Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-03-26
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
SIR OSWALD THINKS OF MARRIAGE.
Fortune favored Lady Hampton. Sir Os-
wald was so delighted with his visitors that
he insisted upon their remaining for lunch
con.
The young ladies will have time TO be-
come friends" he said; but il was rs well
that he did not see how cOntemptuously Pau
line turned away at the words. pauline"
he continued, miss ROchefOrd will like to
see the grounds. This is her first visit to
Darrell Court. Show her the fountains and
the flower-gardens."
Elinor looked up with a well-assumed ex-
preston of rapture; Pauline's look of annoy
ance indicated that she obeyed greatly
against her will.
Sir Oswald saw the captain looking visit
fully after the two girlish figures.
go" he said, with a courtly smile.
"Young people like to be together. | will
entertain Lady Hampton"
Greatly relieved, the captain followed. He
was so deeply and so desperately in love that
he could not endure to see Pauline Darrell
talking even TO the girl by her side. lie
would fam have CngrOssed every word, every
glance of hers himself; he was madly jeal-
oCs when such were bestowed upon others.
The three walked down The broad cedar
path together, the captain all gallant atten-
ton, Miss ROcheford all sweetness, Pauline
naughty as q young barbaric queen bound
by a cOnqueror's chains. She did not like
her companions, and did not make even q
feint of being civil 10 them.
Meanwhile the opportunity so longed for
by Lady Hampton had arrived; and the lady
seized 1t with alacrity. She turned to Sir
Oswald with a smile.
lyon amuse me" she said, "by giving
yourself such an air of age. Why do you
consider yourself SO old, Sir Oswald? If it
were not that | feared 10 ilatter you, ] should
say that there were few young men to COM
pare with you"
My dear Lady Hampton" returned the
b%sronet, in a voice that was not without
pathoS, ''loOk at this"
He placed his thin white hand upon his
white hair. Lady Hampton laughed again.
"What does tina. matter! Why, many men
are gray even in their youth. / have always
wondered why you seek TO al4ear SO old, Sir
Oswald. | feel sure, Judging from many in
dicatiOns, that you annot be sixty"
mo; but | am over "fiity-and my idea Is
that. at fifty, one is really old"
Nothing of the kind! y she said with great
energy. "SOme of the finest men | have
known were only in the prime Of life then.
IL you were seventy, you might think OF
speaking as you do. Sir Oswald" she ask
ed, abruptly, looking keenly at his face,
"why have You never married?'
He smiled, but a flush darkenCd the fine
old face.
IL was in love once" ne replied, simply,
'and only once. The lady was young and
fair. She loved me in return. But q few
weeks before our marriage she was suddenly
taken i'll and died. j have never even thought
of replacing her"
slow sad! What sort of a lady was she,
Sir Oswald-this fair young love of yours?'
Strange to say, in face, figure, and man
ner she somewhat resembled your lovely
young niece, Lady Hampton. She had the
same quiet, graceful manner, the sane pol
iShed grace-s0 different from"
From Miss Darrell" supplied the lady,
promptly. How that unfortunate girl must
Jar upon your.
Ssh does; but there are times when | have
hopes Of her. We are talking like old friends
now, Lady Hampton. | may tell you that l
think there is one and only one thing that
can redeem my niece, and that is love. Love
works wonders sometimes, and l have hopes
that it may do so in her case. A grand mas
ter-paSSiOn such as controls the Darrells
when they love at all-that would redeem
her. 1t would soften that fierce pride and
hauteul, it would bring her to the ordinary
level of w~omanhOod; it would cure her of
many of the fantastic ideas that seem to have
aiken possession of her; it would make her
what she certainly is not nova gentlewo-
man."
do you think sop queried Lady Hamp-
ton. dOubtfully.
II am sure of it. When | look ut that
grand face of hers, often SO defiant, / think
to myself that she may be redeemed by love-"
And If this grand master-passiOn does not
come to her-if she cares for some one only
after the ordinary fashion OF women-what
then?'
He threw up his hand with a gesture indi-
cative of despair.
Or" continued Lady Hampton-'pray
pardon me for suggesting such q thing, Sir
Oswald, but people of the world, like you
and myself, know what odd things are likely
at any time to happen-Supposing that she
should marry some commonplace lover, after
a commonplace fashion, and that then the
master-paSsion should find her out, what
would be the fate of Darrell Courtg'
II cannot tell" replied Sir Oswald, de.
spairingly.
with a person., especially a young girl, of
her self-willed, original, independent nature,
one Is never safe. How thankful | am that
my niece Is so sweet and so womanly!'
Sir Oswald sat for some little time i'm ST.
lence. He looked on this fair ancestral
home of his, with its noble woods and mag.
nlticent gardens. What indeed would be-
come of it if it fell into the ill-disciplined
hands of an ill-disciplinei g~irl-unless, In.
deed, she were subject TO tire control of q
wise husbandp
Would Pauline ever submit to such con-
rol' Her pale, gr9fd faeetdse befTe him,
s-swEs%