Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-11-12
WIN MES TRIUM PH
By THE AUTHOR OF FAIRY GOLD.

By The OF FAIRY GOLD"
he had seen Mildred looking brighter,
happier, handsomer, many a time than
she looked that evening-a belle and
beauty in her glistening azure satin and
lace and white roses. He hated to see
that hard arrogant smile on her fresh lips,
that supercilious droop of those naughty
white eyelids which was becoming so
habitual. She looked fevered and restless,
Tor all her beauty and gaity. He hated to
thlnk OF gay, h~igh-spirited, proud, warm
hearted, beautiful young Mildred being
transformed into one of those cold, hand
some, heartless, fashionable women whom
Madam Vivian appeared to consider the
perfection of high-bred womanhood. He
hated to seen Henry, Lord Mountreyor.
with his arm around that girlish supple
waist-a man he knew to be an effeminate
da..dy and a rOue of the gracefully-im-
moral, elegantly-knavish type, with not
brains enough to be a very great or clever
knave, but with inclination enough to be
addicted to a great deal Of knavery and
immortality OF a rose water -perfumed, rose.
color-veiled quality, and with intelligence
and ability enough to enable him to keep
the outside OF his wv particular sepulchre
fairly whited. There was not any great
or particular wickcdness in the polished
nobleman, nor any particular good worth
mentioning, save his intense and faithful
admiration of Mildred T%redennick. But
Stephen TredenniCk hated to think of his
beautiful young cousins bartering herself
for a share of hat mans name, and being
crowned with the glory of a coronet from
his hand.
Perhaps she knew what was passing in
the Captains thought, from that calm.
grave expressive face Of his. and the anx.
iOus looks nat followed her from his kind
dark eyes. Certain il is that Of the three
dances she had promised him, Stephen got
but one, and then Mildred went do yin to
supper on Lord Mountrevor's arm. AT.
forwards her cousin caught but an occa.
sional glimpse of the brilliant, excited face
and tall lissom tigure-in pauses of the
dance, in momentary smiling encounters
in the large, well-fllled saloons, through
the flower-laden branches Of eXotics
and the misty perfumed air, amid the
CLEAN and glow, and flash and glitter,
with the soft, sweet, measured. ringing
music t%hrobbing in unison with every
pulse OF gladness In Cne's being, until the
kANJ AAAAA NAANN "a NiNIAA hhoAN4 III NJ
tanned windows, and the rolling WAY of
carriages with their occupants left the
great saloons more sparsely filled, and
bare spaces OF floor here and there and de.
serted inches In corridors and boudolr
showed the tiotsam and jetsam of the ED
bling tide-fallen faded flowers, scraps OF
rthbo1 an | lace, long remnants of tulle, a
dropped cobweb of a gauzy handkerchief,
spangles and trinkets. The TIDE ebbed
away faster with the first tremulous gold
en- rays of the new day, and presently the
last ball of the season was over.
Thank goodness, it is Overt said Steph,
en- Tredennick, with relief, as he followed
his aunt and cousin, carefully escorted by
Lord Mountrevor, TO the waiting carriage,
and saw the peer, rs he pressed Mildred's
hand, petition quite fascinatingly for a
gift which she seemed scarcely willing to
give, though it was but o3e dropping
white rose from her fading bouquet. But
he obtained it, nevertheless: and, rs Mil
dred watched him bowling and smiling,
with the soft white rose dropping in his
hand as they drove away, her cousin saw
a quick, passionate revulsiOn of look aud
manner come over the girl as she took the
rest of the flowers from the gold bOtt-
quctiere, and flung them far beyond on
the street pavement from the carriage
window.
Madam Vivian had fallen asleep, mufIied
up in a crimson downy-wadded Sortie du
bal, and there was none but Stephen Tired
ennick to see.
"Why did you do that, Mildred?" he
asked, gravely, almost sternly.
The brilliance and glow and pride were
fast fading from the girls weary pale face.
Her bright eyes filled with sudden tears at
her cousins question.
Il was sorry | gave him one,' she said,
with a contemptuous backward glance
and gesture toward Hollingsley house.
"They were Bertie's favorites, He gave
me q cluster of them one evening, just be-
fore he went away. He liked white roses
better than any other lowers--Bertie did"