Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-04-18

now" 4
Julia blushed right rosy red. "well, VI
think 1t would be rather a pity" she re
turned,
''Ob! quite out Of the question:" Mrs.
Trafford said, with decision-then took
up the letter again and went on reading.
Laurie says they will either come to
us to meet US ia town or come to us later,
but the old ladies have made q special
point OF asking them for Christmas, and
are going to ask us. too-Ohr' and there
she stopped short again and looked with
doubtful eyes at her daughter.
There is time enough 10 settle all that,
said Julia. IL should tell Laurie TO suit
her own convenience about coming here
any time between this and their visit 10
the old ladies. l. is far the best To leave
1t TO them and then they will fit thingsto
suit themselves" |
you are right, dear" said Mrs. Tranord
then whep I have had a cup OF tea
will write I'd Laurie at once"
80 she did. She had already found time
TO write a graphic description OF the jewel
robbery whilst at Matcham, and to-day
she spoke of il again. II do not bell .ye,"
she said, that either dear Lady i.acifer
or that sweet little Mrs. Bob-ns every
body calls her-will ever see one OF all
those beautiful jewels again; and, my
dear, ] assure you when j think OF the
heaps OF exquisite diamonds that Mrs.
Bob showed US not four hours before the
robbery took place. my heart positively
aches for her. Lady Lucifer's jewels you
have seen for yourself. She has nothing
left now but three or four little brooches
which are paltry compared with what she
has lost.
About our coming to town-my dear
child. ~ Is out OF the question altogether.
In fact il is imperative that we remain at
home for the present. am sure that you
and Anthony will enjoy yourselves very
much better by yourselves, aud you know
that you will both lie heartily welcome
here at any time, and for any time thai
suits You best during your leave, About
the visit you mention TO Anthony's aurts
you 90: ~ conrss, dear. but AZ present
Julia and | would rather not say anything
/ rather fancy Julia will have other pans
by that time. Mr.. Stephen Howard still
continues to pay her the closest attention,
In fact, at Matcham they were together
morning, noon, and night. He sent her
the most exquisite bouquets for the three
utHCto VIC NNEc W huu Noiod3N lONfLs lbl
each other night. So you understand,
dear, for the present would rather not
commit myself one way or the other.
"Bythe-by, you say neither Julia nor |
have told you what Mr.. Howard is like
He Is very tall and strengthening, very
fair and handsome. Has lovely blue
eyes, and Is ope OF the incest young men
l have ever known in my life. IN worldly
respects he Is everything that can be de-
I sired, and Julia seems 10 like him very
much, though she has not actually said
So"
This letter Mrs. Trafford closed aud sent
of TO her youngest daughter, without
showing IL to Julia.
Julia, however, did not notice the
omission and when Mrs. Trafford went
back to the d~rawing-room, she found her
sitting comfortably by the FIRE t~Oasting
her feet on the fender. She put down the
book which she was reading and locked
at her mother.
"Did you notice that Mrs. toyelace was
not at the ball at Mstchani. nor yet the
one at P~lackingtonf' she asked.
Eyes. But | heard someone ask Mis-,
Mauleverer where she was and why she
was not there aud she SAID that she had
gone up TO town for a few days"
"Ahi | see" said Julia. well, It was
better that she wasn't there for Captain
tegard went on awfully with PANEL
winstauley, and Mrs. Iovelace woulc
have been furious the whole time"
Captain Legard seems to be devoting
himself to Pamela" Mrs. Trafford re
marked.
"Oh! utterly"
tnayvrrf ru-fyne~soth fM~ ~frfrff.~af11N
ever. You never can tell how these affair
come about. But she is $3.50 old-fash
toned looking although she il certaiul,
pretty; and he IL so-well, So"
He puts on tremendous side,'' SAT-
Julia, quickly.
~'fes-though | scarcely quite mean
that. But he il so very d~ragoonish-,
lady-killer sort of a man, always with hi
head poking forward aud his eyes rovin.
about as IL he was looking for fresh worlds
to conquer. Aud for him to be apparentl,
going In seriously for Pamela winstauley
who Is already a little old -maidish in spit,
OF her slang, is very odd, To say the leas,
OF It,"
Yes" answered Julia. dreamily. these
things are generally very odd. I think
life Altogether Is odd"
Well, the next day quite a small crowd
OF people turned up at the pretty house in
st. Ewes, and Mrs. Trafford perceived that
she had not suffered I'm social Importance
by having made one OF the house-party at
Matcham.
Among her visitors was Mr.. Evelyn
Gabrielle, who was looking very i'll. He
had three days previously received a
favor anonymously, consisting Of yari-
Gus articles OF toilette utility together with
divers remarks concerning his personal
vanity such As had made him HnutterabIy
wretched.
This production he had traced 10 two
ladies, sisters. who were on The outside
fringe Of the Parish set and were very Oh
~jectionable people all round. Indeed, TO
be quite accurate, I caunot faithfully say
that they were I'm a set OF any kind. I
never saw anybody speaking 10 them or
walking with them. But they went duly
and truly to the Parish services. where
they were in the world but not of the
world. And il you think that an odd
thing to say of two ladies in such cir
cumstances, 1 must tell you that the Par
ish set comprised ''the world" of the an
cient city.
Mrs. Trafford noticed in a moment that
something was wrong with him. He was
not wearing a single ring on his lady-like
hands-incredible as il may seem 10 those
who know him-and his face had a sweet
and anxious look as il his self-inficted
s%courgiugs had proved too severe for him.
Mrs. Trafford was very kind and tender
with him. she made him sit in the cosy
chair by the fire and was sure he was far
from well. Was IL the relaxing air OF
Blankhampton, Without doubt 1t was
relaxing, the little woman told him.
Now. MI. Gabrielle could scarcely tell
the sympathetic little widow that two
vulgar women had troubled themselves
to send him a small quantity Of rouge and
a piece OF cottonwood without giving him
the opportunity OF thanking them for the
attention, SO he had TO dissemble ONE
what. to say that he was not feeling very
well, that no had been a little worried
about parish affairs for some days, and
should be really glad TO have q few days
change.
Mrs. Trafford little thought how truly
he spoke when he said that parish affairs
had worried him, She naturally thought
OF services, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS am
ltalking abouts mean practices, choir
school aud SO forth. IL only she had
knowna about that rouge and the cotton
WOOL She had always had a lurking sus-
picion that the Reverend Evelyn had liked