The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-08-28
.M0NA'S CHOICE.
BY MRS.

BY Mrs. ALEXANgER-
Dear old Lady! OF course, ut such n
painful crisis, old friends count for a great
deal. l think, dear, you must cows back
with me TO Charles ..et, cilisoC leave
you here alola."
mo, Lady Mary, I will not leave the
house while poor granaie lies helpless here.
[ feel bound to keep by her to the last"
A message from Sir Robert brought
Warning rs fast us a wei: paid driver could
urge his horse. Mona was not in thedraw-
ins-room when he reached it, and he was
somewhat discounted when Lady Mary
came and explained that Mona WINS too
much overcome TO see him-thrt she was
In her own room.
'sBut She will see me presently, will she
nots" he asked. a~ppealingly. 81 thought
It might be a comfort to her to talk to me-"
mo doubt it will be. AT this moment
she is terribly upset.
1t was not till considerably later-after
Warning and Sir Robert had arranged the
details OF the funeral, and all that apper-
tanned to it-that Mona was induced to see
her afianced husband.
Mona was ready enough to speak Of her
sorrow. She was gently grateful for his
sympathy, but she would not sit beside
him, her head on his shoulder, and his
rm round her, nor did she permit n course
Of consolation compounded of whispers.
kisses and assurances that the whisperer
would be brother and sister and grand
mother n everything to her. She was
30 dazcd and overwhelmed that Warning
was gravely uneasy about her, and 1t was
an immense relief to him to know that
Nine. Debrisay (who had heard of the sad
event in some occult manner) was in the
house, and would spend the night with her
f%avorite pupil.
Established custom governs all things
the deepest grief-the widest Joy. The
dreary days-which fingered yet went so
swiftly-sped on, and poor Mrs. Ncwburgh
was laid in her grave Her will, leaving
all she possessed to Mona, was duly read
her few jewels and personalities packed
up. The former went with Mona to Har.
rowby Chase.
Mona took cold on her journey, and for
n fortnight was very unwell-sO feverish.
in fact, rs to wander in her speech, and tC
cause her kind hosts a good deal of anxiety
She was utterly lonely. She had nc neal
relative. The Everards were more closely
allied by friendship than by blood to Mrs
Newburgh. She had heard of many Other
cousins in her grandmother's lifetime, but
she felt they did not count.
Pondering these things, she grew af
frighted at the stern aspect of the worlt
she was going to face, for, as she collected
her faculties and studied her circum
stances. she grew more and more averse tt
fulfill her engagement with Leslie War
ing. The great motive was gone, and al
Irresistible longing for freedom, however,
poverty stricken, seized her. The idea @
SO close II union with q nero ~good-naturet
sportsman, who in no way touched he
Imagination, whose offensive affection
wearied her, whose personal appearance,
was unpleasant to her eyes, became in
finitely repugnant as she dwelt upon it
1t was hardly fair to him either to let hin
plunge into the irrevocable in ignorance o
her aversion. Better let him bear n TEN
porary pang now than incur the miscr,
long drawn out of an ill-assortcd, unsym
pathetic marriage.
Her resolution to break with him grey
rapidly stronger almost before she wa
ware she had formed it. Then she bega;
, see that she was enjoying Lady Mary
ind hospitality under false pretenses
She did not for a moment doubt that he
refusal to marry Warning would brin;
down, if not u storm of wrath-for Lad
Mary and her family were far too wei
bred to be violently angry-but an iceber
of disapprobation. She must remove hel
self from the shelter of their roof befor
she struck the blow that would give poe
Warning so much temporary pain. (Sh
felt sure it would be but temporary An
where could she go7 There was no on
but her faithful Nine. Debrisay on whoi
she could count, and even she would b
very. very angry. Still her purpose grey
clearer and tirmer as her nervous systel
began to recover the shock it had SUSTAINED
Meantime, Mona had not been idle. St
wrote to her dear Deb,' begging leave
visit her, as she felt herself an impedime1
to the party Lady Mary wished to assen
BILE, and also because she had more to sd
than she could write.
This brought a speedy. rapturous reply
Then Mona applied herself to compos,
re-write, and copy her difficult letter I
Leslie Warning.
1t was even a worse task than She n!
ticipated. All her selfish longing for d
liyeranCe was for tho moment swallowe
, up in sorrow for the pain she was about
+ intiict. Nothing kept her steady to h,
J purpose so much as her conviction that 81
| was doing right-that she was deliverir
. Leslie as well as herself. She was mo
: than one day over her task; for Evely
Everard, IN exceedingly girlish girl, wi
had taken a violent fancy to her, was co
! stantly running into her room with IL
Il work, or book, or for the avowed intentiC
of "enlivening" her.
1t was accomplished at last, howeve
q but Mona waited to post it till she W
safe in town, even though she left two
Warnings epistles unanswered. Indee
a her replies had always been few and scant
II so much SO, that even he had become re!
less and dissatisfied. He hoped, howeyt
u that a personal interview would put
+ matters right.
o 1t was n gray clustering afternoon VIII
r she reached st. Pancras. and found Mn
r Debrisay waiting for her.
MY dear; you do look badl Come. 6
4, into the cab. will find your things"
4 81 have only this small portmanteau n
Y bonnet-box for the present"
L.. "That's right. / am sure you are not
E. to be put in such weather; get in, dear"
81 must post this letter first" said MOI
4 her lips quivering.
lie Very well. Give it to me. Oh. y
lie quite right" glancing at the adore
o "Iou must keep him Informed Of yc
whereabouts. It's hard times for hi
j. poor fellow, all this delay" The 10
1t drive to Westbourne Villas passed almt
in silence on Mona's side. TO Nine. ID
risay silence was abhorrent, and she poul
|T out much Information respecting
changes she had made in her dwelling
:, the additional pupils promised her n,
- mouth. II am glad I have the rest Of t
one comparatively free. ! u give a lit
time to you, my dear child. And here
e. are. thank God! You will be the bet
II of a cup of tea"
IL Mona was, indeed, thankful to have,
Of far, accomplished her purpose as to be
rs der the roo of her only sympathetic friel