Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-04-09
CHAPTER XVI.
rAuLrNE's BRIGHT FAyc1Es.

Hampton complimented him so highly.
This is just as it ought to be, Sir Oswald"
she said. zone who can give such entertain
ments as this should not think of retiring
from q world he is so well qualified to adorn.
Confess, now, that under the influence of
that music you could dance yourself"
Sir Oswald laughed.
~ must plead guilty" he said. allow
beautiful Miss Rocheford looks t~o-nightr'
ut is well for you, Sir Oswald, that you
hare not heard all the compliments that the
dear child has lavished on you; they would
have made you vain"
Sir Oswald's face frightened with pleasure.
us your niece pleased? l am very glad
indeed. 1t was more TO give her pleasure
than from any other motive that l gave the
ball"
Then you have succeeded perfectly. Now,
Sir Oswald, do you not see that what / said
was true-that an establishment like this re-
quires a mistress? Darrell Court always led
the hospitalities of the county. 1t is only
since no lady has lived here that it has fallen
into the background"
"i; shall be in the background no longer"
said Sir Oswald. 81 think my first ball is a
very successful one. How happy everybody
looks!'
But of all that brilliant company, Pauline
Darrell was queen. There were men pres
ent who would have given anything fer one
smile from her lips. They admired her th5y
thought her beautiful beyond comparison,
but they did not feel quite at ease with hes
She was somewhat beyond them; they 5iu
not understand her. She did not blush. and
glow, aud smile when they said pretty things
TO her. When they gave her their most brill
ta,f Sp,a II tnlIy .1A HID ,,NtIi,,yr - 1t,.n .NA.nN
in return. A soul quite different from theirs
looked It them ont of her dark, proud eyes.
They n. IL to themselves that she was very
beautiful, but that she required softening,
and thA. :, netting lovable and tender was
wanting IN her. She was a queen to be
worshiped, an empress to receive all homage,
but not a woman to be loved. So they
thought who were not even capable of judy
ing such capacity for love as hers.
She was also not popular with the ladies'.
They thought her very superb; they admired
her magnificent dress; but they pronounced
her proud and reserved. They said she gave
herself airs, that she took no pains to make
friends; and they did not anticipate any very
great rejoicingS when Darrell Court should
belong TO her. The elder ladies pronounced
that Judgment on her; the Younger ones
shrank abashed, and were slightly limid in
her presence.
Sir Oswald, 1t was noticed, led Miss Roche
ford in to supper, and seemed to pay her
very great attention. Some of the ladies
made observations, but others said it was all
nonsense; If Sir Oswald had ever intended
to marry, he would have married years ago,
and his choice would have fallen Oh a lady
OF mature age, not on n slight, slender girl.
BesideS-and who could find an an5wer to
such an argument?--waS ii not settled that
Miss Darrell was TO be his heirCSs? There
was no doubt about that.
That baronet'S great affection for Aubrey
Langton was also known. More than one
of the guests present guessed at the arrange
ment made, and said that in all probability
Miss Darrell would marry the captain, and
that they would have the Cour. after Sir Os-
wald's death.
The banquet was certainly n magnificent
one. The guests did full justice to TIE cost
ly wines, the rare and beautiful fruits, the
recherche dishes prepared with so much skill
and labor. When supper was ended, the
dancers returned to the ballroom, but Miss
Darrell was already rather weary of it all.
She stole away during the first dance after
supper. The lamps were lighted in the con
servatory, and shed a soft, pearly light over
the fragrant flowers; the great glass doors at
the end were open, and beyond lay the moon
light, soft, sweet, and silyery, sleeping the
flowers, the trees, and the long grass in its
mild light. Without, all was so calm, so
still; there was the evening sky with its myr-
lad stars, so calm and so serene; close to
the doors stood great sheaves of white lilies,
and just inside was a nest Of fragrant daph-
mes and jessamines.
Pauline stood lost in delight; the perfume
seemed to float in from the moonlight and
Unfold her. This quiet, holy, tranquil beauty
touched her heart as the splendorof the ball
room could not; her soul grew calm and still;
she seemed nearer happiness than she had
ever been before.
"How beautiful the world Is !" she thought.
She raised her face, so s~erenely placid and
fair in the moonlight; the silver radiance fell
upon il, adding all that was needed TO make
it perfect, q blended sof,ness and tenderness.
The gorgeous, g%olden-hued dress falling
around her, gllstentd, cleaned, and glowed;
her diamonds slone like flames. No artist
ever dreamed OF a fairer picture than this
girl in the midst of the moonlight and the
flowers.
Bright fancieS thronged her mind. She
thought Of the time when she should be mis-
tresS OF that rich domain. NOmercenary de-
light made her heart thrill; 1t was not the
prospect Of being rich that delighted her; it
was q nobler pride-delight in the grand old
home where heroes had lived and died, earn
est thoughts of how she would care for il,
how she would love it as sOnc living thing
when it should be her own.
Her own! Verify her lines were cast in
pleasant places! She dreamed great things
of the worthy deeds she would do, of the
noble charities she would carry out, the mag
nificent designs she would bring to maturity
when Darrell Court should be hers.
1t was not that she wished for it at once.
She did not love Sir Oswald-their natures
were too antagonistic for that; but she did
not wish-indeed, she was incapable Of wish.
ing-that his life should be shortened even
for one hour. She only remembered that in
the course of time this grand inheritance
must be hers How she would help those
artjst-friends of her fathers! What orders
sEa would give them, what pictures she
would buy, what encouragement she would
give to art and literature! How she would
fSter genius! How she would befriend the
clever and gifted poor mes of the earthl
The beautiful moonlight seemed to grow
falrer, the blue, any heavens nearer, as tho
grand and gracious possibilities OF her life
revealed themselves to her. Her cart grew
warm, her soul trembled with delight.
And %then-then there would be something
dearer and fajrer than all this-something
thai IN to every woman-her bi%rthright-
something that would complete her life, that
would change ii, that would make music Of
every word, and harmony of every action.
The time would come when love would find
her out, when the fairy prince would wake
her from her magic sleep. She was pure and
spotless as the white lilies standing near her;
the breath of love had never passed over her.
There had been no long, idle conversations
with young girls on the subject of love and
lovers; her heart was a blank page. But