Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-03-19
caIno peenlnR In.

anne peeping In.
II am Jealous of those flowers" said the
captain; will you look at me instead Of
themp'
She raised her beautiful eyes, and looked
at him so calmly, with so much conscious
superiority in her manner, that the captain
felt smaller than ever.
"You are talking nonsense to me" she
said, loftily; land as | do not like nonsense,
will you tell me what you have to sayy'
The voice was calm and cold, the tones
measured and slightly c~0ntemptuotts; 1t was
very difficult under such circumstances TO be
an eloquent wooer, but the recollection OF
Darrell Court and its large rent-roll came 10
him and restored his fast expiring courage.
IL want to ask q favor of you" he said;
and the pleading expression that he manag'
ed to throw into his face was really credit
able to him. Il want TO ask you II you VIII
be a little kinder to me. l admire you -
much that | should be the happiest maj IN
all the world IL you would but give me ever
80 little OF your friendship"
She seemed TO consider his words-to pom
der them; and from her silence he took hope.
IL am quite unworthy, ! know; but, II yOu
knew how all my life long | have desired The
friendship Of a good and noble IN you
would be kinder to me-yOu would indeed.
do you think, then, that i am good and
noble?' She asked.
II am sure OF it; your face
IL WISH she interrupted, that Sir o.
wald were OF your opinion. You have lived
in what people call the world all your life,
Captain Langton, / ~supposeY'
tsYao ~ ha rap1iad tynpHaripU what yyfU't
follow.
you have been in society all that time yet
! am the first good and noble woman you
have nett You are hardly complimentary
to the sex, after all"
The captain was slightly taken aback,
II did not say those exact words, Miss Oar
rell."
But you implied them. Tell me whyyou
wish for my friendship more than am other.
Miss Hastings Is ten thousand time more
estimable than | am-why not make ar your
friendT"
Il admire you'll like you. | could say
more. but | dare not. You are hard upon
me, Miss Darrell"
II have 10 wish to be hard" she returned.
"WhO am l that ! should be hard upon any
Ones But, you see, / am unfortunately what
people call very plain-spoken-very truth
full"
80 much the better" said Captain Lang
ton.
rs it? Sir Oswald says not. II he does
not make me his heiress, il will be because l
have such an abrupt manner Of speaking; he
often tells me So"
Truth in a beautiful woman began the
captain, sentimentally; but Miss Darrell
again interrupted him-she had little patience
with his platitudes.
you say you wish for my friendship be-
cause you like me. Now, here is the diff
culty-I cannot give it to you, because l do
not like you"
you do not like mey' cried the captain,
hardly able 10 believe the evidence Of his
own senses. You cannot mean it! You
are the first person who ever said such a
thingv'
Perhaps | am not the first who ever
thought il; but then, as ! tell you, | am very
apt to say what think"
'Will you tell me why you do not like
me?' asked the captain, quietly. lie began
to see that nothing could be gained in any
other fashion.
Her beautiful face was raised quite c1lmly
to his, her dark eyes were as proudly serene
as ever, she wa utterly unconscious that she
was saying anything extraordinary.
Il Will tell you with pleasure, y she replied.
you seem to me wanting in truth and earn
estness; you think people are to be pleased
by fattery. You fiatter Sir Oswald, you fiat
ter Miss Hastings, you fatter me. Being
agreeable is all very well, but an honest man
does not need TO hatter-does not think OF il,
in fact. Then, you are either needless OF
cruel-I do not know which. Why should
you XIII that beautiful flower that Heaven
made to enjoy the sunshine, just for one idle
moments wanton sportT'
Captain Langton's face grew perfectly
white with anger.
Upon my word of honor, he said, Il new.
er heard anything like this!'
Miss Darrell turned carelessly away
You see" she said, friendship between
us would be rather difficult. But / will not
judge too hastily; | will wait a few days,
and then decide"
She had quilted the room before Captain
Langton had sufficiently recovered from hi:
dismay TO answer.