Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-30

comfortable sanctum of the female chiefs
of the kingdom below stairs, "the house
keepers room;'' nor had Captain Treden-
nick any difficulty in recognizing those
p~ersonages in the prim, genteel, silk attired
lady's maid and the rosy, rotund, white
aproned cook.
would you tell me if the little girl
that poor little body who came here a while
ago through the storm"
He stopped, for the cook had risen at the
sound OF his voice, and curtsied, toasting
fork In hand, smiling in the direction of
the little armchair opposite the lady's
maid.
"Oh, there she isl'' said Captain Treden-
nick, much relieved, when, at the first
glance in the direction the cook had indi-
Gated, he perceived a small figure, hud-
died In a bright fiaring-colored shawl and
a rather bundled-up-looking costume,
resting In the soft little shabby-pillowed
chair by the bright fireside. II am glad to
see you are being comfortably taken care
Of" he added, pleasantly. 81 was afraid
that you might have boen foolish enough
to venture home by the cliffs this wild
night-you will not attempt it, / / hopper"
The little figure half rose from her seat,
trying to arrange her cumbersome drapery,
which evidently belonged to n far larger
and taller person, and holding the gay
crimson-and-yell shawl tightly round
her.
"Oh, no, sir, thank you, " she said, and u
timid flush rose over her small pale face
up to the very roots Of her hair. 'Since |
have come, Madam Vivian says / am TO
stop tonight at Roseworthy; and Mrs.
Crosse, the cook, and Miss Trewhella have
been very kind TO me-"
She smiled a little smile of shy girlish
fun at her big shawl and trailing skirts.
Not at all, Miss Winnie, dear" inter-
posed Miss Trewhella, with agenteel short
cough and q deprecatory gesture. "Your
dress was perfectly wet through, you
know-perfectly wet, sir,' she added,
turning to Captain Tredennick with a
politely explanatory air; land of course
we had to resort to remedies to prevent
poor Miss Winnie ftom catching c%old-poor
child"
Indeed, yes,' Mrs. Crosse put in, with u
broad humorous smile on her round, red,
shining face; "she was as wet as q drowned
rat, Captain stephen, SIR" Miss Ire
wnelia coughed again TO drown the vulgar
smile, but Mrs. Crosse went on persistently,
the fat pleasant smile beginning to widen
lhlO u lNllHhs nv NolitNlt HuNl a NlIlblt
soaking night rs this. She hadn't a dry
thread on her-had you, Miss Winnie,
dearie? We had to take every stitch off of
her, poor child; and she has nothing on
now only" Miss Trewhella coughed as il
she would break blood-vessel, and darted
n look of digniled horror at the cook
"only some things of mine and Miss Ire
whella's sir," continued the cook equally,
-.DanoIs-~ 30 l,,,tta. NIa tAngt, tl,,,l $50
are a-making of her n bit comfortable"
Indeed, so ] see" said Captain Stephen,
looking pleased; there is no fear for any
one in these comfortable quarters, Mrs.
Grose. Don't let me disturb you, | beg"
he went on, moving nearer to the fire as
Miss Trewhella glided away with Il pro-
found and graceful curtsey. He meant to
shake hands with the little girl, and war;
her to avoid travelling by Trcgarthen
Head any more on dark stormy evenings
like this. Il cannot tell how you could
manage TO keep your feet along that cliff
road over the Head in such a gale, " he wa
saying, when his notice became attracted
to the young girls hair. +.
That it was thick, and dark, and hang
ing in dishevelled masses over her shoul
ders he had seen at first, but not until the
blazing freight and his immediate prox
unity revealed it to him did he perceive
it's lustrous, wavy abundance, the FURNISH
ed golden light on the wealth OF ripples
and ~tresses, naturally curling from the eff
fects q the late wetting and sudden no
drying, and its great length. AS she sat
it fell below her waist, and lay in silkeI
masses in her lap,
With honest, simple, admiring surprise
with not n piece of sailor gallantry in hi
kind gray eyes, he laid his hand lightly OF
the little bowed head by his side.
my dear child, what beautiful hair you
have!' he said.
She looked up in quick establishment
her quiet, rather plain face lighting III
strangely with pleasure, and q pair of yer.
dark deep-set eyes seeking his most earn
estly.
Stephen Tredennick had read-as VIII,
has not?--the beautiful and touching stor
OF The Child OF the Marshalsea;" and il
this moment there flashed across his mem
DRY the scene where the wretched woman
who yields to Little Dorrit's'' tende
pleadings fer n few words as they encoun
ter each otherin the dreary London streets
starts back from the first look into tn,
plying eyes with the wild cry, you are
woMan! for, at tho first glance of TIL
dark, expressive, wistful, inquiring eye
upturned to his face, he had almost starteC
back n uttered a like exclamation.
He had taken her to be a girl about four
teen. Very young as she undoubtedly
was, and small and slight her form, there
was "A strong, brave, passionate, womanl!
soul looking through those eyes-ther,
were womanly sorrow and womanly en-
durance in the lines around her gentle
firm mouth. They softened, and the face
grew very young and girlish in the quicl
flush of happiness and innocent vanit,
which his words had called forth, but sh'
drew her hair away from his touch, and
certain air of womanly dignity replaced
the girlish blush.
my hair was quite wet, sir, and had I
be all dried" she said, pushing it back al
most out of sight.
"Andit'sn none too dry yetthat you shoul
put it away like that, Miss Winnie iE
terposed Mrs. Grose, rather mischievous
ly. Captain Tredennick never saw fine
hair than that in his life. Now did you
STRIP"
mo, I do not think | ever did," he re
piled, smiling courteously-'that Is, VIVA
1 was allowed to see of it."
He paused n moment, waiting to cate
the girls eye, but she kept her face turne
away, and he thought he saw her low
white brow knit in an uneasy frown
Goodnight, Miss-Miss-' he said
confusedly, believing that he had forgot
ten a name which, in fact, he had neye
heard.
MY name is Winifred Caerlyon, sir,
she vouchsafed quietly, barely glancing q
him, and then looking away again.
'The Captain is waiting TO bid yo
goodnight, Miss Winnie, my DEAR" r
monstrated Mrs. Grose in a very urgeI