Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-02-29

tiUUuhtftdilt SOY iIdb Hr - uot tint 49,
Of whom they say he looks like the devil
aud has the voice Of an angel; that gen
tleman il a sort of Jekyll and Hyde. all
urbanity and the most courtly suavity one
day, the next a lump of sullenness, VINO
will go to a country confirmation. and az
the house where he Is entertained, eit
speechless and mannerless at the feast
given in his honor and glumly put out Oh
sight the whole OF a rich and extravagant
dish Of stew ed sweetbreads or cream. and
then 20 of 10 bed with "A curt good
night and be taken very i'll before morn
ing and throw the entire household into
an uproar No, | do not mean that gen
tlemaD, nor do | think he could be let of
a severe course at the new Clerical stan
College"
After the bishops we might give special
attention to the clergy of the metropolis
and particularly to those in the suburbs,
whose manners are atrocious. Then we
would gradually work downward through
the different ranks until we had put the
requisite polish upon tae very last or
dained deacons.
Without joking. | really think | have
hit upon the grandest scheme that has
been moOted for at least fifty years.
la person Canon Berkeley vas exactly
like n hired coachman, | mean the sort OF
coachman that you get in London with q
turnout from the job-master's; he was
tall and ill-proportioned. and his gathered
legs showed off his fiat splased feet &c
their worst acknowledgement that he wore
CATERS that evening for his substantial
legs were clad in silken hose. He was
sloplng in the shoulder and narrow in the
chest. and wore the b~adly-grown beard.
scanty and patchy, which Is 40 much az
fected by a certain class OF successful
clergymen! With all this he had a some
what oily and s%ycophantish manner, in
tended 10 be a very courtly one!
His wife was a dowdy and had little OF
nothing 10 say for herself, the sort OF wo-
man who, taken on her own merits. would
inevitably have slipped into complete oh.
security, and on whom the little air OF dig
nifty which most ~clergymen's wives as
sumo, sooner or later, Sat very oddly, like
9 diamond necklace on a cotton frock.
She wore a brown brocaded gown. of very
modest cut. only a small indicating that
IL was not her Sunday church going
frock. The only marks OF worldliness
"VOdN ~ "NiO hllduktulGula 'uON ObHO-
lete) Of white lace about the wrists aud
along the V Of the neck, and seriously il
Mrs. Berkeley looked somewhat old-fash-
Toned, her gown was in itself a sermon
against such apparel-or want of it-as
served to display Mrs. Lovelace's arms
and shoulders.
There were now only two more guests
TO come-Mr. Gerard De Isle and his sis
ter Mina-and during the interval of wait
ing, Mrs. TrafYord worked her way round
TO Major Lovelace aud whispered 10 him
that he would kindly sit at the end Of The
table and take Mrs. Berkeley in to dinner.
Then she passed on to Captain Legard
and intimated to him that Mrs. Loyelace
was his portion, and to Mr.. O'Hagan that
his lady had not yet come.
Then Cox appeared again and the DE
Lisles came IN.
IL was odd to see with what q different
air the brother and sister entered the
room. Nina was fair and very tall, with
shapeless features and a dimple that gave
her al infinite amount of trouble. She
had a pale complexion and nice gray eyes,
with thick black brows which met in the
middle and gave her the appearance of
having but Que. She was rather slight as
well rs tall aud had a waist just eighteen
inches in circumference. Her waist was
SO short and her legs so long that in order
TO avoid gawkiness she had been trained
10 tax very short steps, so she minced
into the room looking up from under her
black eyebrow in a Juvenile girlish sort
of way NINA was thirty, all the same)
and with her mouth set in the sort OF fixed
smile best calculated to show off that
dimple.
Tncn came oeraru. Win sucn a maYvei.
Gus expanse of shirt-front hat his legs
almost tottered under it and seemed Il
sprawl about ia all directions in the efforI
TO keep their footing. He had a nice white
collar aud a little black tie, aud shiny lit
tie suarp pointed shoes tied with bows OF
black ribbon. And likewise he had a lib
eral amount OF manner on, the manner
which had made him neither more mol
less than the darling of half the women's
hearts ia the town.
Two minutes after the last arrivals, Cox
announced that dinner was served, and
Major Lovelace gave his arm TO Mrs,
Berkeley and led the way TO the dining
room. And when in their turn Julia and
Mr.. De Lisle found their places. Gerard
discovered that he was placed between
Julia and his own sister. SO also did
Mrs. Trafford (who, by-the-by, had care.
fully arranged the table herself that AZ
%ternoonl
"Oh, my dear Mr.. DE Lisle," she said,
this is dreadful-you cannot sit next 10
your own sister-it is worse than a hus
band and wife finding themselves to-
gether."
Pray don't trouble to make any change,
Mrs. T~rafford," said he, promptly. 81
can keep my sister in order and see that
she behaves properly" at which every
body laughed aud the table remained rs
il was.
Clever little Mrs. Trafford! For the
natural consequence Of her mistake
was that Mr.. De Isle confined all his at,
tentions to Miss Julia and left his sister
to be kind and encouraging to Mr..
O'Hagan. Consequently Julia had a very
good time and showed TO her best advant-
age, and before the ladies left the table
she had heard a great piece Of news from
Gerard.
You know the Manor Lodge, don't you,
Miss Trafford?" he said.
The Manor Lodge" she repeated.
mo. | don't think do. Who lives there
We'll, nobody has lived there for a long
time, never since l can remember" he an-
severed.
"Oh. the old house on the Appleton-roa d
yes, | know. What Of it,"
1T is let-or rather sold"
You don't say so. And who has bought
ity"
"A Mr.. Markham, an Australian. He
Is going TO spend a lot of money over is
aud means TO live there rs soon as It can
he got ready. Meantime, he has taken
Brentwood Hall for six months"
Really, you don't saw a.. Are they
uice people, do you think"
Yes. | think so. His wife is q very
pretty, gentle. lady-like kind OF woman
and they both seem uEcommonly keen on
hunting. They are going 70 lit the stables
up In superb style"
And have they already come to Brent
woodt'
Il think not. They come next week, l
believe"
Il wonder what made them think OF
coming to Blankhampton," said Julia,
wonderingly. They must have been
very much charmed with the Manor
Lodge to take SO much trouble over II.
There must be plenty Of houses to be had
In good hunting centres which would be
ready for them to walk right into"
Yes. but Mrs. Markham took q fancy
to this place, the she saw its she
turned round to him and said Bob ! must
have this place at any price,"
And were you therei" asked Julia,