Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-06-17
CHAPTER xxxIv.-A YEAR LATER.

IL I'll y n HshN IN lTih
Colonel Beauregard called in Upper
Brook Street before Mrs. Langley and her
niece left town, but it happened that Va
lerie was out, and perhaps he was best
pleased not TO meet her just yet. A week
later he took Lady Elinor abroad for a
month, and when she returned home he
started for q longer tour lie could not
stay at home-there was no rest there
there was no rest anywhere.
Mrs. Langley wintered between Paris
and Rome. She knew Colonel Beauregard
was not in England, and if conquests make
happiness, Their 10 belle Herbert should
have been the happiest Of women; but If
she broke hearts-as they said she did-her
own suffered nothing in the process. Was
IL not well-nigh broken already? Painters
painted her; poets wrote sonnets to her;
she lived in clouds of incense; yet no love-
pleading had power to stir her pulse; no
homage, no splendor of adulation to dead
en- ever for an hour, even for an instant,
the passionate crying Of her heart:
'God knows that I would give
All other Joys, the sweetest and the best,
For one short hour TO live
Close TO thy heart, its comfort and Its rest
was the burden of her ceaseless cry. AL
other joys-ay, oil future life-for one hour
Of ineffable happiness!
But in the late spring London received
its dina again; l~ovelier than ever, many
said, and maybe they were right; for Va.
lerie had suffered much-suffered still
and the pathos of suffering lendst to beauty
O surprising charm.
In the middle of June Lady Elinor came
up to Whitehall Gardens, and with her
- nbn uyIJnx,v on,,1I ,nyu
enter a little into society; besides, Angela
needed a chaperon. and Colonel Beaure-
gard was coming home. What a different
homecoming from that other-thirteen
months agol
eve must nave some people at Abbot's
Leigh this autumn said Lady Elinor. II
am sure Max will be most willing"
She sat I'm the drawing-room in the eve
ming In early July. Colonel B~eauregard
was expected every minute, and by her
side was a girl some -four years her junior
very like her, but more strictly pretty,
only with the same furtive glance OF the
eye, n the same slight downward curve
Of the lips.
Lady Elinor looked very interesting in
her weeds, and she knew it; and Angela
whose papa, it seemed, could spare her
now-wore white with black trimmings.
eyes, indeed" she assented. "Whom
do you think of asking, Nellie"
1--WE cannot have a large party, you know,
dear. Well, Mrs. Dudley for one, and Amy
Linwood; Lord Westbrook, Mr.. Dallas, of
course-and-suppose We must ask Mrs.
Langley and Valerie; but the girl will be
setting all the men by the ears!'
And she'll certainly do all she can to
get Max" observed Angela. "She threw
over Aston Lawford for nothing else!'
A carriage stopped; a knock at the door.
Lady Elinor rose quickly. A minute later
there was a light step on the stairs, the
d~rawing-room door opened, and, with q
cry of genuine delight, Lady Elinor threw
herself into her brother-in-law's arms.
ooh! Max" she said, IL am so glad to
see you'll"
"Dear NELL" He kissed her affection
ately, and then turned to Angela. AN
gela, too?" he said, holding out his hand.
"But stay-Ithink must claim a brothers
right here also" and he stopped and kissed
the girls forehead.
When the three were at dinner Lady Eli
nor presently made her proposition.
81 have set my heart, Max" she said,
"on having some people at Abbot's Leigh