Christmas dinner must have
an end, though the viands be as plenti-
full and the delica2ies as numerous rs
On this occasion, soon after the des-
sert had made it's appearance the la
dies retored to the spacious drawing
room, where the gentlemen soon joined
them.
1--WE are going to dance in the great