Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-04-04
MRS. BOB.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.

distinction, aud yet everybody whom ]
know-and | have a very large ~acauaint.
ance In the Society Of Wit-ends by ask
Ing the same questions, ''Bye-the-by have
you ever read anything of hersi What
has she writtenY" 1t was very much In
this way with Mrs. Fairliel She was a
pretty woman, with q sharp hatchet-like
%face-still distinctly pretty, nIind-a ter
rible figure and worse feet. Yet she came
rs n bride to Blaukhampton, where. re.
member, the majority Of the girls were
more than pretty, aud she took ND the
position OF the beauty OF the place. No
body quite knew now she did it-certain-
ly not because she was the prettiest wo-
man Ia The town. ] could mention TWEEN.
ty at this moment who were infinitely
more Beautiful In face and ! doubt If I
could find one who was worse in build.
Nor was il that she dressed well-on the
contrary. | think she was generally rather
badly turned out, with often a skirt that
did not match itself all round, and once !
saw her at IL particular smart function,
In the shape of a concert ut which all the
sank and fashion OF the neighborhood had
gathered itself together. ia a dark silk
gown with an extraordinary arrangement
OF white muslia adowu the font Of her
bodice and up the sleeves 10 the elbow,
which looked exactly as If she had been
at n school Of cookery earlier in the day
aud had not had time to change her frock.
Yet u%ndeniably Mrs. Fairlie hal the
position la the town OF being quite the
beauty OF the place, some indeed went SO
far as TO call her 1.-THE Blankhampton
Lily" and have heard her termed 1.-The
Parish Lily"-whieh ! confess was hard
on the lady. The very last time that / had
the pleasure (and it was a ptsasure) OF Sec
ing Mrs. Fairlie, IL was in The High Street
at Blapkhampton. | had not seen her for
some little time. ! had always been used
to seeing n sight ont OF the common, but
l admit on this particular morning the
dazzling nature of her Blankhampton
Lily-ness fairly took my breath away.
She Is tall and thin-were she not a
beauty, she might be called lanky-and
she was dressed in dark, not in mourning
though. She had n very toll hat aud very
short skirts, very smart boots with very
high heels. She had also a Pompadour
stick with q big silver knob on top. Be
hind ran a huge black poodle, a lovely
brute, shaver and shoru and fuffed and
curled till he most Of anything resembled
q yew-tree, as you see them clipped ia
old -fashiOned gardens. Round his neck
he wore q massive silver collar with q
row Of silver bells big enough for Il pony,
and round each of his seml-shaven black
legs a silver bangle. Ii was a wonderful
sight, aud had the poodle been as much
alive TO the beauty and Importance OF
possessing such q mistress AS his mistress
certainly was Of having such n dog. why
he would have walked sedately in front
or have followed demurely behind. As IL
was IL was plain To see that that poodle
dog had 10 pride-he declined all control.
and showed no sense OF decency what
ever. Away he raced down the dirty
street, obliyious Of IA long and dainty toll.
cite just completed. forgetful OF his digui'
ty and bangles alike. TO say nothing OF his
silver collar and jingliug bells, and his
mistress might, and did. call and coax ia
vain, might flourish her silver-top Pompa-
dour stick and look for all the world like
q baru-door hen standing at the edge OF
the pond into which her clutch OF duck
lings have boldly plunged unhceding alike
OF her fear and her mistress. Ii was a
touching sight-I shall never forget III
| Etuu the last 1 StN VI lHtl ucpEtNtu hAI
mindless poodle-dog, he was lying on his
back in the middle of "A muddy street
roppipg and playing leap-frog with n
dirty little mongrel, who looked altogeth-
er too disreputable to belong to any
tffr uog hbfnes kfRlf tgA~e',9 A, Lls s5aodk
beating l do not think that l should find
IL in my heart to blame her, though
am not an advocate for beating at any
tiEe
from Mrs. Trafford's little party-l apollo
gize dear reade aud hope | have not
bored yop by the way. We Will go back
to the pretty drawing-room at No. : and
try to pick mp the thread Of affairs just
where we let 1t slipl What-all gone?
Why surely had forgotten how late il
had got before | took you that long jour
ney Just TO make the acquaintance Of "A
mannerless man with a pair OF brawny
legs and a pompous little country parson
whom l didn't think worth describing to
You. Well, well, forgive me this time and
/ will try to keep Il tight grip OF my story
during the rest OF the way over which We
mean to travel together.
CHAPTER VIA VISIT TO MATcHAMl
A few days afterwards n little note came
by hand from Lady Lucifer to the little
lady at No. Z 81. Ewes.
my dear Mrs. Trafford." il said-"we
are having a large party at Matcham for
shooting next week, and ii will give Lord
Lucifer and myself much pleasure if you
and Miss Trafford will come 10 us from
the 2lst 10 the 18th OF the month. Mr..
and Mrs. Markham aud Mr.. Howard will
be with us then. know You will find II
pleasant to meet them. IL you eau give
the man who brings this note an answer
IL will be a convenience TO me, as | should
like to know before post time il you can
com or not.
Ny dear Mrs. Trafford. yours sincere
ly, Violet Lucifer."
Now 1t happened that Julia was not at
home when her mother received and open.
Cd this letter. Mrs. Trafford did not hest.
tate about what answer she should make.
She went TO her little desk and wrote a
sweet cote to her dear Lady Lucifer to the
effect that she and julia would be charm
cd to come to Matcham on the 2lst OF the
month.
VERY sweet, Im sure. of Lady Lucifer
to think of Us" she said, rs Sue saw the
admirable Cox go out TO the groom wait
Ing on horseback at the door. III wish
Julia would come In"
She saw that Cox asked the man some
question, for he took the note and still
waited while Cox went back into the
house, re-appearing in two or three min
utes with a tall glass Of beer on a neat lit
tie tray.
Really, Cox is an admirable aud valu-
able servant" murmurcd Mrs. Trafford.
She was not sorry to have u groom In
the Lucifsr livery standing for a time at
her door. Mrs. Trafford always had half
an eye TO effect on the Mauleverer spin.
sters three doors away.
How she did wish Julia would come
home. but the minutes went by ana j lula,
who was at that moment In the principal
music-shop OF the town turning over the
latest songs, did no, make her appearance
apd her Liother had to possess her soul in
such patience rs she could. Just before
~lpnch-time, however, she came. TO hear
the great news aud to say with some
thing like dlsmay-"Mother, dear, I really
don't see how I nm 10 GO without a frock
or two"
Now Mrs. Trafford had but lately had
two smar weddings to drain hei slender
purse, and Julia wns n good kirl who
never put her mother about In the way of
expenditure IL she could help IL. But
Mrs. Trafford was a wise aud skillful gen.
eral; she knew when to hold her hand and
when to pile on all her strength, and she