Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-03-07

iODfbihus wi NV WhN ~ II ~ III vi hVbabf
ful manners, just murmuring q reply and
bending his head "A little, Men getting
gently out OF the room with n sort Of glide
-obi without doubt. admirable ~ the good
Cox WAS. Mrs. Trafford would have thor
oughly enjoyed the luxury OF "a really
weIl-trained footmap.
I'm two minutes Mr.. Markham came
in. Bob said bis wife. "this il Mrs.
Trafford, to whom Colonel Coles gave us
a letter OF introduction. and Miss Traf-
ford
Mr.. Markham went across the room 10
Mrs. Trnfford, and held ont his hand.
Ppm a PLAIN Colonial. Mrs. Trafford." he
said, but IL ! am anything am hearty.
And | am glad TO see you-rcal glad. IL
is exceedingly Kind OF you to come and see
us before we had time To present our letter
OF introduction. But perhaps the Colonel
wrote 10 your"
NO" said Mrs. Trarord. with quite her
W little airy laugh. I'VE came because
we heard that you were charming people,
and because we always like 10 he on good
terms with our neighbors."
Il am very proud 10 bid YOU welcome
here, {" said Mr.. Markham. although IL Is
not my own house. | shall be more happy
when ! can welcome YOU there
He had quite a delightfully."- id-fashioD.
ed air Of chivalrous COURTESY, aud Mrs.
Trafford was greatly pleased with him.
He waited on her most attentively. and
put the sugar in her TEA with AS much care
a. he might have lone II she had been a
queen, talking hard all the time.
Eyes. ] am "A Colonist." he remarked.
that IL not an Australian, YOU know.
No, my wife is an Australian and my
brother-in-law Australians think them
selves much greater swells than mere
Colonists-at least my wife does. know"
Mrs. Markham laughed. How silly YOU
are, Bob she said, good 1aturedly.
Where is Stephen | thought ] saw him
with you just now"
$50 YOU did. my dear. He IL coming ia
a minute. Yes, here he is"
Ia another M Mrs. Markham's
brother, the stephen of whom she had
spoken, came In.
Let me Introduce my brother, Mr..
Howard" said Mrs. Markham.
Mr.. Howard went aud shook hands with
Mrs. Trafford. and then with her daugh-
ter. 'Stevir, sai,i Ma. Markham. Miss
Trafford has no tea
"Ohi I'm SO awfully sorry not 10 have
noticed it before he said, in the real
Australian voice, slow and pleasant. as
hat for Miss Trafford. Mamie:' as hi.
sister poured out another cup Of tea.
Yes said the lady, aud then stephen
Howard carried Il carefully across to
Julia. and then went back for the cream
and the sugar aud the cake-dish, n pretty
affair with three compartments in which
NyarA pssna9fixaly bread and EpTIar noEa
aud fine purple grapes.
MY sister always has fruit with every
meal" he said. II believe il isn't the
right thing in EogIand-but we, you
know, are savages and may indulge our
whims."
Very delightful whims.' said Julia
helping herself 10 grapes and bread and
butter.
Mr.. Howard fetched his own cup ana
sat down close beside her. How good Of
you 10 SAT that he said. so many pee
pie dislike everything hat is not quite
customary aud make no pretence Of hid
ing their dislike"
Only disagreeable people said julia.
stirring her tea. II assure YOU, Mr.. How
ard. there are plenty OF pleasant people IN
Euglaud-in Blankhanpton for that mat
ter. By-the-by. have you made any ac-
quaintances here YETI
yes. n few. Mr.. aud Miss DE Lisle
were here yesterday"
'Oh, yes!'' Julia tone was q little
frozen. for but three days before Nina DE
Isle had professed herself very doubtful
If her mother meant To call upon the new.
corners or not. Meant 10 have the first
chance" ran Julia's th oughts, IA she
looked at the handsome young man be-
side her.
You live in the town, Miss Trafforl,"
he said, looking up quickly so that their
eyes met.
Yes" she answered-then suddenly
asked, How did YOU know that we lived
~ en~ town."
Because saw you in a shop the other
day and j asked who you we're"
Julia's eyes fell aud her color rose.
Really" she m%urmured, then laughed u
little. ~"Yes-aud-"
And the people told me where Won
lived s~ud-and-' he broke Oft short there
and stretched out his hand Tor the three
sided dish. Have some more grapes.
Miss Trafford, . he said, in quite n differ
INT voice.
Now, Miss Trafrord was IA young lady
who was ~singulsrly like her astute mother
In several respects, one OF which was that
under very few circumstances did she
forget the advantage Of keeping au eye to
the main chance. In this Instance she
helped herself TO grapes aud then looked
up at him again. 'What were you going
to say, aud why didn't you say IT, she
demanded.
"Mr. Stephen Howard looked a little
confused. oh" he said at last, not
looking at her, but combining his atten-
ton to the fruit on his plate-"Oh, be-
cause You would think me such AZ ass"
AN ass-well, so / might" said she,
coolly. But then l might think you n
much greater one II you leave me In the
dark, you know"
"Well"-still he hesitated a little-'I
went round 10 have a look at your house"
Julia stared ut him In unqualified amaze
ment. lyon went 10 have n look at our
house. Mr.. Howard But Why"
Because l wanted To see what kind Of
a house YOU lived in," he said, with a
charming doggedness as If, having begun
q confession he meant To 20 through with
il and was not TO be laughed out of the
position which he had taken up.
Anu Jullt Sdl buu lDOken dt Hiul Win
all her wondering amsksm.ut plaialy de-
picted In her eyes and va her blabk face
then somehow the fire in his handsome
blue eyes communicated itself Ia her
and she turned a sudden rich crimson
color which spread ali over her face and
for the moment MADE her loo really
pretty.
What an extraordinary idea" she mur.
INJURED, confusediy.
Eyes. know il Was an awful piece Of
impertinence." said ne, coaNingly, but
dop't be angry at il, Miss Trsfford. I'm
only q savage, you know"
a very well educated savage" she re-
! joined. especially in the art OF fiattery.'
Il did not mean IL for battery he said,
quietly.
An electric thrill shot through Julia's
not very susceptible heart, aud Us at that
moment he had TO get up in answer 10 .
summons from his sister, she had an op-
pori unity of looking at him more closely.
II was all 81 very unusual and extraordip.
airy that she was too sstonished almost to
think. What did it means What could
IL meant Here was this handsome youns
man looking into her eyes the very first
time they had ever met, making her feel
aR aha had uayar tnauo ~~hat ~ vr.s IN