The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-06-03
Y + RI F
OR.
Halt a Truth.


OR,
Halt q Truth.
BY ''THE Duchess"
It was characteristic OF Valerie that her
hrst thought was to despatch the letter
without even showing it to her aunt; but
this, on second thought, seemed u~ncourte.
Gus, even undutiful. She would wait at
least until the latest hour she could send
that night. She would not keep Lawford
IN suspense until tomorrow.
Evening passed into night, and Mrs.
Langley did not return home. At last,
Q little after ten O'Clock, Valerie rang the
bell and sent a footman with the letter to
MIR. Lawford's house in Carlton House
Terrace.
The messenger could not have been thirty
PAGES from the house, when Valerie, who
was In the drawing-rOom, heard the car.
riage stop, and the next momenth her aunt's
step came w the stairs with unusualrapid.
ity. Valerie, who had been musing. with
no small apprehension, over the contest
she expected, but in which she was fully
prepared to conquer, sprang to her feet
with n new fear. Had anything happened
that Mrs. Langley was SO hurrieds The
door was almost burst open before the girl
was more than half way to it, and Mrs.
Langley, her face flushed md agitated, her
whole mien denoting great mental dis.
turbance, entered, anddroppcd into Il chair.
Aunt C~onstance!'' exclaimed Valerie,
springing to her side. what is the mat.
ter?"
"My dear" said Mrs. Langley, recover
ing herself a little, II have been greatly
startled II shocked. They kept me at
the Seltons' to dinner. and then l went on
and called at the Lawfords'. / wanted to
see Aston, and they told me that Lettie
had called in Whitehall Gardens his after
noon and was told that Elinor and Max
had been summoned to Abbot's Leigh at
two O'Clock this morning. Gerald was
Dangerously ILL" Valerie clasped her
telegram" continued Mrs. Langley, .said
that it was violent inflammation Of the
lungs, from a chill, and there was great
danger"
"Oh, III Constance" exclaimed the
girl, her eyes blind with tears, chow terri
ble-how terrible for them alp
H may recover" said Mrs. Langley,
more composedly. ''He is not yet forty,
and has a strong constitution. Aston Law.
ford told me" she added, looking at her
niece, who stood silent, too shocked for
speech, shat he had written to you today
Valerie started, flushing crimson.
Eyes" she said, confusedly, '.he-I-oh.
please never mind that nowl'
But must mind it, child You have
not answered him YETI"
Eyes, I have. He asked me not to delay,
and l kept the letter as long as / could for
you to see. I only sent it just before you
came in."
Airing, that resounded through the house
mingled with her last words.
Valerie made a quick step toward the
door.
"Come here, child,'' said her aunt, q lit
tie sternly. what did you saya"
81 satd-I-"
A hurried knock at the door, and its In
slant opening interrupted her.
A footman came in, and handed a tele-
gram to Mrs. Langley.
She glanced atitand grew suddenly livid.
".Great Heaven!' she said. "Gerald Beau
regard is deadn'
Valerie almost snatched the paper from
her aunt's nerveless hand and read, with
dazed eyes:
From Colonel Beauregard, Abbot's
Leigh, to Mrs. Langley, :, Upper Brook
"My brother died at eight this evening,
OF acute Inflammation. l will write later.
Nellie greatly Frustrated, but in no dan
ger"
Gerald Beauregard dead!
SIT can't be true!' Valerie whispered,
hoarsely, with wide-open eyes of horror.
ut can't be true!!''
But Mrs. Langley said, slowly: at liz
only too true!" Then, after n pause, under
her breath, to herself rather than to Vn,
leric: And Max Beauregard is lord of Alb
bots Leigh?"
, CHAPTER xxx.-"LoRD OF ABBor's LEIGH.
: "And Max Beauregard is lord of Abbot's
Leigh"
I, Valerie heard the words, but not their
, sense. She was quite stunned, and stood
staring blankly before her, with not yet
even a definite thought of how Max would
feel the loss of his brother. TIT blow wa
SO sudden, so utterly unexpected, so en-
tirely without warning. A man i'll the
vigor of his manhood, scarcely even ailine
at the time, struck down within a few
hours; in the morning dangerously ill-nt
more; In the eyening-dead!
And Valerie was young; to the young
& suutcu utdlIl IL ulNdSS appalling. ShA
experience can familiarize with these ca
~tastrophes which seem to shake and riff
the fabric of human existence. The CIR
had heard of death-rcad of it; she hat
never met it face to face. On the battle
field sudden death is but in the order o
things. Here 1t was the crashing over
throw of all the order of nature; and, agi
tated as she already was, this terrible new!
| came upon the girl with the force of
calamity.
But Mrs. Langley was fifty years old
and of n wholly different temperament
To say tina she did not feel the blow ii
any degree would be to do her injustice
and she might AVE felt it more keenly bu
for the serious worldly issues followin:
upon the death of General eauregard: bn
Constance Langley was, before Ill things
worldly, and--in her way-ambitious
Even in the first shock of the intelligence
the facts that Max Beanregard was nov
owner of the broad lands Of Abbot1s Leigh,
and that Valerie had received an offe
from Aston Lawford, were present to he
mind. Indeed. wien that day she ha'
heard that Gerald was dangerously ill,.th
thought at once came: 'If he should die
then Max will be a leading man in TIL
world" And all tho way home her bus
brain was revolving possibilities for Va
lerie's future. Beauregard, Lord Of Al
bots Leigh, would be n match with whic
Aston Lawford, ironmaster, could nc
compare. The Beauregards had grea
estates in their own county and elsewhere
and all the prestige of ancient aud Illus
trious family; and Colonel Benuregard la
personal charms of a high order, and pei
sonal fame. What q future lay before V.
lerie if only
And 10! possibility had become more tina
probability:
Mrs. Langley rose to her feet, and locke
at her niece.
at is very sh~ocking-very drcadful!' sh
said, slowly. Poor Elinor! and she In
no son!'' She removed her bonnet M
mantle. and began to take off her glove.
'.And Max" she added-"he will feel i
although the brothers We're not much Il
gether, aud had few tastes in common
Still they were always the best of friends.
Valerie sat down by Il small table nee
and bowed her face in her hands, chokin
. ..a LH 80 ssNt