Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-04-22

stranger.
"If / cast such a shadow rs that" she
said, II must be under a spell of enchant-
mentf Oh, yes" relapsing into a yawn,
"what a bore he vast"
Don't talk like that, Valerie. / do be-
lieve the man is fond of you"
Don't abuse him behind his back be-
cause l am civil to his facel'' returned Va
lerie. Now, II | had said that you might
nave detected remains Of Arcadian sim
plicity; but you ought to know better. Isn't
It the correct thing to pull all your friends
to pieces when they're not by' To iirt
with men, and laugh at them in your
sleeve all the timer Give me another cup
Of tea, Amy, and don't play Phyllis"
you can't mean what you say" said
Amy, distressed, nevertheless, to hear her
young friend talk in such q strain. You
could not lead a man on, to throw him
over in the end. Besides, you are still en-
gagged to Mr.. Charters, are you noti'
A swift color crossed Valerie's cheek; tho
hand with which she took the cup from
her friend trenbled.
"Yes," she said, carelessly. "What them"
"Only he mightn't like your giving so
much co%untenance to the rumors going
about concerning you and Mr.. Lawford."
"By going on the box-seati But Louis
isn't in town. | haven't seen him since
before / went abroad. He is with his
father, who is ILL.,"
'He is sure to hear Of it, Valerie, and
might be in town before the meet: it isn't
until Wednesday week"
Again the quick color in Valerie's cheek,
blu this time it was no thought OF Louis
that called it up, but another thought.
He will be in London by then. He may
be there!''
She said, slowly, after a pause:
~ don't want TO deceive Louis, Amy. l
was testing just now. / would tell him
myself / was on Lawford's drag, or any
thing else / did. can't let Louis or any
one else hamper me or dictate TO me-"
Amy looked steadily into the beautiful
face, but Valerie Stunned the gaze. She
was acting, If not actually speaking, false
hood; belying her noble nature to hide her
secret; willfully misleading her friend into
believing her ambitious and mercenary,
that she might not imagine love fer an
other man had cast out Louis from his
place In the heart Of his betrothed-a place
which, in truth, he had never occupied.
II shouldn't have thought" said Amy,
drily-she was straightforward and plain
spoken, and Valerie never resented this
that it was a matter Of 'hampering' and
debating"
81 see. His slightest wish ought to be
law, eh?" said Beauty, laughing.
Wouldn't you feel like that for any
man you loved, Valerie'"
II might, "-dubiously-as If she could
| nply cnp ;aotnra uhila bar hoarf rosa nm
with a wild throb OF passionate pain.
a law for her2
"You might" echoed Amy-"you might
Oh, Valerie!'
ooh, Amy" cried the other, putting her
pretty fingers in her ears in mock dismay,
"R<ay, pray don't be moral, and high prin-
cipled, and love-in-a-cottage-and oil that
sort Of thing. / haven't heard such talk
since l left the country-except from you.
Your tea is getting cold, and so is mine"
"Your heart is getting cold!' cried Amy,
warmly; "the world is spelling you-no
wonder! you are so beautiful, and so fused
about and run after. But you've got q
heart, and n strong one, and you'll find 1t
out some day; perhaps when it's too late"
"When | marry n man for his money,
and fall in love with his most intimate
friend. That's the rule" said Valerie flip
PANTY.
"You are determined not to be ~serious!'
exclaimed Amy. but you'll repent it IL
you marry Aston Lawford."
"Oh, my prophetic 3oulv' sighed Valerie,
leaning back in her old attitude again.
"Do you know" she went on, that in
Paris they used to call lis Beauty and the
Beastf"
Amy could not help laughing at this,
though she was panied TO find how much q
few months of luxurious worldly life had
changed Valerie for the worse.
"The name was apt enough she said.
"Y0u can't like him, Valerie!"
Like himl / told you he bored me-"
"Then you oughtn't to dream OF marry
ing him" said Amy, bluntly.
81 don't know that / have dreamt OF it.
Why, l AVE hardly tapped my wings yet.
! an only eighteen. Fancy tying myself
up in such q hurry
"You want to break n dozen hearts be-
fore you TX on one, | SUPPOSED" remarked
Amy, half lightly, half seriously.
Aunt Constance doesn't think heart:
necessary in marriage" said Valerie grave
ly. "She puts her faith in settlements ant
pin-money."
"And do you agree with herr"
81 haven't quite made up my mind. i
Is very nice to have everything one wants
isn't it?"
eyes, everything" said Amy; but you
don't get that If you are tied to a man you
don't care for. Perhaps you neverdid low
Mr.. Charters as much as you fancied, Of
you would't talk as you dc. But | an
quite certain you are not a girl to be happy
with a husband you couldn't love-"
"Why are you certain?" asked Valerie
with a curious flash in her dark eyes.
"Oh, from many things; and mamma
you know she is very keen in matters o.
characteristic that for you to play tricks
with your heart would be like a child play
ing with fire."
Valerie grew white, and set her teeth.
II half know that myself, I" she saddle
she not wholly know it.-"but you know
Amy, aunt Constance had me up to MARI,
me off"
II know she did. But wouldn't 70,
sooner go home again han marry merel,
for money!"
"Go back to that dull, quiet lifei" saic
Valerie, with a shndder. "No, no, no
now. l couldn't endure It! Don't you re
member Hans Anderson's story Of tn,
mermaid. who was given legs and feet tina
she might live among mortals. only, as
punishment, every step she took was lik,
treading on the edges Of swordsi Still
| she bore the agony rather than return 4