Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-16

fortune. i should have taken your warning,
and not a come between your uncle and
you. His resentment would have died away,
for / am quite sure that In his heart he loved
you; he would have forgiven you, and l
should have had a happier, longer life. That
was my mistakenly one great mistake. An
other was that | had a certain kind Of doubt
about poor Aubrey. l cannot explain it; but
/ know that l doubted him even when 1
loved him, and l should have waited some
time before placing the whole happiness Of
my life In his hands. Yet 1t seems hard to
pay for those mistakes with my life, does it
notp"
And Pauline, to whom all sweet womanly
tenderness seemed to come by instinct, sooth-
ed Lady Darrell with loving words until che
smiled again.
Pauline" she said, suddenly, II wish to
communicate something to you. / wish to
tell you that j have made my will, and have
left Darrell Court to you, together with all
the fortune Sir Oswald left me. ! took your
inheritance from you once, dear; now / re-
store II to you. have left my aunt, Lady
Hampton, u thousand a year; you will not
mind that-it comes back to you at her
DEATH"
IL do not deserve your Kindness" said
Pauline, gravely.
Eyes, you do; and you will do better with
your uncle's wealth than / have done. l
have only been dead in life. Ny heart was
broken-and / have had no energy. / have
done literally nothing; but yon will act diff
ferently, Pauline-you are a true Darrell,
and you will keep up the true traditions Of
your race. In my poor, feeble hands they
have all fallen through. If Sir Vane returns,
you will marry him; and, oh! my darling, /
wish you q happy life. AS for me, | shall
never see the sun set again."
The feeble voice died away in a tempest Of
tears; and Pauline, frightened, made haste
to speak OF something else to change the cur
rent Of her thoughts. .
But Lady Darrell was right, She never
saw the sun set or the moon rise again-the
frail life ended gently as a child falls asleep.
She died the next day, when the sun was
shining its brightest at noon; and her death
was so calm that they thought II sleep.
She was buried, not in the Darrell vault,
but, by Pauline's desire, In the pretty Gene
terry at Audleigh Royal. Her death proved
no shock, for every one had expected it.
Universal sympathy and kindness followed
her TO her grave. The short life was ended,
and Its annals were written in sand.
Lady Hampton had given way; her olduis.
like Of Pauline had changed into deep adj
miration of her sweet, womanly virtues, her
graceful humility.
IF any one had ever told me-" she said,
''that Pauline Darrell would have turned out
as she has, l could not have believed 1t. The
way in which she devoted herself to my niece
was wonderful. i can only say that in my
opinion she deserves Darrell Court"
The legacy made Lady Hampton very hap
py; 1t increased her income so handsomely
that she resolved to live no longer at the
Elms, but to return to London, where the
happiest part of her life had been spent.
IL shall com to Darrell Court occasional-
ly," she said, so that you may not quite for.
get me-" and Pauline was surprised TO find
that she felt nothing save regret at parting
with one whom she had disliked with all the
injustice o1youth.
A few months afterward came a still great.
er surprise. The lover from whom Miss
Hastings had been parted in her early youth
who had left England for Russia long years
ago, and whom she had believed dead-rc
turned to England, and never rested until he
had found his lost love.
In vain the gentle, kind hearted lady pro.
tested that she was too old to marry-that
b'S ''Ne 5a'N" W. "a NlioASlilO VI IONt. llIs
Bereton would not hear of ii, and Pauline
added her entreaties to his.
"But l cannot leave you, my dear" said
Miss Hastings. you cannot live all by
yourself"
Il shall most probably have to spend my
life alone" she replied, 'and | will not have
your happiness sacrificed TO mine"
Between her lover and her pupil Miss Hast
InUQ found all raCicfanna LaNaIaeg Do,Ii,o
took a positive delight and pleasure I'm the
preparations for the marriage, and, in spite
OF all that Miss Hastings could say to the
contrary, she insisted upon settling q very
handsome income upon her.
There was a tone Of sadness in all that
Pauline said with reference TO her future
which struck Miss Hastings with wonder.
you never speak OF your own marriage"
she, said, "or your own future-why is il,
Paullnep'
The beautiful face was ~overShadowed for
a moment, and then she replied.
1T is because l have no hope. | had a
presentiment when Vane went away, that
l should not see him again. There are come
strange thoughts always haunting me. If I
reap as / have sowed, what then?'
my dear child, no one could do more than
you have done. You repented of your fault,
and atoned for it In the best way you were
able"
But the lovely face only grew more sad.
Il was so willful, so proud, so scornful. 1
did not deserve a happy life. | am trying to
forget all the romance and the love, all tho
poetry of my youth, and to live only for my
duty"
But Sir Vane will come back" said Miss
Hastings.
Il do not know-all hope seemed to die in
my heart when he went away. But let us
talk OF you and your future without refer
ence to mine"
Il 4 Il
Miss Hastings was married, and after she
had gone away Pauline Darrell was left
alone with her Inheritance at last.