Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-23

at that moment calculating the time OF
the tide, and the probable position of some
homeward- bound vessels of which he
knew.
mot a very comfortable home, poor
child" said Madam, in reply to his look;
"a step-mother, and a parcel Of disagreea-
BILE children, you know, and poor Winnie
made a kind of drudge for them. / would
nave taken her altogether as q little COM
panion, but her ~step-mother had the i'm
pertinence TO tell me-to tell me" repeated
Madam, setting back her well -shaped
head, with it's trembling diadem OF lace,
and her full white throat-'that Winnie
could not be spared from homei Her faith
err came to apologize, N wished me to,
take Winnie, but /, of course, refusedr'
Stephen Tredennick did not quite see the
force of justice Of the "of course" but he
merely asked
what is HEP"
"a c~oastguard officer. He has been in
the Royal Navy, and held the rank OF
lieutenant" replied Madam Vivian. "You
really should taste this 'heavy-cake,'
! Tredennick; cook always makes it de-
~liciously. OF course, only that she is a
gentleman's daughter, | would not make
n companion of poor little Winnie, though
she is such n clever little b~eiug-plays
quite prettily, and sings a little, and reads
beautifully-quiSe a natural gift, poor
child"
Again Tredennick did not see, under all
the circumstances, the force and justice
OF the "of course" but said nothing; the
allusion to tho coastguard service having
sent his minn off, through the wild dark
ness of the bleak March night on tn Eng
lish coast, the driving rain and howin
blast, TO smugglers' adventures skirm-
ishes, captures, and escapes, in the sultry
gloom O. tropical nights beneath the silver
glory of the Southern Cross, and to the
pirates darker craft. like u fell bird Of
prey darling amidst the
Summer isles of Eden lying I'm dark purple
spheres of sea.
An impatient clink of the china and silver
resulting in "a tiny chime brought him
back with n start to the reality of Madam
Vivian's richly furnished drawing-room,
all green, in different shades and depths
OF hue, rs regarded its upholstery and
drapery Of velvet and satin Gamask, all
agl9w with the light of ~waX-candles and
blazing freight, all glittering with black
walnut-woods and heavy dull-gold frames
(Madam Vivian liked green in her rooms
1t suited her complexion, and it did not
tire her eyes, she said; she liked wax-can-
dies and large fires; and she chose black
walnut in preference to gayer and less
chaste carvings)-to the contemplation OF
Madam's pale handsome face with u faint
hue, the last flush of the once exquisite
roses of her cheeks, relieving it from act
ual pallor or sallowness-to the contem.
plation Of her silvery waves of shining
hair, her rich lustreless trailing in black
silk, the dainty tea-table, and Madam's
jewelled fingers, with sparks Of rainbow
fire on them us they moved hither ant
thither amongst the tea equipage: ant
then the wild storm and rain, lrenchinl
the windows outside, claimed him again.
'Hark!" said Madam, suddenly, drop
ping the sugar-tongs with a deafenins
clash-"it never can bel Did you not hea
a knock and ring, T~redennick?"
Certainly / did," he replied, in SON
surprise.
ut can never be that child!' said Mad
am, irritably. 1T could not be possible
How slow Llanyon is!'
To alleviate her impotence, T~redennicl
had risen and laid his hand on the lock
when he heard the hall-door unbarred
and then shut hastily against the storm
as some one rushed in with an ejaculation
Continued Next Week.)