Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-02-16

I ItliNtfliR lilt wv hdB iul VI III SUI
ious beauty. The grim warriors in their
coats Of mail seem. to the cntranced
gaze of Florence Delmaine, TO be max
ing ready TO spring from the inches
which hold them.
Waking from her dream "a she reach
es the foot Of the stone staircase, She
says abruptly. but with "A lovely smile
playing round her mouth
surely, Sir Adrian. you have a ghost
I'm this beautiful old place. or a secret
staircase. or at least a bogy Of some
sort? Do not spoil the romantic look
Of ii by telling me YOU have no tale of
terror TO imput, no history of a ghostly
v~isitant who walks these halls at the
dead Of night"
we have no ghost here. | am sorry
to say" answers Sir Adrian. laughing.
For the first time | feel distressed and
ashamed that it should be 50. We can
only boast a haunted chamber; but
there are certain legends about it, ] am
proud To say. the bare narration of
which would make ever the stoutest
quail"
"G,od g~racions-how distinctly un-
pleasant" exclaims Mrs. Talbot. with
a nervous and very effective shudder.
How distinctly delicious. you meant"
puts in Miss Delmaine. "Sir Adrian.
is this chamber anywhere near where |
shall Sleep"
oh, no: you need not be afraid OF
that" answers Dynecourt hastily.
Il am not afraid" said the girl sauci-
ly. Il have all my life been seeking an
adventure of some sort. ] nm tired of
my prOsaic existence. | want to know
what jewellers in the shadowy realms
of ghost-land are like
Dear Sir Adrian, do urge her not
to talk like that: it is positively
wicked pleads Dora Talbot. glancing
at him beseechingly.
Miss Delmaine, you will drive Mrs.
Talbot from my house if YOU persist in
your evil courses" says Sir Adrian,
Are you afraid. Dora?" asks Flor
ence merrily. Then keep close to me.
can defy all evil spirits, | have spells
and charms"
"Yon have indeed" puts in Sir Adj
rian. in a one SO low that only she can
hear it. And. knowing this, you
should be merciful."
Though she cannot hear what he
SAYS, yet Mrs. Talbot can see he is adj
dressing Florence. and marks with
some uneasiness the glance that passes
from his eyes to hers. Breaking quick
~ into the conversation, she says tim
idly, laying her hand on her hosts
arm
This shocking room you speak of
will not be neal minet"
In another wing altogether" Sir
Adrian replies reaSsuringly. Indeed
1t is so far from this part of the castle
that n might be safely incarcerated
there and slowly starVe To death with
out any one of the household being "a
bit wiser. IL Is III the north wing in
the old tower. Il portion Of the building
that has not been i'm uSe for over fifty
years"
Il breathe again" says Dora Talbot
affectedly.
Il shall traverse every inch of that
old tOwer-haunted room and all-be-
fore | am "A week older" declares Flor
ence defiantly. After which She smiles
at Adrian again. and follows the maid
up the broad staircase 10 her
BY the end of the week many other
visitors had been made welcome ut the
castle: but none perhaps gave 50 much
pleasure To the young barOnet as Mrs.
Talbot and her cousin.
Miss Delmaine, the only daughter
and heiress OF an Indian nabob. had
taken London by storm this past sea-
son: and not only the modern BABYLON.
b bAAN Nv iAhli WI ~ lhi - l'NbAll az
well. She had come home to England
on the death of her father about two
years ago; and. having no nearer rela-
tives alive. had been kindly received
by her cousin. the Hon. Mrs. Talbot.
who was then living with her husband
in a pretty house in Mayfair.
Six months after Florence Delmaine's
arrival. George Talbot had succumbed
10 a virulent fever: and his widow, up
on whom a handsome iointure had
been settled, when the funeral and the
necessary law worries had come TO an
end, had intimated To her young cousin
that she intended to travel for "A year
upon the Continent, and that she would
be glad, that is-with IN elaborate sigh
she would be a degree less miserable,
If she. Florence would accompany her.
This delighted Florence. She was
wearied with attendance on the sick.
having done most of the nursing of the
Hon. George. while his wife lamented
and slept; and, beside, she was still
sore at heart for the loss of her father.
The years abroad passed swiftly; the
end of it brought them to Paris once
more, where. feeling that her time of
mourning might be decently terminal
ed. Mrs. Talbot had discarded her SOM
Der robes and put herself into the
hands of the most fashionable dress
maker she could find.
Florence, too, discarded mourning for
the first time, although her father had
been almost two years in his quiet
grave amongst the Hills; and, with her
cousin, who was 10 indeed her only
friend. if slightly uncongenial, decided
to return to London forthwith.
Ii was early in May. and, with a sen
sation of extreme and most natural
pleasure, the girl looked forward to a
few months passed amongst the best
of those whom she had learned under
her cousins auspices to regard AS
society"
Dora Talbot herself was not by any
means dead to the thought that it
would be TO her advantage to introduce
into society a girl well-born and nos
sessed of an almost fabulous fortune.
Stray crumbs must surely fall TO her
share in a connection of this kind, and
such crumbs she was prepared to gath
er with a thankful heart.
But %nnhappily she set her affection
upon Sir Adrian D%ynecourt, with his
grand old castle and his princely rent
roll-a "crumb" the magnitude and
worth Of which she was not slow to APP
preciate. At first she had not deemed
it possible that Florence would serious
" regard a mere barOnet as a sutton,
when her unbOunded wealth would al
most entitle her to a duke. But love"
as she discovered later. to her discom-
future, will always find the way" And
one day, quite Unexpectedly. 1t dawned
upon her that there might-if circum-
stances favored them-grow up a feel
ing between Florence and Sir Adrian
that might lead To mutual devotion.
Yet, strong i'm the belief of her own
charms. Mrs. Talbot accepted the inyi-
tation given by Sir Adrian. and at tle
close Of the season she and Florence
Delmaine find themselves the first Of a
batch of guests come TO spend "a month
or two at the old castle at Dynecourt.
Mrs. Talbot is still young, and. i'm her
style, very pretty: her eyes are lang
uishing and blue as gentian, her hair Il
soft nut-brown; her lips perhaps are
not altogether faultless. being too fine
and too closely drawn, but then her
mouth is small. She looks considera-
BILE younger than she really il, and
does not forget To make the most of this
comfortable fact. indeed. TO a casual
observer. her cousin looks scarcely her
junior.
Miss Delmaine IL tall. slender. posee
more or less, while Mrs. Talbot il pref
tily rounded. petite in every point, and
~neryously ambitious of winning the re-
gard of the male sex.
IN..s... H. .. . -. -