The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-09-17

10 OlhiN 10 Nbltllit'4lNNl hi'H - I''' - '
to think exclusively of my own health and
to act accordingly. OF course You can FOR
ward my wishes or thWart them. as you
please. | have not lived 50 long in the
world without being kccnly alive TO the
~amount-thc sickening amount-of heart
less scliShncss that prevails. have no
right, of course. also. to expect to ma
an exception in your lady>hip's case.
But
"Algernon. dear Algrrnon-
But ! have the right. and shall en-
force il. to demand consideration not
merely for the wishes. but for the welfare
of an ailing and neutrality-suspicious. dying
husband. ! shall make arrangements
for a protracted stay N Dayos or at 81.
Moritz. unless YOU choose to exert your
self. as duty dictates. My health has
brought me to Yorkshire, as. before long
if may probably take mo to the Upper
Engadinc or elsewhere. | hear good re-
ports Of the Rocky Mountains. and OF
wonderful cures effected among l~og-cabins
high mp in Colorado. but. if | consent to
stay here, | must protest against beng
moped to DEATH
This last speech. omphat!ca!ly enuncl-
atcd from amid The doWny pillows ana
waldel wraps of his equity chair 10y the
RICH, Honorable the Earl Of Thorsdalc.
did Strik, his pcrturhcd countess as be
ing supremacy unjust and vcXatiousiy pro
voking. Lady Thorsialc. however, could
not afford to hc provoked. Her lord was
in very truth a lord 70 her. He was a
masterful invalid. hut at any rate he be-
licved in himself. and in the ailments of
which he complained SO ENORMOUSLY.
Lord ThorSdalr rode his present hobby
very hard. His wife. Constance. had been
a daughter of the late Sir Richard Mort
main. ana was Il sister of the reignlnE
Sir Richard. She had "A hard time of ii.
She was handSome-most Of the Mort
mains had been handSOme-and frivolous.
and had still some preicnSionS To take
rank rs a professional beauty in London
drawing rooms. Nor was she unit To
hold hor own. had She hut an ordinary
husband to Heal with. Bat she WAS quite
incompetent to resist the energetic will of
her earl. who carried all before him hy
diut Of a hucnl discourse. Il rcS"lut" self
iShnp>>. and the magician's wand thai
ready money supplies. only last June he
had hurried his wife off 10 the .ngadlnr
for TWO months residence among the
snoW-shoWerS, COWS sheds and general dis
comforts IF thar enchanting region, lcav-
ing little Lord Thir>k and little Lady
Flora at home. The year before he had
chosen to watt the entire family in his
steam yacht. the "IIccla." first to Ice
land. and later TO The glacial coast of
Greenland itself; and what the countess
had endured from milgcS. the glare of
the Arcllc ulnncr sun. solitude. II In"
terror of the Arctic icchcrgs. and ice foes.
even her lady correspondents only par
TALLY knew. Now. AT the end of June.
this impetuous earl had abruptly rushed
down TO Thorsdale. declaring that no
place was worse than London for his tor
mentinc govt; and, once in Yorkshire. had
proclaimed that it was designed to kill
him by mental depression and physical
isolation. because the big lonely mansion
did not swarm with visitors.
But IL you will leave London SO early.
you can't-inAced you can't-bring Lon
don along with YOU" pleaded the coun-
tess, half crying n she spoke.
Il don't know that snapped the earl
from among his cushions. There are
people to be had always who are sick
Of the worry and rackc, of 'hat precious
season which 10 you seems Ike Il Mecca 10
the Mosl"m. In my state Of health |
must consider myself shamclGlly neg
lcctcl as | am. Either this place must be
enliyencl and you used to like that sort
&C. thin. cor else the SOONER | send for
Schultz the courier. and pack NJ for ;A.
Eueadiuc. tile better
All. we'll, | think | can manage it,"
said Lady Thor>lalc 10 herself; aud tho.
she began Ia write. Her pen flew fa~.
across the %pcrfumei and coroneted paper.
Presently, when he pretty %p"rfumed
notes lay strcwcd in heaps upon the ivory
table. the Countess conceived Il bright
idea. She had heard through the tattle
of servants for th'r, Was i.Ltlc of fra
tcrnal intercourse KEEP ap between her
self and the baronci that Sir Richard
Mortmain was al l@ieistou. hard by. and
that he seemed disposed 10 stay there
Now. Lady Thorsdaic WAS not on very in.
innate terms with her brother. Their,
had been some u~npleasantnc>> in thcil
fathers lifetime about the marriage por.
lion Of the countess eXIectant. Richard,
signature was required for the raising OF
the necessary sum-. ana Richard W0ult
sign nothing without beng handsomely
paid for it. And then his dubious re-
pute. and the queer things that were wills
pered concerning him and his associates
had caused a GOODNESS to exist between
the present master of Mortmain and hi
sister ennohled. Now. however. she be
thought her Of her brother. of his tact
of his social resources. and of what SIN
had seen him do when he chose to MAKE
himself agreeable. So she pcnned HIN
the sweetest Of little si>!erly notes. con
graduating herself on having him rs
neighbor, warmly inviting him to Tho"s