Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-06-06
MRS. BOB.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.


Thus January crept over and February
came In, and early in February Julia re-
ceivcd an invitation from Marcus Orford's
mother. Lady Ceespring, asking her and
her husband to spend a few days with
them Mt Oxford Place.
"My boy and Madge will be here" Lady
Ceespring said in her letter, Indeed they
have been here, but are now gone on a
short visit to Brookneld and will he back
early next week. The baby flourishes
finely and Is a very beautiful person,
and what his devoted grandmother feels
like when she remembers and altogether
fails TO realize that she Is a grandmother,
j cannot find words TO express to you
So at the appointed time Stephen and
his wife left London for Leicestershire,
and In due course arrived at Oxford Place.
And at Oxford Place from some reason or
other the little cloud sprang into life
again and grew a little. IL all came about
through no real reason and without any
legitimate cause, aud yet there it was and
II was larger and blacker and uglier than
when first IT had doomed upon their hori-
zon. In the first place stephen had a let
ter from Mrs. Bob. II came up with their
other letters with the morning tea and
Julia without having the smallest idea OF
wishing to pry into her husbands cor
responlence, could not help seeing that
the letter had an Enclosure. stephen hand
ed her the letter with n careless there's
one from Mamie but the Enclosure he
put back into the envelope aud the envel.
ope he put aside on the little table beside
the bed.
She saw him put 81 carelessly into bis
pocket presently-with the carelessness
which a man always characterizes by the
word "shove"-evidently IL was a matter
OF but the smallest consequence TO him,
so she tried to think it was nothing more
than some matter Of business about which
he supposed she could have neither curl.
osity nor interest.
In itself this incident might have passed
over and Julia have thought no more
about it, but the following day, as soon as
they had flushed lunch and Lady Gee
spring asked stephen IL he would care to
drive to the nearest town with several Of
the ladies who were going in TO attend o
charity bazaar, he excused himself by
saying that he would rather not II, Lady
Ceespring would mind his remaining al
home, "a he had several rather urgent bus
mess letters TO write before post-tipe.
oh! just do az you like" Lady Gee
spring said. kindly. This bazaar will
not be a very Interesting Affair. OILY it is
for an excellent charity and they will ex.
pect us to stand by them aud spend a lit
tie money there"
II will give my wife some money to
spend for me-" he safd. quickly. And,
juicy. II you happen to see anything very
neat in the shape Of a pipe-rack sbg Nigh,
bring it for me-"
But what do You want it for, Stevie"
she cried. You have a pipe-rack al.
ready
81 know-but when Bob and Maimis
were up last time, Bob admired my pipe
rack immensely and said he must treat
himself 70 one. So IL you happen TO see q
deeent-looktng one at this bazaar, you
may as well secure H."
ION. very well" she replied. "There j.
sure TO be one, probably a dozen"
But don't bring adozen," he cried Ii
alarm.
He saw them Off, standing on the step
Of the great entrance 10 watch them 90
and Julia felt quite a little thrill OF pride
rush through her as she waved her hanC
In farewell.
my dear" whispered Nadge in hel
sweet soft tones-'you are n lucky girl
Stephen is delightful"-at which julia
blushed up TO the very roots OF her hail
and found herself smiling into Lady Gee
springs blue seraphic eyes. Lady Gee
spring had caught the import Of her daugh
ter-in-law's whisper.
VERY Charming sue said. with he,
So Julia went OF and spent II
pounds which her husband had given g
for that purpose, and also a little more 3
her own, because she was so happy. Sh
was lucky, too, and went back TO Orfor
Place laden with a particularly handsom
pipe-rack, a china stand for flowers, tive
very tolerable needle-work cushions fol
which she had put into %rafles, a frame,
artist's-proof etching which she had wor
In the same way and a huge and elabo
rately-dressed doll which she had won on
of "A hundred and fifty subscribers.
Really, julia said Madge, as they
packed her cousins belongings away. "yol
have had all the luck to-day. | have quit,
ruined myself with rsfies and I have GO
nothing to show for my money except
box OF burnt almonds I got out OF the fish
pond. Have one''
Julia helped herself out Of the small boz
""N NfA HP'ht piPS AaSh " u ~
inspection. 81 should think That will be
the very thing for Steve" she said.
"Oh! it's lovely" cried Msdge, turning
1t round with genuine admiration. II
should think Stephen will be immensely
pleased, and Mr.. Markham more than
pleased"
30 in quite a flush o. pride Julia looked
round for her husband when they got into
the hall nn1 l.t As.- ILL.,. 49,. -
down her purchases on the large hall
table and ran up to their room, which
was on the same corridor as her cousins
and Lady Ceespring's own suite Of apart
ments.
'Stevie. are you here:' she asked-then
saw him sitting at the writing-table in the
dressing Stevie,'' she cried,
you haven't written a single letter. How
awfully lazy Of you"
MY dear child" " he answered. II have
been writing all the afternoon-the post
went out about an hour ago"
'Oh, really" she said-then she sat
down on the arm OF his chair and slipped
her arm about his neck. Who have you
been writing tor she asked. Oh! yes,
yes, yes. my gentle critic, very ingram
matical of her, I know. nevertheless that
was exactly what she did say SO l beg
you'll not blame me in the matter.
stephen let his head slip back against
her shoulder. and as she was wearing o
seal-skin coat, a very nice and warm rest
ing-place he found IL. ''who have I been
writing to-" he repeated. well. let me
see-I wrote TO Johns. the stock broker,
and told him TO sell out all the Nitrates I
have. ~sharp-then I wrote to Dickson and
told him l would go TO a hundred and
thirty for hat bay horse I saw on Satur-
day. sent u check to that fool Of q tailor
who wants one to pay for onc' clothes
IN the street. lest you clear out OF the
country and make him a bad debt. Then
I wrote to Nicholson, the lawyer, about
that bill of Warrington's which 1 think
exorbitant, IND / sent a check TO Hervey
and Bondwell. Think that was all ex-
cept q line to Matmie."
"Oh, you wrote to Mair,Ief' said Julia,
In q different one. why did you write
to her today"
"Why-weli really. l don't know. !
had. flushed my other letters and there
was no sign OF your coming back again, 90
l wrote to her. Gave her your love, and
all that"
"Ohl ] see!" she said, coldly.
She got Oh the edge OF the chair and be-
gan to unfas.en her jacket-Stepheu turn.
ed In his seat and watched her, as he often
did, with all his soul In his eyes; then