The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-04-04
NIT Of argument.

| init Of argument.
Yet all the same. she felt that IL was
good Of her girl to be willing even to think
OF cost at such q time. Nobody has
such good children RS I have, ~ she said to
herself. and her thoughts included her
niece, Madge. as one of her children Just
AS u as her own daughter, Laura.
immediately after lunch they went off
to the dress-maker and held a consultation
with her. IT will have something quite
inexpensive, mother" said Julia, as she
Went II can get something very smart
In soft silk or cashmere, and you must
have your teargown of q rich material"
II supposed must" said Mrs. Trafford
doubtfully.
She was a very nnselish little woman
and would have gone cheerfully to pay
her grand visit without SO much as q new
pair Of gloves in order that n OF har
girls might be freshly dressed and we'll
finished off in all the little details of her
costume. Blu Julia was nnselish, too.
and Julia insisted upon the material for
the tea-gown being of a rich and suitable
kind, and arranged fully with the dress
maker that the trimmings should be
neither poor nor skimped. Oh, yes; they
were good girls, not a doubt about It'll
Well, on the appointed day Mrs. Trafford
aud Julia set Oh for Mutcham, a matter
of ten miles or SO by rail and three or four
beyond that by road. They We're very
happy, the mother and daughter; the
mother because she was going to stay a
week at one of the smartest houses in the
county, the daughter because he would be
therel
They had seen q good deal of him dur.
ing the time between the little afternoon
gathering after the service ut the Parish
and the day on which they found them.
selves at the station for Matcham, but
though they had got on like-like u house
on fire Julia would have said, neither
Mrs. Trafford nor Julia herself was pre-.
pared to fnd Stephen Howard awaiting
them on the gravellcd platform of the lit.
tie country station.
ooh, Mr.. Howard" exclaimed Julia, as
she caught sight Of him.
Are you come to meet usf" cried Mrs
Trafford, rs she gave him her hand to
alight;
why. Of course" he answered. 1--WE
were all doing nothfng-some OF us think.
ing about tennis. and others not thinking
about anything at all. I found my way
out to the stables to find something there
to think about, aud l happened TO see the
break coming off for you-so l came with
it."
"That was very nice of you,' said Julia,
sweetly.
How Julia was altered! BY the time
they drove in at the big gates at Match
am, with the family device hewn In stone
on either side, an imp rampant carrying
II pitchfork. she was looking quite pretty,
and when Lady Lucifer came out into the
beautiful old oak hall to welcome them,
she found herself saying in her own heart
that really Stephen Howard (whom. up to
that day, she had firmly believed was tax.
ing leave of his senses) knew very well
what he was about. aud that little Miss
Trafford wal growing quite pretty.
The Lucifers were among the few peo-
pie possessing IL large and lovely hall who
did not regularly use 1t ns a sitting-room.
1t had been SO used III the time of the
lords mother. but the present mistress
Of the house said it was q detestable
custom and used q suite of rooms instead
~ morring-room out of which was her
boudoir and out OF which again was the
library.
"Gome into the library,n she said. hos
pitably, you cannot be dusty with such q
short journey. Tea is in full swing and
Mr.. Darlington has promised US a banjo
performance presently"
Mrs. Trafford went with Lady Luci.
fer n the pleasantly arm and we'll
lighted library, aud Julia followed less
quickly with Stephen Howard, who had
not met her for three days and was quite
overjoyed to see her again. Nearly all the
guests were there, and they seemed quite
n crowd of people. Mrs. Markham smiled
her.
Come and sit by me, Mrs. Trafrord.
do she said. "You are Just In time to
hear this wonderful banjo. Mr.. Caring
ton is really quite u genius at 1t. 1 tell
him he ought to go about the streets and
sing all the time He would make quite
a fortune"
She was a very gay little woman, and
came out as Mrs. Trafford had not thought
1t possible for her to do. OF course 1t as
gaiety of u very gentle order, for Mrs.
Bob. ms everyone in The house seemed
to call her, was the least noisy person pos
sible.
~ AoA AboW ohCAS l w 10 kLCht uUluSo
here this week." she said to Mrs. Traf.
ford, "a lot of people to dinner tonight,
a big lunch at Sir Simon D'Angler's to-
morrow. A ball here In the evening. A
ball at Plackingtou the next night and sc
on all the week. l feel like a schoolgirl
just coming OUT
And you will look like it." said Mrs.
Tratford smiling.
We'll, l hope So" said Mrs. Bob, sim
ply; II have got some of the ~loveliest
dresses you ever saw, and Tve been hard
at work all the morning cleaning my dia.
monds."
"Ah! you like to do them yourself" said
Mrs. Trnfford.
"Oh, no; l DON'T" rejoined Mrs. Bob
quickly. but l am here without a maid
l have the best maid in all the world, but
yesterday morning she had u telegram to
say that her mother vas dying and she
must go at once II she wanted to see hel
alive again, 80, of course, she had to fly
off and leave me to get on as best l could
And the very last thing she said was
oh, ma'am, il I'd only taken FOUR dia
monds in to be cleaned at a jeweller'.
instead Of doing them myself Butt
Mrs. Bob added-"when you are strange
to u place you don't care to trust you
diamonds to anybody but yourself, d.
your"
Mrs. Trafford laughed merrily. 81
don't know. l am sure. haven't got an,
? diamonds except one or two little orna
ments that would be quite safe with any
9 body"
well, I have some rather nice dia
monds," said Mrs. Bob. modestly-an,
added with a meaning look. You see
haven't any daughters, Mrs. Trafford."
"And you would like children?o Mrs
Trafford asked.
, The other caught her breath in a shnrl
sigh that was almost n sob. "Ohi II yol
. knew how long to have a dear littl
: child of my own-of my very own.
: Ind one once" she went on sadly, "bu
she only lived a fortnight had no 10
of har. And how gladly I would give m
diamonds, my everything except Bob, tc
have a little child to love, Icould not tell