Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-05-26
CHAPTER Nv.

When the strain relaxed, and Afra,
overwhelmed with the crushing weight
that had fallen upon her, began TO fee.
that ~henceforth she must make her
own way in life, she simply left her.
self in Mr.. Fletcher's hands. 1t was
he who arranged for her residence
with his niece, a handsome woman,
whose sympathetic face inspired the
girl with confidence; he who saw to
the preparation OF the small abode
which she was to occupy until her po-
sitIon in England was defined by the
return of her Grant husband. In the
meantime Mr.. Fletcher must go back
to the Mission; but he did so with an
easy mind, for he liked and trusted
Cleavland, while he knew that his
niece-Beta Mansfield-was a woman
Of a thousand.
But the girl, used to absolute free
dom. found the new conventionalisms
terribly strange. At first, half-stun-
ned with grief and smarting with dis
appointment and shame, she felt that
chaos had come. But, as time went
on, youth, combined with good health
and recuperative powers of mind and
body, began to assert itself. She de-
veloped rapidly, without losing the
freshness and unconyentionality which
Mr.. Cleavland had found so attractive.
As Afra gained strength, innate tastes
showed themselves. A daintinesS of
touch and a marked sense of color led
the discerning artist to see in this girl
from the wilds a promising pupil, ana
many hours that would otherwise
have been filled with sorrowful re-
membranes were pleasantly occupied
in lessons which were a pleasure to
both teacher and pupil.
Mr.. Cleavland visited the studio. for
this graceful child of the South was in
his charge, and he felt bound to watch
over her and be sure that she came To
no harm. 1t was nothing more than
his duty, yet he found a certain inter
est in ii, for there was much about the
girl that was attractive. She was an
artist to the finger-tips, possessed a
voice of more than average quality,
while incidentally Mr.. Cleavland dis
covered that her friends. the good sis
ters of the Mission had given her a
thorough musical training.
C~leavland wrote his impressions to
the man who wished to discard a trea-
SuICs DuA NlG tCtaCA III hot iCdth I'LL
for many long months. Packenham
had left his fathers house suddenly,
and started on a trip around the
world, intending to spend some time
in travel, his first halting-piace being
America.
rs he mad?' wondered Cleavland,
upon whom fortune was smiling. The
young barrister had had the good for
tune to be on the victorious side in a
famous action, and that one success
brought others in its train.
One day he met Lady Groby in Plea
dilly. Her ladyship beckoned TO him
as she stood ready to get into her car
rage.
What have l done:" she asked.
Come and dine with me this evening
the opera afterwards" she added, airi-
ly. "You are a hermit"
.'You are very kind" he replied. But
/ am n very busy man."
You can't Gomez
Did l say soy" queried the young
lawyer.
You implied it," replied her lady
ship.
You misunderstood mel shall be
very happy to do So"
well, then, half-past seven. The
opera is Faust; and the rich widow
drove away.
Now, what does this meany' he
unused, as he bent his steps westward.
1t vas Miss Mansfield's day at home:
but Nh. Cleavland seldom appeared
there. nor were his business visits more
frequent than necessary. Still, he
thought highly OF those living at the
studio, and felt Il brotherly interest in
the por girl whose anomalous position
appealed forcibly to his compassion.
On arriving at Miss Mansfield's, he
found that she was amusing some OF
her friends in the inner studio, while
Mrs. Packenham was entertaining 9th.
ers In the outer room. Cleavland was
struck with the alteration in the ap-
pearance OF the latter. She wore black,
Of course, but Beta had made her don
an artistic mixture OF lace and let,
which caused her attire TO look less
sombre than usual. She wore a string
or two Of bright jet beads about her
teautifully-rounded throat, which in
tensiied Its whiteness. The young bar