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 ut the venerable gray walls
OF Mount Morven, and. after consulting their
gu~lde-books, ask permission TO see the house.
What would be called, in a modern place
OF residence, the first floor Is reserved for the
occupation of the family. The great hall of
entrance, and its quaint old fireplace, the an
cient roomso on the same level opening out OF
II, 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 to trouble itself with criticism. 1t
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 il sits on chairs,
which are as cold and hard az iron, or timid-
ly feels the legs of immovable tables which
iiiSht NC ltsS va tltBittilS 81 ID do size -
concerned. When these marveis have been
duly admired, and the guide-bJ6ks 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?:''
III these strangers on their travels had been
permitted to ascend to the first floor, and had
been invited (for example) to say goodnight
10 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 1t 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
pursue their investigations a little farther,
and had found their way into Mrs. Linley's
sitting-room, here again "a transformation
scene would have revealed more modern
luxury presented In the perfection which i'm
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 nearest and
dearest friends. And why, when she indulg-
ed "a little too frequently in recollections or
her married life, she persisted In putting OBJ
scure Mr.. Presty OF a level with distinguish
ed Mr.. Orm0nd, was a secret which this re-
markable woman had never been known to
reveal. Presented by their widow with the
~strictest 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 were the virtues of Mr.. Presty, and the
vices of Mr.. Presty were the virtues OF Mr..
Ormond.
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 50 sorryl / was just
too late to catch IT,"
lit doesn't matter, my dear. l dare say !
should go to sleep again if went on with
my novel"
rs il really as dull as that"
.Dull?' Mrs. Presty repeated. "You are
evidently not aware Of what the new school
OF novel-writing Is doing. The new school
provides the public with soothing felton,"
Are you speaking seriously, mammal
seriously, C~atherine-and gratefully
head of q 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 motner-in-iaw, ana would have
set an excellent example to the rest-that i
to say, the example OF leaving the room.
The lady composed under the soporitc in
.iuence 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 anl
survived them both.
The first of these gentlemen, the Rt.- Hon
Joseph Ormond, had been a member OF paI
lament and had taken office under govern
ment. Mrs. Linley was his one surviving
child. He died at an advanced age, leavin
his handsome widow young enough, as sh
was always ready to mention, to be hi
daughter) we'll provided for, and an objec
of matrimonial aspiration to single gentle
men who admired size in a woman, set on b
money. After hesitating for some little tim
Mrs. Ormond accepted the proposal OF tn
ugliest and dullest man among the n o
her admirers. Why she became the wife o
Mr.. Presty known in commercial circles q
a merchant enriched by the sale of vinegar
she was never able to explain. Why she la
These new writers are 50 good to old We
men. No story TO excite our poor nerves; n
improper characters to cheat US out of on
SYM Athies; no dramatic situations to fright
en- us; exquisite management OF details "a
the reviews say), and a mastery anatomy o
human motives which. l know what l near
my dear. but / can't explain it."
II think l understand, mamma A mas
terly anatomy of human motives which Is |
itself q motive of human sleep. No; ! won
borrow your novel just now don't wan
TO go to sleep; ! AIN thinking of Herbert II
London."
Mrs. Presty consulted her watch
Your husband Is no longer In London,
she announced; ''he has begun his joume
home. Give me the railway guide and II
tell YOU when he'll be here tomorrow. Yc
may trust me. Catherine, to make N mis-
take. Mr.. Presty's wonderful knowledge Q
figures has been OF the greatest use TO me 4
later life. Thanks to his instructions, ! al
the only person In the house who can Crap
pie with the intricacies Of our railway syz
ten. Your poor father, Mr.. Ormond, neve
could understand timetables. and never a
tempted 10 conceal his deficiencies. He In
none OF the vanity HARMLESS vanity, pei
haps) which led poor Mr.. Prcsty 10 expires
positive opinions ON matters OF which b
knew nothing, such as pictures and music
What do you want Nalcomy'
The servant 10 whom this question was e