The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-12-03
anything-but she would have Winnie fol
her own pet and protegee and companion
from this avenino forwar1 -raf

anything-but she would have Winnie fol
her own pet and protegeG and companion
from this evening forward.
She determined on 1t instantly, and fain
would she have ilhperiousiy carried her
desire into execution instantly also; and
her disappointment came with a blow that
shattered a whole fabric of pleasant hopes
when she learned that Winnie Caerlyon
was beyond the need of any money bride
that she could offer her to become het
patient little reader and companion Is OF
old.
Two hundred a year! Why, you are
quite a little heiress, Wii<nie!" remarked
the old lady, with a slightly-patronizing
smile. "And what are you going to do
with it?'
Winnie never dreamt of r~esenting the
inquiry, although the other listener at the
workable curled her naughty lip as she
went on ~assiduously with her gold-fring
ing.
"Oh, there will be plenty of use found
for it, Madam, or three times as MECH, in
such a house us ours!' she remarked cheer
fully.
"And are you going to give it all to your
step-mother and her seven children" Mad
am demanded, sharply.
l W. giving " - Az ahL " SSAlSSs
Madam, to the last sixpence, with thcm,';
replied Winnie, SO quietly, and with such
simple earnestness n dignity, that Mad
am felt deeply rebuked.
"Oh, certainly; they are your fathers
children Madam said, hastily; you were
always extremely fond of them, Winnie.
/ believe. All, there is half-past nine
Ginning"
"And it is quite time for me to return
home remarked Winnie, rising from the
low ottoman at Madam's side.
She understood the arching Of Madam's
eyebrows, and the change of one that al.
ways meant dismissal from her presence
in the old days. She accepted it quietly
and meekly, as merely a return to the old
days. Her money made no difference to a
great lady like Madam Vivian-her hand
some. higf-bred, wealthy patroness, whom
she had been accustomed to describe with
such loving pride to her American friends
in Winston as the very personiic alton OF
the blue-blooded English aristocracy whom
they had never seen.
The young girls money, however, had
made a difference, Winnie -Caerlyon,
come back as poor as she went, hoping and
willing to be taken up again by Madam
Vivian, petted, blamed, INDUCED, tyran-
nized over. treated as a friend and as an
intruder, as al equal and a servant, which
ever way the naughty old lady's capricious
moods inclined her, would have been, at
least on this evening, as demonstratively
welcomed as If she were a returned prodi.
gal. If she had only cried and begged
Madam to forgive her for going away
without her knowledge or permission, she
would have put her arms around her and
kissed her; but this cheerful, gentle, dig
pif1ed young lady, with her moneyed in.
dependence, and q certain pleasant indie.
pendence Of word and manner, who needed
nothing from her, and had but come to
visit her from an old kindly remembrance
all this displeased and disappointed the
poor old lady in her peevish loneliness,
and she could not help showing it.. There
fore she dismissed the girlish presence
that was better than sunlight on the
dreary waste of her friendless life, and
would not even say to her, Come soon
again to me: l havo missed you sorely."
Goodnight! Goodnight, my dear!"
she said, extending her little, plump,
satin-fair hand, with the icy brilliance OF
its splendid rose-diamonds rest1essly sciu-
tillating, the object of Winnie's most fer.
vent admiration mt admiring memorsa
through nearly eleven years.
There was a rustic of sweeping silken
robes as she babe Winnie the coldly-poiite
farewell that she might have bestowed as
well after an absence of seven days as
seven years, and from the depths Of the
chair by the distant table. where she had
been partially hidden, Lady Mountrevor's
tall imperial figure moved forward, and
stood at the opposite side of Madam WV
tan's chair.
p Winnie had not yentured on more than
a swift passing glance when she entered
the room: now her eyes fell, and the shy
color rose in her cheeks beneath the steady
light Of the proud cold gaze bent on her
slender, short, girlish figure.
Madam glanced up in some surprise.
"Ah, you have not met my little friend,
Miss Winnie Caerlyon, before, I think,
Lady Monntrevori"
"No," said Lady Mountrevor; and Win
mic, looking up hastily encountered the
naughty penetrating eyes that had indeed
once before overwhelmed her in girlish
shame and modification.
The stately, handsome peerless, Lady
Mountrevor, and the beautiful young lady
Mildred T~redennick, were one!
no" Lady Mountreyor repeated grave
~, but with q peculiarly marked courtesy
which rather contrastM', with Madam's