Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-02
VICTORY
BY BERTHA M. CLAY.


[ must go with you"
But Pauline threw one arm caresslngly
round her friends neck.
do not try to stop me-" she said pleading
~, "and let me 60 alone. l did n great
wrong at Darrell Court, and [ must return to
set it right Only alone can | do that"
Pauline" asked Miss Hastings, gravely,
d you wish to atone for your ~revengeg'
IL do" she replied, simply. You must
let me GO alone; and when l come back l
snail have something to tell you-something
tina: know will please you very much"
Miss Hastings kissed the beautiful face.
at is as thought" she said to herself-'in
her case love has worked wonders-it has
redeemed her."
= y
Lady Darrell sat alone in her dressing
room; the autumn day was drawing to a
close. Greatly to her delight and surprise.
Captain Langton had Unexpectedly appear.
ed that morning. He knew that IN the alb.
sence Of Hiss Hastings he could not stop at
Darrell Court; but he was paying a visit, he
told Lady Darrell, TO Sir Peter Glynn, and
hoped to see her every day. He had declined
dining a: the Court, but promised TO spend
some part of the evening there.
Lady Darrell had ordered an early dinner,
and sat in her d~ressing-room awaiting her
maid. OF course she was going to dress for
the Captain-to set off her delicate beauty to
the greatest advantage. A superb costume
of pale pink brocade, with rich trimmings of
white lace was ready for her. A suit OF
pearls and opals lay in their open cases. The
room presented a picturesque appearance OF
unbounded and splendid co~nfusion-lace,
jewelry, fans, slippers, all kinds of valuable
and pretty ornaments were there; but moth.
ing in that room was one half so fair as the
beautiful woman who sat with q pleased
smile upon her face.
Yet there was something like a sigh on her
lips. Did he love her? OF her own feelings
she had no doubt. She loved him with her
whole heart-as she had never imagined her.
self capable of loving any one. But did he
love her? There was somewhat of GOODNESS
and indifference in his manner-something
she could not understand. He had greeted
Aer ca~releSsly-he had hidden her a careless
farewell, she said to herself. Yet he must
love her; for the face reflected in the mirror
was a very fair one.
Then she remembered Pauline, and the old
wonder came over her why Pauline had nj.
ways such great, such mbounded contempt
for him.
Her maid came in and Lady Darrell put
on the pink brocade with its white lace trim
mings. The maid, in ecstasies, cried out
that it was s~uperb-that my lady" had
never looked so beautiful"
Lady Darrell took up the pearl necklace
and held it against the pink brocade to note
the contrast. While she held it in her hands
one OF the servants gave a hurried rap at the
door. She came to announce that Miss Oar
rell had arrived suddenly, and wished TO see
lady Darrell at once.
Miss Darrell! Then something must be
the matter with Miss Hastings. Ask her to
come to me at once"
In a few moments Pauline was standing
in that brilliant room, looking pale and anX-
ious.
mo" she said, in answer to Lady Oar
rells eager question; "there is nothing the
matter with Miss Hastings. ] wanted to see
you; | want to see you alone. Can you spare
a few minutes?'
Lady Darrell dismissed her maid, and then
turned to Pauline.
What is itY she asked. ''What has
brought you here so suddenly"
Without one word, Pauline went to the
door and locked it, and then she went back
to Lady Darrell, who was watching her in
wonder.
Il have done you a great wrong" she said,
humbly, "and | have come to atone for il"
Lady Darrell drew back, trembling with
strange, vague fear.
"Oh, Pauline, Pauline, what have you
done?"
Pauline threw aside her travelling cloak
and took off her hat; and then she came to
Lady Darrell.
Let Inc tell you my story kneeling here"
she said, and she knelt down before Lady
Darrell, looking as she spoke straight into
her face. LET me tell you before l begin
it" she added, that l have no excuse to Of
fer for myself-none. / can only thank
Heaven that have seen my fault before
for your sake--it is too late"
Slowly, grayely, sometimes with bitter
tears and with sobs that came from the
depths of her heart Pauline told her story
how the captain had loved her, how i'll he
had taken her repulse, how she had discov-
cred his vile wOrthlessness, but for the sake
of her revenge had said nothing.
Lady Darrell listened as to her death-knell.
as this true, Pauline" she cried. "You
vowed vengeance against me-iS this your
vengeance to try to part me from the man |
love, and to take from me the only chance of
happiness that my wretched life holds?"
Her fair face had grown deadly pale; all
the light and the happiness had fled from IT,;
the pearls lay unheeded, the blue eyes grew
dim with tears.
as it possible, PaulineY' she cried again.
"Haye | given my love to one dishonored? |
cannot believe i'll will not believe it! 1t is
part OF your vengeance against me. What
have | done that you should hate me SOP"
The dark eyes and the beautiful face were
raised to hers.
Dear Lady Darrell" said the girl, II have
never spoken a loving word to you before:
but | tell you now that, If / could give my
life to save you from this sorrow, | would do
So"
aubrey Langton a thiefr' cried Lady
Darrell. at is not tue-I will swear that it
is not true! l love him, and you want to
take him from NE. How could you dare to
invent such a falsehood on him, a soldier
and a gentlemen? You are cruel and wick
ed"
Yet through all her passionate denials,
through all her bitter anger, there ran a
shudder of deadly fear-a doubt that chill
ed her with the GOODNESS of death-a voice
that would he heard, crying out that here
was no falsehood, but the bare, unvarnished
truth. She cast it from her--she trampled it
under foot; and the girl kneeling at her feet
suffered as much as she did herself while she
watched that struggle.
You say that he would have murdered
you-that he held a pistol to your forehead,
and made you take that oath-he, Aubrey
Langton, did that"'
"He didr' said Pauline. "Would to Heav.
en- / had told you before"
"Would to Heaven you hadv' she cried.
at is too late now, 1 love him-I love him,
and I cannot lose him. You might have
saved ne from this, and you would not. Oh,
cruel and false!'
Dearest Lady Darrell" said the girl, 81