Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-03-21

BIZ Holm STRANGE wINTER.

dawn upon what had hitherto been dark.
She wanted TO know more.
81 was sixteen when my mother died,
worn out with the brutality she had borne
for o than twenty years. She wasn't
forty years old then, aud often aud often
l used 10 wonder how she had ever borne
II SO long. After that, there were three.
nearly four years of-of-'' he broke of
short, as II the word he was going to use
for n comparison was just on the tip Of
his tongue and he had bitten il off at the
very point Of ~utterance-'of misery" he
went on, such as I could not describe to
you IL ] would, and i would not IL I could.
Aud then, thank God. my father died and
l began TO live
"And you were provided forY" Mrs.
Trafford asked. She had dropped her
knitting upon her lap aud sat looking like
one fascinated at the handsome Young
man with such a sad history In his past.
"oh, yes, he left plenty OF money, and
Mamie and | shared it equally" Stephen
Howard answered, carelessly.
There was q moments silence-Mrs.
Tranord broke IT. And thenf' she said,
In a tone which slgniied that lie WIS to
90 on.
Then / came over here and went 10 OK.
ford, he continued. at had always been
q dream OF nv mother's-she was an En-.
glishwoman, you know
"Oh, %yes!-and your father"
WAS an Australian" said Stephen
Howard, shortly.
"Ah, seep' she murmured. "And You
came to Oxfordir
But l had only just entered when
something went wrong with my property
and l had to go back. I was just one and
twenty then. And there l had to stay for
more than a year. After that | made a
tour through the States then / pat in six
more months ia Queensland and after
wards am 10 Europe. Then | went
back and stayed five years-fye years,
hating IL all the time, and az last with my
brother-in-law's help | got rid Of all my
property and put all my money into the
Bank oil England-then / felt safe, and
before n week ] had turned my back on
Australia and. please God, | siinii never
see it again"
II am sure, said Mrs. TrafTord, that
hope you never will. Whit a dreadful
story-a dreadful story. But tell me,
have sou never sought ont your mothers
peoplei'
MY mother, SO far as | know" Stephen
Howard answered, had not n relation In
the world. She was a poor clergyman's
daughter aud after his death went ont to
Australia as n governsss at a time when
women were scarce out there. She met
my father and they were married; / be-
leye 1t was considered a great marriage
at the time for her; poor soul, she paid dear
for ii afterwards.
And your fatherf' asked Mrs, Traf-
ford. who was breathless with the ~intensi-
" OF her interest in his story.
my father he repeated.
"Yes-had he no relationss Forgive me
for asking you such n question" she said
gently, but You have told me so much
and you have interested me deeply
"Oh, yes: why should yOu not ask II,
We'll, | can tell you nothing more about
my father-not even IL his real name was
as he said, not where he was born or who
his father wasl lie may have been a con-
Wet for aught | know"
Mrs. Trafford looked at him for a mo
ment as he sat In IN easy aud careless at
titudc, his blue eyes fixed on the fire.
you DO not look like a cOnvict's son.
she said, with n smile-"and | think YOU
would have known II he had been that"
Yes. i dare say | should. No, l don't
think he had been a convict, though he
was bad enough TO have been n convict
fifty times over. As for my looks-well,
il isl lucky circumstance for me that /
Anaff Lob lTEa a,.yfIsa. - .Ias lF-I
but the handsomest man | ever saw in my
life was working among a gang OF con.
victs ut the gateway of the Infantry Bar
r~'-
Yes, yes-and probably he was n gen
tleman who had-well, done something
dreadful In the passion of the moment.
Then our sister-does she feel like you
about all this,n
"Afy sister, for a momen lie looked
puzzled. Well, no. | don't think she
does. You see she escaped those last four
dreadful years. She is four years older
than | am ard she married Markham a
few weeks iefore my poor mother died.
And then Markham is very rich, n dear
old chap all round, devoted to her and one
of the best fellows in the world. So.
don't you see, | think Mamie has forgot.
ten a good deal-as perhaps when i marry
/ shall be able To forget. too. All the
same, Mrs. Trafford, | must apologize
for boring you with such a long story
about myself. Believe me, / have never
spoken OF my father even to my sister
since he died-but somehow I had to tell
you"
MIR. Howard" said Mrs. Trafford, Law.
ing her hand upon his arm and speaking
In her kindest voice. II feel very grateful
TO you for giving Inc your confidence In
this way. Believe me, it Is not misplaced
aud ] do not think that you will ever re-
greet it. am SO sorry for your unhappy
past. | ianot tell you how sorry. But
IL is all over and done with now--your sis
ter Is very wise to nave put It all out Of
her mind, for it can never do n good to
recall SORROWS which can never come into
your life again. Yes, yes, I know what Ia
in your mind, you are thinking of that
poor mother who suffered so much and
had so little Joy in her life. Well. all
that has been made up to her long. long
ago, aud most likely she knows just what
you feel about her and is proud and glad
that you should think Of her ms you do.
But she would be the last TO wish you to
spoil your young life-for you are young
yet-because hers was an unhappy one,
the last to wish You to tinge your heart
with the sadness which Swallowed hers"
Stephen Howard shook himself together
as Mrs. Trafford ceased speaking aud pass.
ed his hand across his eyes as IL 10 shut
out ell those memories OF the past which
their conversation had recalled. Yes,
you are quite right" he said very quietly,
''you are quite right"
CHAPTER v.-LovE. u ALCHYMIsr.
Almost before the words had passed his
lips, the door opened and Julia Trafford
walked in! She gave a pretty start OF
surprise when she saw who was sitting
with her mother and said with a laugh
'oh! is il you, Mr.. Howard! Really, ]
naVer expected that you would come
dr. Howard got up and went across
the room TO meet her. Mr.. Trafford drew
a long breath and felt rs il Julia's man
mar was one Of great levity, felt rs she
might have felt IL she had heard some one
laugh in the presence OF the dead. For
once she had no smile for her daughter,
but she picked up the crimson silk sock
again and went ON knitting busily with a
very grave face indeed. stephen How
ard, however, seemed 10 have no such
feeling. 20 notice nothing incongruous In
the contrast between his conversation
with Mrs. Trafford and Julia's fresh
breezy and rather noisy entrance; he took
her hand in his, held 1t n long time. ut