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

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her hands in the most graceful distress.
Now, Elmer" said Lady Hampton, ''pray
do not give way 10 anything OF that kind.
i is a fortunate thing for you that l am here.
Let me beg OF YOU to remember that, what
ever happens, You are magnincently provided
for, Sir Oswald told me as much. There Is
really no need to excite yourself in that fash.
ion"
While Lady Darrell, with a few graceful
EXPLANATIONS 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 had 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
~glimmeflng perception of the real character
OF the other-a perception that in time would
v developed into perfect love. 1t seemed
too hard that after he had just begun to like
her-that as soon as q fresh ami genuine SEN
timent was sprlnging UP between them-he
must die.
For 1t had come to that. Care, skill, talent,
watching, were all in vain; he must die.
Grave-faced doctors had consulted about
him, and with professional keenness had
seen at once that his case was hopeless. The
ailment 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 II 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 to the health Of her niece, she
replied. Poor, dear Lady Darrell is bear
ing up wonderfully; A." and with the help of
pathetic little speeches, the frequent use of
q vlnaigrette, q few tears, and some amiable
selt-condolence, that lady did bear UP.
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
dlsinherited. 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 q girl TO assume q grief she did not feel.
80 the baronet died after q week of severe
illness, during which he never regained the
power OF speech, nor could he make himself
ineligible. The most distressing THU was
that there was evidently something which he
wished to 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 unexpressed he died, and
they never knew what it was. Only Pauline
thought that he meant, ever at the last, to
ask her forgiveness and to do her Justice.
Darrell Court was thrown into deepest
mourning; the servants went about with
huShed footsteps and sorrowful faces. He
had been kind to them, this stately old mas
ter; and who knew what might happen UNI
der the new regimen 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 to be
overwhelmed with sorrow in the retirement
Of her own room.
One 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.
1t was a grand and stately procession. All
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 DarrellY' 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 II after the coffin
had been lowered into the vault, and they
talked of it as the procession made its way
back to Darrell Court.
AS Lady Hampton said, it was q 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 q
more magnificent funeral. Lady Hampton
fclt that In overy 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 1t is possible"
Then, after a solemn and dreary dinner,
the friends and invited guests went away.
n the most embarrassing ceremony of all
had to be gone through-the reading of the
will.
Mr.. Ramsden, the family solicitor, was in
attendance. Captain Langton, Lady Oar
rel, Lady Hampton, and Miss Darrell took
their seats. Once or twice Lady Hampton
looked with a smile of malicious satisfaction
at the proud, calm face of Pauline. There
was nothing there to crafty her-no queen
could lave assisted at her own dethronement
with prouder majesty or prouder grace.
Some OF the old retainers, servants who had
been In the family from their earliest youth,
said there was not one who did not wish in
his heart that Pauline might have Darrell
Court.
Lady Darrell, clad in deepest mourning,
was placed In a large easy-chair I'm the center
of the group, her aunt by her side. She look.
ed extremely delicate and lovely in her black
sweeping robes.
Pauline, who evidently thought the cere.
mony an empty one, as far as she was con-
cerned, stood near the table. She declined
the chair that Captain Langton placed fol
her. Her uncle was dead; she regretted him
with true, u%nfeigned, sincere sorrow; but the