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

THE STORY.
l..
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 Morven, and. after consulting their
guide-books, ask permission to see the house.
What would he 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 rooms Oh 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 minstructed public de-
clines TO trouble itself with criticism. 1t
looks up at the towers and the ~lo0phOleS, the
battlements and the rusty old guns, which
still bear witness 10 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-picces hopeleSSly
out Of reach. Sometimes ii sits ON chairs,
which are as cold and hard as iron, or timid-
~ feels the legs of immovable tables which
might be legs of elephants SO far as size is
concerned. When these marvels have been
duly admired, and the guide-boOks are shut
up, the emancipated tourists, emerging into
light and air, all find the same social problem
presented by a visit to Mount Moryen: "lIow
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 eXample) to say goodnight
10 Mrs. Linlcy's pretty little daughter, they
would have seen the stone walls of Kitty's
bed-chamber snugly covered with velvet
hangings which kept ont the cold; they
would have trod on a doubly-laid carpet,
which set the chilly influences of the pave
ment beneath it 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, if they had been allowed to
pursue their investigations Il little farther,
and had found their way into Mrs. Linley's
Sitting-rOOm, here again q 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 IA mystery which puzzled her nearest and
dearest friends. And why, when she iniulg-
ed Ga little too frequently in recollections of
her married life, she persisted in putting OBJ
scure Mr.. Presty on a le' el 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 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 aseep,a and saw that the book on her
mothers lap was sliding Off. Before she
could check the downward movement the
book fell on the floor, and Mrs. Presty woke.
"Oh, mamma, | am SO sorry! / was just
too late to catch it,"
ut doesn't matter, my dear. / dare say |
should go to sleep again If | went Oh with
my novel;"
rs it really as dull as that%'
"Dull9" 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 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
,,ptlnnnh eiya fnot ,11aAN n.l ,,a..-. L..
a vast armchair with q 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 s%Oporllic in
!luence of literature was a person OF impor.
lance in the house-lolding 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 a set OF by
money. After hesitating for some little time
Mrs. OrnOnd accepted the proposal CT the
ugllest and dullest man among the ranks OF
her admirers. Why she became the wife OF
Mr.. Presty (known in commercial circles as
a merchant enriched by the sale Of vinegar
she was never able to explain. Why she la
These new writers are SO good to old wo
men. No story to excite our poor nerves; nc
improper characters to cheat us out Of ON
sympathies; nc dramatic situations to fright
ell us; exquisite management Of details (a'
the reviews say, and a mastery anatomy OF
human motives which, / know what L mean
my dear, but | can't explain it,"
II think l understand, mamma A mas
terly anatomy of human motives which is IL
itself a motive of human sleep. No; l won
borrow your novel just now. don't wan
10 20 To sleep; | am thinking OF Herbert in
London"
Mrs. Presty consulted her watch.
Your husband is 10 longer in London
she announced; she has begun his journey
home. Give me the railway guide and III
tell you when he'll be here tomorrow. Yol
may trust me, Catherine, to make no mis-
take. Mr.. Presty's wonderful knowledge o.
figures has been of the greatest use to me IL
later life. Thanks to his instructions, / an
the only person in the house who can crap
pie with the intricacies of our railway sys
TEN. Your poor father, Mr.. 0rm0nd, never
could understand timetables, and never at
tempted TO conceal his deficiencies. lie haC
none of the vanity HARMLESS vanity, per
haps) which led poor Mr.. PTesty to express
positive opinions on matters of which IN
knew nothing, such as pictures and music
What do you want, Malcom?'
: The servant to whom this question was I'D