Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-21
CHAPTER XVII.

Assistance was soon procured, and Sir Os-
wald was carried TO his room; DR.. Helmstone
was sent for, and when he arrived the whole
house was In confusion. Lady Darrell wrung
her hands 10 the most graceful distress.
Now, Elmer" said Lady Hampton, pray
do not give way 10 anything OF that kind.
II Is a fortunate thlns for you that | am here.
Let me beg OF you to remember that, what.
ever happens, you are magniHcently provided
for, Sir Oswald told me as much. There Is
really no need 10 excite yourself In that fash
ion"
While Lady Darrell, with a few graceful
ordinations and a very pretty show Of sor-
row, managed TO attract all possible sympa-
thy, Pauline moved about with a still, cold
face, which those best understood who knew
her nature. 1t seemed incredible to the girl
that anything unexpected should happen to
her uncle. She rad only just begun to love
him; that evening had brought those two
proud hearts closer together than they had
ever been; the Ice was broken; each had a
gllmmeflng perception Of the real character
OF the other-a perception that in time would
have developed into perfect love. 1t seemed
too hard that after he had just begun 10 like
her-that as soon as q fresh and genuine sem
timent was spfinging up between them-he
must die.
For 1t had come to that. Care, skill, talent,
watching, were all in vain; he muse die.
Grave-faced doctors had consulted about
him, and with professional keenness had
seen at once that his case was hopeless. The
allment was a sudden and dangerous one
violent inflammation OF the lungs. No one
could account for the sudden seizure. Sir
Oswald had complained OF pain during the
day, but no one thought that u was anything
OF a serious nature. His manner. certainly,
had been strange, with a sad pathos quite
unlike himself; but no one saw in that the
commencement Of a mortal illness.
Lady Hampton frequently observed how
fortunate Il was that she was there. To all
Inquiries as 10 the health of her niece. she
replied. Poor, dear Lady Darrell is bear
ing up wonderfully: " and with the help of
pathetic little speeches, the frequent use of
n vinaigrette, a few tears, and some amiabIe
se~lf-condolence, that lady did bear ur.
Strange to say, the one who felt the keen
est sorrow, the deepest regret, the truest pain,
was the niece with whom Sir Oswald had
continually found fault, and whom he had
~disinherlted. She went about with q sorrow
on her face more eloquent than words. Lady
Hampton said it was all assumed; but Lady
Darrell said, more gently, that Pauline was
not a girl TO assume q grief she did not feel.
Sot the baronet died after a week of severe
illness, during which he never regained the
power OF speech, nor could he make himself
Ineligible. The most distressing thi was
that there was evidently something which he
wished 10 say-Something which he desired
to make them understand. When Pauline
was in the room his eyes followed her with
a wistful glance, pitiful, sad, distressing: he
evidently wished to say something, but had
not the power.
With that wish unexprcssed he died, and
they never knew what 1t was. Only Pauline
thought that &c meant, even at the last, to
ask her forgiveness and to do her Justice.
Darrell Court WAS thrown into deepest
mourning; the servants went about vita
hushed footsteps and sorrowful faces. He
had been kind to them, this stately old mas
ter; and who knew what might happen un-
der the new regtmef Lady Hampton was,
she assured every one, quite overwhelmed
with business. She had to make all arrange
ments for the funeral, TO order all the mourn
ing, while Lady Darrell was supposed 10 be
overwhelmed with sorrow in the retirement
OF her OWL room.
On fine spring morning. while the pretty
bluebells were swaying in the wird, and the
hawthorn was shining pink and white on the
hedges, while the birds sang and the sun
shone, Sir Oswald Darrell was buried, and
the secret OF what he had wished to say or
have done was buried with him.
At Lady Darrell's suggestion, Captain
Langton was sent for to attend the funeral.
IL Nraa q arron,t and ctafalx- N,nnraafnn An
the elite of the county were there, all the
tenantry from Audleigh Royal, all the
friends who had known Sir Oswald and re-
spected him.
Was he the last of Darrell?'' one asked
of another; and many looked at the stately,
dark-eyed girl who bore the name, wonder
ing how he had left his property, whether
his niece would succeed him, or his wife take
all. They talked Of this in subdued whis-
pers as the funeral cortege wound its way to
the church, they talked OF n after the coffin
had been lowered into the vault, and they
talked of 10 as the procession made it3 way
back TO Darrell Court.
As Lady Hampton said, it was a positive
relief to open the windows and let the bless
ed sunshine in, to draw up the heavy blinds,
to do away with the dark, mourning aspect
OF the place.
Everything had been done according to
rule-no peer Of the realm could have had O
more magnificent funeral. Lady Hampton
felt that In every respect full honor had been
done both to the living and the dead.
Now" she wisely remarked, there Is
nothing to be done, save to bear up as well
as II Is possible"
Then, after q solemn and dreary dinner,
the friends and invited guests went away,
and the most embarrassing ceremony of all
had to be gone through-the reading OF the
will.
Mr.. Ramsden, the family solicitor, was In
Captain Langton, Lady Oar
rel, Lady Hampton, and Miss Darrell took
their seats. Once or twice Lady Hampton
looked with q smile of Malicious satisfaction
the proud, calm face Of Pauline. There
nothing there to crafty her-no queen
could have assisted at her own d~ethronement
with prouder majesty or prouder grace.
some OF the old ~retainers. servants who had
been In the family from their earliest youth,
aid there was not one who did not wish In
ais heart that Pauline might have Darrell
Court
Lady Darrell, clad In deepest mourning,
vas placed In o large easy-chaIr In the center
u the group, her aunt BY her side. She look. |
d extremely delicate and lovely In her black
weeping robes.
Pauline, who evidently thought the core
nony an empty one, a. far rs she was con.
erned, stood near the table. She declined
he chair that Captain lAngton placed Ion
Her uncle WA dead; she regretted him
With true, ~unfcigped, sincoge sorrow: but the