Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-03-12
VICTORY
BY BERTHA NJ. CLAY.

~ am writing to him TO tell him that /
hope he will remain with us for a month;
and during that time | hope, / fervently
hope, he may fall IN love with my niece.
She is beautiful enough. Pardon me again
Miss Hastings, but has she ever spoken 10
you Of love or loversY
mo. She is in that respect, as In many
pthers, quite unlike the generality OF girls.
I have never heard an ~allusion to such mat
ters from her lips-neyer once"
This fact seemed TO Sir Oswald stranger
Ehan any other: he had an idea that girls de-
voted the greater part Of their thoughts to
such subjects.
do you think" he inquired, that she
cared for any one in P~aTiS-any OF those men,
for instance, whom she used to meet at her
tather's?"
mo" replied Miss Hastings; IL do not
think SO. She is strangely backward in all
such respects, although she was brought up
entirely among gentlemen
"Among-pardon me, my dear madame,
not OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, we will say, of a
gentlemanly profession"
Sir Oswald took from his gold snuff-bo a
pinch Of most delicately- favored snuff, and
looked as though he thought the very exist
ence of such people a mistake.
ANY little influence that you may possess
over my niece, Miss Hastings, will You kind
ly use in Captain LangtOn's favor? or course,
II anything should come Of my pIan-as
fervently hope there lnay-I shall stipulate
that the engagement last two years. During
that time | shall trust TO the influence OF love
to change my niece's character"
1t was only a fresh complication-one from
which Miss Hastings did not expect much.
That same day, during dinner, Sir Oswald
told his niece of the expected arrival of Cap
tain Langton.
4 have seen 50 few English gentlemen"
she remarked, that he will be subject of
somo curiosity to me-"
"You will find hlm-that is, If he resem-
bles his father-a ~high-bred, noble gentle
man." said Sir Oswald, complacently.
rs he clever" she asked. What does
he do?"
"Dog' repeated Sir Oswald. Il do not UNI
derstand YOU"
Does he paint pictures or write booksP'
Heaven iorbid!' cried Sir Oswald, proud
ly. "He Is a gentleman"
Her face flushed holly for some minutes,
and then the flush died away, leaving her
paler than ever.
II consider artists and writers gentlemen
she retorted- gentlemen Of a far higher
stamp than those to whom fortune has given
money and nature has denied brains"
Another time a sharp argument would have
resulted from the Growing down OF such a
gauntlet. Sir Oswald had something else in
view, so he allowed the speech TO pass.
1T will be a great pleasure for me to see
my old friends son again" he said. III hope,
Pauline, you will help me to make his visit 8
pleasant one"
"Wha can / do?' she asked, brusqiely.
what a question: laughed Sir Oswald,
"Say rather, what can you not do? Talk TO
him, sing to him. Your voice is magnificent,
and would give any one the greatest pleas.
IRE. You can ride out with lnm."
"lf he is q clever, sensible man, | can do
all that you mention; If not, ] shall not troub'
lie myself about him. never could endure
either tiresome or stupid people"
MY young friend is not likely to prove
either" said Sir Oswald, angrily; and Miss
Hastings wondered in her heart what the re.
suit of it all would be,
That same evening Miss Darrell talked OF
Captain Langton, weaving many bright fan
cies concerning him.
81 suppose" she said, that it is not al,
WAYS the most favorable specimens of tho
English who visit Paris, We used TO sec
such droll caricatures. | like a good carica.
ture above all things-do you, Miss Hast
ings?"
"Whcn it is good, and pains no one" was
the sensible reply,
The girl turned away with a little impa'
tient sigh.
Your ideas are all colorless," she said
| sharply. 'In England it seems to me that
everybody is alike. You have 10 individu,
ality, no character"
IF character means, in your sense of the
word, Immature, so much the better" rejoin'
ed Miss Hastings. "All goodhearted people
strive to save each other from pain"
II wonder" said Pauline, thoughtfully
'if | shall like Captain Langton! We have
been living here quietly enough; but | fee
rs though some great change were coming
You have no doubt experienced that peculiar
sensation which comes over one just before
q heavy thunderstorm ] have that strange
%half-neryouS, half-restless sensation now"
You will try to be amiable, Pauline" pu'
in the gOverness, quietly. You see that Sill
Oswald evidently thinks a great deal of thii
young friend Of his. You will try not Il
shock your uncle in any waY-nOt to violat,
those little conyentionalities that he respect
40 much"
II will do my best; but | must be myself
always myself. | cannot assume a falSt
character"
Then let it be your better self" said tn,
governess, gently; and for one minute Pau
line Darrell was touched,