Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-12-09

OuS, anu lull OI laughter lier liOSe utSbiuCC
ly retrousse. Altogether she Is dstractng-
| ly pretty, and, what goes for more nova
| days, very peculiar in style, and out of the
common.
/ She Is exqulsltely dressed In q costume
that suggests Paris. She is harmony In
black and white, as Lord Rossmoyne told
her an hour ago, when he was not wearing
his discontinued expression. Seated beside
her Is tall pail id woman with a cold face,
but very velvety eyes and a smile rare but
handsome. Every now and then this smile
| betrays itself, as her companion says any
thing that chances TO amuse her She is a
| Mrs. Herrick, cousin of Olga Bohun's, and
Is now on visit with her at Aghyohillbeg.
There are several men grouped round Mrs.
Bohun, all in various standing positions.
One man is lying at her feet. lie Is tall
slight young fellow. of about twenty-three,
with lean face, dark hair, and beautiful
teeth. He has, -tGo, beautiful eyes, and
most loyable expression, half boyish but
Intensely earnest and very sensitive.
He is looking up at Mrs, Bohun dnd Is
talking rapidly, as Monica and Lord Ross
moyne come up behind them.
Mrs. Bohun, rises huuiedly from her seat,
ana, going up to the girl, embraces her
warmly.
"Ah ! my pretty Monica my little saintw
she cries, In her sweet, gay voice, "what
happy breeze has blown you hither?'
Il am living hcre,-at Moync, with my
aunts,' In happy, breathess way. ''Some
days ago they described you to me, and |
knew 1t mus be you. ] was right. And to-
day / have found YOU"
I'm always found out, as rule" says
Mrs Bohun, with light laugh. THAT is
my standing grievance. Youknow Hernia,
don't you?' indicating the tall, cold-looking
woman near her, who so far unbends as 10
take Monica's hand kindly and bestow upon
her one of her handsome smiles. "Shc has
come here to look after me and see that L
don't get into scrape or make myself un-
happy"
Could you be unhappy" says RoSsmoyne,
from behind her chair, IN SO disagreeab!e
tone that every one looks at him. DE
eidedly" thinks Monica to herself, she has
either neuralgia or an execrable temper
"Miserably so" says the pretty widow,
airily. Though, after all" renectyely, IL
believe l have even greater talent for max
ing Others so, That, however, is my mis-
fortune, not my fault. was born So like
that poor man with the twisted neck"
well, this is not one of your miSerably
unhappy hours, at all events" says Hernia
Herrick. You have been in magnificent
spirits ever since you came to Agyohillbeg."
You've learned it?' says Olga, staring at
her with pretended surprise. "The name, /
mean. Well, you are clever. 1t takes most
people four long weeks. Oh, YES, am bliss
fully happy here. ought tob be. 1t would
be the grosseSt ingratitude If were other
wise, as all the men have been good enough
10 fall in love with me, and that, Of course,
Is the principal thing"
AT this the young man at her feet smiles
openly and presses his face unperceivcd
against her gown; but RoSsmOyne throws
up his head and glances with codly dis
pleased expression into the vague distance
"Have you been here lOng?" asks Monica,
turning 20 her friend.
"Fcly long" pettishly. SOmething-per-
haps RcsSmoyne-has annoyed the capri
ciOus beauty.
Only a fortnight says Mrs. Herrick,
briefly. "You must know that"
IL don't Judge time by days ami weeks; it
seems long" says Mrs. Bohun, years, an
eternity almoStlA
a sudden gloom appears TO have fallen
. upon the group RoSSmoyne'S dark face
grows darker still; the smile fades from Ro-
haynes face Il shadow falls athwart his
eyes.
Il think like the country" Gays Monica,
suddenly. 1T is SO calm, 50 quiet, and there
are momcnts when the very beauty of It
brings tears TO my eyes"
IL love ii toe" says Ronayna quickly, adj
dressing her pointedly in a friendly tone,
although no introduction has been gone
through between them. Il wonder how any
one who has once tasted the sweetness of it
.an ever again long for the heat and turmoil
Of the town.
"Yes, for time it is charming, all-suflic-
ing" says Mrs. Bohun, 'but for what lit
tie time! Perhaps,-I am not sure,-but
perhaps should lik 9 to live for three months
Of every year III the country. After that,
know l should begin to pine again for the
smoke and Smuts of my town"
IF you are already wearied, / wonder you
stay here" says Lord ROsSmoyne, sullenly.
"And | wonder what has happened to-day
to your usually so charming temper" re-
turns she, laughngly uplifting her face TO
his, and letting her eye rest on him with at
most insolent inquiry.
desmond says good temper is a mere
matter of Digestion" says some one at this
moment. Monica starts more at the name
mentioned than ut the exceedingly worn-out
words uttered She glances at the speaker,
and sees he is very ugly young man with
O nice face, and remarkably dismal eX-
preston. lie Is looking at sOsSmoyne. "Sit
! down, dear boy he says soto rOce and
very sadly. There's too much of you; YOU
should never stand. You appear TO so much
better advantage when doubled in two. 1t
don't sgltnd well, does it? but
'But seally; when you come to think of
it," Mrs. Bohun is saying, feelngly, "there
Is very little I'm the country"
There Is ut least the fascinating tulip
and lily" says the sad man who mentioned
Dcsmonds name. Don't put yourself be-
yond the pale of art by saying you had for
gotten those aesthetic flowers blossoms, l
mean. Don'tyou yearn when you think of
them? do"
80 glad YOU are awake at last, Owen!'
says Mrs s1Ohun.
THAT silly craze about tulips" says Mrs.
Herick, contcmptuously, Il have always
treated it with scorn. Why could not the
art idiots have chosen better flowers for their
lunatic rawlings? What can any one see in
a tulipY'
Sometimes earwigs," says the man call
ed Owen.
Nonsense don't believe even earwigs
wosld care for H. Foolish, gaudy thing, up
lifting its lanky neck as though to outdo its
fellows! There is really nothing in it,"
Llhe JHe Country, says OWell, Heehly,
according TO Mrs. Bohun.'
~And like Bella Fitzgerald" says that
graceless person, witha little grimace.
''AIy dear Olga" says Mrs. Herrick, glanc-
ing quickly TO right and left. "Doyo never
thinkP'
"As seldom as ever / can. But why be
nervous, Hernia? If any one were to COM
pare me with tulip, should die ONO,
not chagrin-joy, l mean, of course. Moni-
ca, what are you saying TO Oweng'
II don't think know who Owen is" says
Monica, with a glance at the gentleman in
question, that is half shy, half friendly.
THAT argues yourself unknown says