Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-03-26
CHAPTER kI.
ELINoR R%oCHEFoRD.

were great; the air was laden with perfume,
and the birds were all singing as though they
knew that the sun would soon reappear.
One glance at her pupils face showed Miss
Hastings there was not much to be lone In
the way of study. Pauline wanted to watch
the mist rise from the hills and trees. She
wanted to see the sunbeams grow bright and
golden.
Let us read under the lime trees, Miss
Hastings" she said, and Captain Langton
smiled approval. For the time was come
when he followed her like her shadow:
when he could not exist out of her presence;
when his passionate love mastered him, and
brought him, II very slave, to her feet: when
the hope of winning her was dearer to Lin
than life itself; when he would have sacri.
feed even Darrell Court for the hope of call
ing her his wife.
If she knew OF his passion, she made no
sign; she never relaxed from her naughty.
careless indifference; she never tried in the
least to make herself agreeable to him.
Sir Oswald watched her with keen ewes.
and Miss Hastings trembled lest misfortune
should come upon the girl she was learning
to love so dearly. She saw and understood
that the baronet was slowly but surely maxi
ing up his mind; If Pauline married the cap
tain, he would make her his heiress; if not,
she would never inherit Darrell Court.
On this August morning they formed a
pretty group under the shadowy, graceful
lines. Miss Hastings held in her hands
some Of the fine fancy work which delights
ladies; the captain reclined N a tiger-skin
rug on the grass, looking very handsome,
for, whatever might be his faults of mind, he
was one Of the handsomest men in England.
Pauline, as usual, was beautiful, graceful,
and piquant, wearing a plain morning dress
of som gray material-a dress which on my
one else would have looked plain, but which
she had made picturesque and artistic by a
dash of scarlet-and a pomegranate blossom
in her hair. Her lovely face looked more
than usually noble under the influence of
the words she was reading.
~"TennysOn again!' said the captain, as she
opened the book. 1T is to be regretted that
the poet cannot see you. Miss Darrell, and
know how highly You appreciate his works"
She never smiled nor blushed at his COM
pliments, as she had seen other girls do. She
had a fashion of fixing her bright eyes on
him, and after one glance he generally was
overcome with confusion before his compli-
ment was ended.
''NN'' " NV AiAaAA VIZ AAiih6 Il NNAiiN
say would flattera poet" she replied thought
fully. Indeed he is, l should say, MS far
above blame as praise"
Then, without noticing him further, She
went on reading. Captain LangtOn's eyes
never left her face; its pale, grand beauty
glowed and changed, the dark eyes grew IA
diant, the beautiful lips quivered with emo
ton. He thought to himself that Il man
might In 1nNNn hiC lifn anH nNap, hnIn IL, II
to WIN ch love as hers.
Suddenly she heard the sound of voices,
and looking up saw Sir Oswald escorting two
ladies.
"What q tiresome thing!' grumbled the
captain. "We can never be alone a single
hour"
81 thought you enjoyed society 50 much"
she said.
II am beginning to care for no society on
earth but yours he whispered, his face
flushing, while she turned ~haughtily away.
You are proud" murmured the captain
to himself, ''you are as naughty as you are
beautiful; but ! will win you yet"
Then Sir Oswald, with his visitors. adj
vanced. 1t was Pauline's aversion, Lady
Hampton, with her niece, Miss Rocheford.
Lady Hampton advanced in her usual
grave, HlllHCldl lldlleG.
''Sir Oswald wanted to send for you, but l
said no. What cIn be more charming than
such a group undeSthe trees? j am 50 anX-
ious to introduce my niece to you, Miss Oar
rell-she arrived only yesterday. Elinor, let
me introduce you to Miss Darrell, Miss Hast
ingS, and Captain Langton."
Pauline's dark eyes glanced at the blush
ing, sweet face, and the Shrinking, graceful
figure. Miss Hastings made her welcome;
and the captain, strokihg his mustache,
thought himself in luck for knowing two
such pretty girls.
There could not have been a greater con-
trast than Pauline Darrell and EIinor Roche
ford. Pauline was dark, proud, beautiful,
passionate, naughty, and willful, yet with a
poets soul and a grand mind above all
worldliness, all meanness, all %artlfice. Elinor
was tlmid, shrinking, graceful, lovely, with
a delicate, fairy-like beauty, yet withal keen
ly alive to the main chance, and never for
getting her aunt's great maxim-to make the
best of everything for herself.
On this warm August mernins Miss Roche.
ford wore a charming gossaner costume of
lilac and white, with the daintiest of Partisan
hats on her golden head. Her gloves, shoes,
laces, parasol, were perfection-not a fold
was out Of place, not a ribbon awry-con-
trasting most forcibly with the grand, pict-
uresque girl near her.
Lady Hampton seated herself, and Miss
Rocheford did the IN Sir Oswald sug-
costing how very refreshing grapes and
peaches would be on so warm a morning,
Captain Langton volunteered to go and order
ONE. Lady Hampton watched him as he
walked away.
what n magnificent man, Sir Oswald
What a fine clever face! 1t is easy to see
that he Is a military man-he is so upright,
so easy; there is nothing like q military train
ing for giving a man an easy. dignited car
rage. | think ] understood that he was the
son of a very old friend Of yours@'
"The son OF the dearest friend | ever had
in the world" was the reply; ''and l love
him as though he were my own-indeed l
wish he We're"
Lady Hampton sighed and looked sympa-
thetic.
"Iangton," she continued, in q musing
tone-'is he one of the Langtons of Orde?'
NO." replied Sir Oswald; my dear old
friend was of a good family, but not greatly
blessed by fortune"
1t was wonderful to see how Lady Hamp-
Npn's interest in the captain at once died out;
there was no more praise, no more admira-
ton for him. II she had discovered that he
was heir to an earldom, how different it
would have been! Before long the captain
returned, and then q rustic table was spread
under the lime trees, with purple grapes,
peaches, crimson and gold apricots, and rud-
dy plums.
Its quite picturesque. Lady Hampton