Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-02-29
NJ RS. BOB.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
CHAPTER IA PIECE or news.

Tor her little dinuers-came OF. On Tn
appointed evening the house Ia 1t Ewes
had put on "A Rala-like aspect--and wher
Mrs. TraffOrd's house was wearing it,
gala-dress, IL was "A circumstance TO which
You could noe shut your eyes. There wa
a charming arrangement in lieu Of the
cosy fire Of winter-time. which made thc
fire place and hearth look like "A small
fernery -an arrangement OF looking
glass and growing plants. trailing Ivy AMI
soft delicate moss. to which Mrs. Traf.
ford gave n good deal Of personal atten.
ton aud was IN consequence greatly en-
We'd 10y her friends, even those who were
the fortunate possessurs of large conserv-
atories.
A few minutes before eight Julia
made her appearance in the drawing
room, where her mother had been all ia
readiness for her visitors for some little
time.
DO look all right, MOTHER julia
asked in her loudest company voice, for
publicity always had that effect upon
Miss Trafford. and the larger the com
pany the louder became her tones. shall
! DOR
you look delightful. DEAR returned
Mrs. Traiford in all sincerity.
Julia undoubtedly did look nice. Her
gown was one she had woru during her
visit to town aud still looked very fresh
aud pretty. II was rose-pink. was of "a
soft and gauzy material aud was Of that
fashion which is highly becoming to little
women OF spare proportions. IL was cut
sufficiently low in the neck TO show that
her throat was white, and the sleeves
were pulled and gathered and then were
tied or seemed to he tied with IA profus.
ion OF smart ribbons: she wore a great
cluster Of blush roses on one side OF her
bodice aud carried a pink fan OF fluffy
feathers.
ooh! that is all right she said with a
eratitied simper. There was a long strip
of looking-glass placed between two oi
the windows and Julia was still |craning
her neck so as 10 get "A side view or her,
self when the door opened aud Cox, the
neat parlor-maid. announced, Captain
Ipgnrd.
Now Captain Legard was a young man
in whom Julia did not take "A great
amount Of interest; he had not been very
long IN Blankhampton. and ever since the
first day that he had come into Il he had
persistently aud abjectly worshipped at
the shrine Of Mr., IOyelace. Therefore
Julia, after giving him her hand, found
she had nothing further to say TO him and
went TO the little % window over the
entrance. which was the ~favorite outlook
Of everybody in the house, because from
It YOU could see from one end to the
other OF st. Ewes. which was far aud
away the most Interesting street Ia Blank
hampton.
In two minutes Il cab stopped at the
door below aud a vision OF radiant beauty
stepped ont and disappeared into the
house-the Loyelaces. Julia sat down on
the velvet cushioned window seat and
breathed "A sigh Of relief that Mrs. Love.
lace would be able TO enter the room with.
ont finding her talking to or even sitting
near her especial adorer, She had seen
Mrs. Lpyclace more than once enter a
room, just flash her great black eyes
round and by a mere glance take Captain
Iegard away from anybody to whom he
might be talking az the time, and Julia
had no mind. il she wasn't rs fair to see
a. Mrs Lovelace, to let her ayethat kind
Of triumph az her expense.
The next moment Mrs. LOvelace came
IN followed b. her husband-and oh.
what "A vision OF loneliness she was! | do
not know that Mrs. LOyelace without the
beautiful gown Of white aud gold brocade
which she wore, would have been such q
vision Of loneliness as undoubtedly the
gown would have been without Mrs.
Loyelace. There was very little body 10
il aud so much train that Julia caught
herself wondering whether the skirt had
not been made before the bodice aud the
$40.
wore some beautiful diamonds and a grea
ruby snake upon Que arm and withou
doubt pretty. woman and gown together
made "A beautiful picture.
She was rather a slender figure, anC
fairly graceful, but it was her face that
attracted YOU most, IL was such i bold
lttle wilful face, with a pert upturnet
nose, and "A warm, dark. almost swarthy
complexion out Of which her black eyes
hlazed Ike Il pair Of live Goals. Yes, un
doubleday Mrs. Lovelace was a pretty wo
man.
And her husband, Well, he was
somewhat colorless person, good-lookinl
aud particularly patient in disposition
else he would never nave PUT up will
SO strong "a fiavoriug of Legard in his
daily dish.
Then the door opened again and Cox
announced, Mr.. O'Hagan!n aud there
walked into the room, or 1 should say
shot into IL a tall and handsome man
all bushes and confusion, although judg
ing from his appearance he had need for
neither.
How DO you do, Mrs. Trafford' |
hope Pm not very late?n he asked breath
e,sly.
"Oh. no, you are not nearly the last,
Mr., O'Ilagan, she answered kindly, and
then Mr. O'Hagtn feverishly got through
his greetings TO the rest of the company.
It seemed such an ordeal to the poor
fellow, who lac literally an impeachment
in his speech, not "A stammer or a stuttei
or IA splutter but an actual catch in his
jaw as II the muscles wanted oiling, and
this combined with extreme sensitiveness
and nervousness made o~n-loOkers wonder
why he ever distressed himself by going
to dinners or any other kline OF parties at
all.
Next TO come were Canon and MIS-.
Berkeley. Now Canon Berkeley was just
then frst favorite with the great spiritual
lord of the diocese, John. by Divine right,
Lord Bishop OF Blankhamptou. To any
Que who knows B~laukhampton this Is
almost n sufficient description. but
suppose | must add a little more for the
benefit OF those or my readers whose &C
quaiutance with the ancient city is, as yet,
q slight one.
He was, besides being a Canon Residen
tiary OF the Cathedral, the Rector OF one
of the best livings IN the diocese, aud be-
sides these two substantial charges he
held various other Offices, those Of rura
dean, of examininc-chaplain TO his lord
ship aud so on. and from one end to the
other of the diocese he was looked upou
AS the next man upon whom the arch-dea
conal mantle would fall, unless indeed
anything should happen To the great
John, for whom there were possibilities OF
translation in several directions, or to bs
accurate in two-one in this world aud
one in the next.
Everyone wondered why honors should
thus have fallen thick and fast upon
Canon Berkeley. He was a particularly
poor stick as a preacher, being neither
learned nor eloquent, and | must say al
this point, that although l have never
liked the great John OF Blankhamptou
he certainly ought to have known q good
preacher when he heard one. for there
was no fault To be found with his own
~discourses. which were both powerful and
well-delivered, always taking exception Il
his addresses to children, which invariably
gave one the idea OF an elephant trying To
play spillikins.