Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-10-15

al
~convulsive alarm.
"About little Winnie Caerlyon," Mil
dred repeated, her handsome face growing
herd, and her bright eyes peering in their
naughty gaze into her cousins troubled
changing face. II am sorry to see that
the news affects you so much, Captain
T~redennick."
affects me?" Stephen T%redennick cried,
his alarm and bewilderment growing
stronger. "Why, Mildred, what is there
to be sorry for? What is it about poor lit.
tie Winnie CaerlyonY"
The cold naughty face grew colder, and
Mildred T~redennick's eyes flashed in u
sudden blaze of indignation.
captain T~redennick, | hate hypocrisy
as / hate craftiuess,'' she said; "it does not
become one of orr name to stoop SO low rs
TO touch cither!' And, having given ut.
terance to her sentiments, her imperial
highness gathered her satin-lined morn
ing-robcs around her as if they had been
in truth the regal puppies, and swept out
of Stephen ~Tredennick's offending pres
ence, leaving him hurt, amazed, angry,
and confused beyond measure.
Half an hour later her mood changed.
"' pNAiSNN pun bNdl Olu phNDlltu
is to blame one bit, in spite of all they may
say" she muttercd to herself, twitching
her dress away from Miss Trewhella's So
llcltous touching and arranging, and
marching off imperiously, fastening her
silken sash and adjusting her lace collar
as she went, in u highly independent man.
ner. She fearlessly invaded her cousins
privacy in his study, where he sat before
the fire in the dark dull afternoon, in a
deep reVerie of thought and tobacco smoke
hazily intermingled.
Cousin Stephen" she said, abruptly,
VI beg your pardon-I spoke rudely a
while ago, but you annoyed me-"
II was not aware of having done So" re-
Joined Stephen Tredennick, quietly and
gravely. There was no one on earth who
could manage Mildred Tredennick so east
ly, and exert such an influence over her,
as her cousin Stephen; at least his aunt
and hers-Madam Nivian-had constantly
assured him of the fact. But you annoyed
and troubled me. Unkind %insinuations
and malicious hints ought to be as far be.
meath a Tredennick as hypocrisy and craft
mess, Mile"
And | have not stopped to either, Steph-
en-" said Mildred, hotly; but | thought
that you were descending to an elaborate
pretence of ignorance of something of
which you were perfectly aware-at least,
80 they said"
"Who said?" Stephen Tredennick de-
manded, laying down his pipe.
"Everybody-the world of Roseworthy
and the parish of st. Awen!'
"What did they say, Mildred" the Cap
thin of the ChittOOr asked, sternly, con-
fronting his handsome, naughty cousin,
laughter than himself, looking down
from his stalwart height on even her
Juno-like stature; and imperious, self-pos.
sessed Mildred quailcd ever so little, and
faltered, with a girlish rising color.
They said that you admired Winnie
Caerlyon, noticed her, walked out with
her, paid her visits, liked and admired
her, and paid her attention-you know,
Stephen" - imperious Mildred faltered
here-"and then"
"Then what?" He struck his clenched
hand with au involuntary force against
the arm of his chair, and u storm overtak-
ing the ChtttOOr on the wide ocean never
brought so dark a cloud us thcn swept
over his brow,
"They said that Winnie Caerlyon, poor
little thing" Mildred's very temples had
colored now-her keen womauly pride and
delicacy shrank from what must have
seemed casting ridicule on another wo.
pan's hopeless affection. That poor little
miserable, pale-faccd, shabby creature
why should she render her absurd and un.
worthy OF respect in Stephen Tredennick's
eyes?
She glanced at the mirrored reflection of
her own splendid form, in the glory Of her
blooming womanhood-at the silken sheen
of her sweeping robes Of royal blue-Mil.
dred would have liked to wear purple vel.
vet and ermine every day had it not been
inconvenient-the massive gold comb and
pins fastening the braids Of her shining
bronze-hued hair, her aristocratic jewelled
hands, the satin fairness of which, one
hours hard work had never sullied-at all
the queenly elegance and grace which
were SO natural to her in the pride of her
beauty, and fhe hesitated, with the un.
willingness of q noble nature, to crush
the weak, to mock the helpless, to slight O
sister-woman because she was inferior in
birth and station.
But Stephen Tredennick's face admitted
of little hesitation, of no denial; beneath
the magnetism of his clear, stern gaze,
capricious Mildred had no power but
obediently to reply
"They said, Stephen-gossiping women
--tattlers- those kind of people, you
know" she went on, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Winnie"
"what about Winnie9" Stephen Tired.
ennick reiterated.
The childish name brought back in a
flood of recollection the announcement of
the little dark dripping figure in the light
ed entry-the pale-faced child with the
beautiful tresses Of hair and the passion
ate womanly eyes-the shivering little
whom he had escorted home
through the wild March morning-the
gentle girl by whose side he had sat on
That sunny afternoon, listening to her
sweet voice, as it mingled with the plash-
ing of the waves--the patient, dear little
creature, busy in the tidy kitchen, with
her white apron INT her big knife, cutting
bread-and- butter.
Stephen Tredennick had often laughed
since, calling to mind what a large knife
and great pile of bread were there, and
how slight and small was the deft little
housewife-poor dear little Winnie, who
had blushed beneath his gaze as he had
never seen a woman blush before or since,
whom he had taken into his heart, al
though he did not know il, whose pure
lips he had kissed, and had felt ever since
as II he dared not sully his own by a coarse
word or q LIGHTER caress, for their dear