Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-12-31

AIS" said she. 1T seems to me It Ia
when you are young and have all your life
TO make or mar before you that you have
the best right TO be serious"
"Why, why, Linda, my girl! IT Isn't
,ou haven't come to tell me you are going
10 get married againy'
Married aga!,l!" exclaimed tho young
woman. "No one ought TO get married
again; IL doesn't sound pretty"
~ didn't mean to say that. / am an
unfortunate, laundering old ancestor.
Deaf be too hard on me. You know,
daughter, I'd love to see you happy, even
II you did leave mo TO tho mercy Of the
h~ousainaids."
Would you, fnther, would yuu?" Linda
sanic and sat on tho arm Of his chair and
stroked his grizzled hair.
"Out with IL! Who is itP I'm braced,"
ia!d tho father grimly.
"Oh, I'm not going 20 marry. I'm
not, " cried Mrs. Marmont, with even I'M
Necessary fervor. "You ought TO know
,hn,. You know, l wasn't very happy,
and--aud | want to be u deaconnoss!"
"a wlat?'
"Ycu know, the order OF ~dcaconnesses
they have in the church, papa. They
give heir lives to good works"
Lord, Lord! 1t sounds as II they wore
biuoTegs. They don't, do theyf'
"TEc costume is very becoming" said
The widow. with frosty severity.
well, that's something 10 DO thankful
for"
Papa, you must treat me like a grown
pcrson Cor three minutes. l want TO tell
yo. Tins l have made up my mind. I'm
going 70 enter tho novitiatc. I'm going
- &c a deaoonness." ?
Slio stood in the riddle Of tho room, her
hands clasped before her and looking ter
ribly formidable for such n slender young
5eauty I'm good clothes. ITS my ono res
0,uticn for the new year, - sho went on
very quietly, but her breath coming In ir.
rc;ala. pants. 81 thought ought TO tell
YOU as soon rs ] had made up my mind,
anG I made it up today, on this last day
Of tho old year, and it's tho last, too, of
NY old life. I'm tired of tho f~riyolity and
emptiness of the old life"
SEo moved toward the door; as she laid
her hand on the knob size turned and said
20 tho silent man:
Tim rot going to the ball tomorrow
night. bat don't let my movements disturb
yours
~ trust you have not at this hour con
oludod tn throw over your Aunt Sarah's
dinner, too, 4" he said, with sarcastic into
nations.
mo" was the answer. 81 don't know
how Aunt Sarah's dinners could ever be
looked upon Us festivities. I'm only try
ing to sober my mind, and expect that
to he q very SOLDERING function"
Aunt Sarah's dinner was to be eaten
that very evening, and the guests were 10
dance and play whist and watch the old
year out. II was to be n family party with
q sDrinkling OF such other people as could
be brought To join q family party-cer-
tainly not likely was " that they would
be very gay members, OF society.
II don't care what you do with It,, F"
said Mrs. Marmont, when her maid was
doing her hair. Its not important how l
look"
"Why, madame, II eos not q LADIES'
luncheon you dress forl There will DO the
gentlemen. Is 1t not sop
The mistress laughed and answered that
1t didn't matter, .
Mrs. Marmont went to the despiscd din,
ner looking uncommonly imposing and
handsome. When she entered her aunt's
drawing room, u little admiring hush and
then n little admiring murmur greeted the
softly draped white figure, such as was
hardly to be expected from n company sc
familiar with the sight of her. But all
were not equally familiar with it; IN ath-
letic, bronzed young man who was talking
to Mrs. founders (his hostess, Aunt
SARAH contributed To The hush, so to
speak, by stopping short In the middle OF
his sentence rs his eyes rested on Mrs.
Marmont, and then circulating, us tit
is'-
LINDA" interrupted Mrs. Losnders,
@of course. Didn't you expect to SEQ her9"
~ had heard she was abroad--she hasn't
changed 30 much rs I first thought"
"Oh, no, q woman doesn't change much
between "a and 80, Mr.. Lester. The fash.
Ions change, but you mustn't talk to her
as II you were surprlsed-sh she isn't decrepit