Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-12-26

THE STORY.


I.
Not far from the source of the famous riv-
er which rises in the mountains between
Loeb Katrine and Loeb Lomond, aud divides
the highlands and the lowlands OF Scotland,
travellers arrive at the venerable gray walls
OF Mount MOryen, and. after consulting their
guide-books, ask permission TO see the house.
What would he called, in q modern place
OF residence, the first floor is reserved for the
occupation OF the family. The great hal of
entrance, and its quaint old fireplace, the an
cient rooms on the same level opening out of
il, are freely shown TO strangers. Cultivated
travellers express various opinions relating to
the family portraits and the deliberately car
we'd ceilings. The uninstructed public de-
clines 10 trouble itself with criticism. Ii
looks up at the towers and the loopholes, the
battlements and the rusty old guns. which
still bear witness TO the perils of past times
when the place was a fortress-it enters the
gloomy hall, walks through the stone-payed
rooms, stares at the faded pictures, and won
ders at the lofty chimney-pieces hopeleSsly
out of reach. Sometimes it sits on chairs,
which are a cold and hard as iron, or timid-
ly feels the legs of immovable tables which
NC ltE0 Va titDildlL, 81 ldI dS SIZE -
concerned. When these maryels have been
duly admired, and the guide-books are shut
up, the e~mancipated tourists, emerging into
light and air, all find the same social problem
presented by a visit to Mount Morven: How
can the family live in such a place as that?'
If these strangers on their travels had been
permitted 10 ascend to the first floor, and had
been invited (for exanplel TO say goodnight
TO Mrs. Linley's pretty little daughter, they
would have seen the stone walls of Kitty's
bed-chamber snugly covered with velvet
~hangings which kept out the cold; they
would have trod on a doubly-laid carpet,
which set the chilly influences of the pave
ment beneath ii at defiance, they would have
looked at a bright little bed, of the last new
pattern, worthy Of a child's deeply delicious
sleep; and they would only have discovered
that the room was 800 years old when they
had drawn aside the window curtains, and
had revealed the adamantine solidity Of the
outer walls. Or, ii they had been allowed to
pursue their investigations q little farther.
and had found their way into Mrs. Linley's
sittiRg-room, here again q transformation
scene would have revealed more modern
luxury presented in the perfection which inn
plies restraint within the limits Of good taste.
But on this occasion, instead of seeing the
mented him, with tears OF sincere sorrow,
when he died after two years Of married life,
was a mystery which puzzled her nearesta and
dearest friends. And why, when she indulg-
ed Ga little too frequently in recollections OF
her married life, She persisted in putting OBJ
scure Mr.. Presty on a level with distinguish
ed Mr.. Ormond, was q secret which this re-
markable woman had never been known to
reveal. Presented by their widow with the
s~trictest impartiality to the general view, the
characters of these two husbands combined,
by force of contrast, the ideal Of manly per-
lection. That is to say, the vices of Mr.. Or
mond We're the virtues OF Mr.. Presty, and the
vices Of Mr.. Presty were the virtues OF Mr..
Ornond.
Returning to the sitting-room after bidding
Kitty goodnight, Mrs. Linley discovered the
old lady asleep, and saw that the book on her
mothers lap was sliding of. Before she
could check the downward movement the
book fell on the floor, and Mrs. Presty woke.
'Oh, mamma, l am so sorry! l was just
too late 10 catch it,"
at doesn't matter, my dear. 1 dare say |
should go to sleep again IL went on with
my novel;"
10 u ftdllt as uull Is l1dL!
'Dullg' Mrs. Presty repeated. "You are
evidently not aware of what the new school
of n~ovel-writing is doing. The new school
provides the public with soothing fiction"
Are you speaking seriously, mamma?'
seriously, Catherine-and gratefully.
head of a lively little child on the pillow,
side by side with the head of her doll, they
would have encountered an elderly lady OF
considerable size, fast asleep and snoring in
a vast armchair with a book on her lap. The
married men among the tourists would have
recognized a mother-in-law, and would have
set an excellent example to the rest-that is
to say, the example Of leaving the room.
The lady composed under the soporifc in
.luence of literature was a person OF impor-
lance In the house-holding rank as Mrs.
Linley's mother, and being otherwise notice.
able for having married two husbands and
survived them both.
The first of these gentlemen, the Rt.- Hon.
Joseph Ormond, had been a member of par
lament and had taken Office under govern
ment Mrs. Linley was his one surviving
child. He died at an advanced age, leaving
his handsome widow young enough, as she
was always ready to mention, to be his
daughter) well provided for, and an object
OF matrimonial aspiration to single gentle
men who admired size in . woman, set on by
money. After hesitating for some little time
Mrs. Omond accepted the proposal OF the
ugliest and dullest man among the ranks OF
her admirers. Why she became the wife OF
MIR. Presty known in commercial circles as
O merchant enriched by the sale CT vinegar)
she was never able to explain. Why she Ia
These new writers are SO good to old wo-
men. No story to excite our poor nerves; no
improper characters to cheat Us out OF our
sympathies; no dramatic situations to fright
en- us; exquisite management of details las
the reviews say, and q mastery anatomy OF
human motives which, / know what i mean,
my dear, but 1 can't explain it,"
II think / understand, mamma. A mas
terly anatomy Of human motives which Is in
itself q motive Of human sleep. No; / won't
borrow your novel just now. 1 don't want
TO 90 to sleep; ! am thinking of Herbert in
London
Mrs. Presty consulted her watch.
Your husband Is no longer In London"
she announced; '.he has begun his journey
home. Give me the railway guide and I'll
tell you when he'll be here tomorrow. You
may trust me. Catherine, to make no mis-
take. Mr.. Presty's wonderful knowledge of
figures has been Of the greatest use TO me in
later life. Thanks to his instructions, / Am
the only person In the house who can Crap
pie with the intricacics OF our railway sys-
tenn. Your poor father, MI. Orm0nd, never
could understand time STABLES, and never at
tempted 10 conceal his deficiencies. lie had
none OF the vanity 6hamless vanity, per
haps) which led poor Nj. Presty 20 express