Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-05-13

all the offers he received of box-seats for
the turnout OF the Four-in-hand Club, or
he could nave fooled his brothers coach;
but he declined all allurements; he had
business at the War Office, he said, and so
he had; only he might easily have put it off.
Shameful" cried a chorus Of fair ones,
each one Of whom had made up her mind
that Colonel Beauregard was going to
drive his brothers famous bays, with her
on the seat beside him.
1t was a splendid turnout, everyone said;
and so it was. The day was fine, the Park
crowded, and the coaches came forth in
force. Numbers came to see the beauty,
Valerie Herbert, and they were not disap-
pointed, for there she was in gray satin,
Charles ii. hat with sweeping plumes, the
l~oveliest woman where lovely faces might
be seen Mt every turn. Aston Lawford
drove four browns, and drove them well;
and behind him sat pretty women and
go~od-looking men; but nobody looked at
him, and he was well-Contented that his
beautiful boX-companiOn diverted all at
tention from even his tooling, of which he
was somewhat proud, though coaching
men only allowed him second rank as a
whip.
But while Valerie laughed and talked
gaily, her quick, far seeing eyes were
searching half neEvously among the crowds
by the railing; and suddenly, while n line
OF coaches stood waiting, she saw the face
she sought, but scarcely wished to see. A
light color fitted across her own, rs for a
moment she met Louis upward glance,
full of pain and anger; then her eyes sank,
and she bowed and turned away. When
she looked again Louis was gone.
There is Mr.. Beauregara's coach just
behind us" said one of the ladies at the
back-pretty Mrs. Leicester; but thought
the Colonel would drive it,"
'He isn't here to-day Mt ALL" said Law
ford. Il saw him last night in Whitehall
Gardens, and he said he would be busy at
the War Office"
Was Valerie relieved, or the opposite'
She could not have told; but Mrs. Leicester
said:
Bother the War Office! why couldn't
the man do his work there another day."
Lawford smiled.
"A lady's way Of looking at business" he
said. But Mrs. Leicester was right this
time, though she didn't know it.
By-and-by, when the coaches were NOV
ing on at walking pace, the iron man"
asked Valerie:
"was not that Mr.. Charters you bowed
TO n little while ago?"
He had heard of Louis from Mrs. Lang
ley, though not Of any engagement between
the young man and Valerie.
"Yes," she answered, nonchalantly.
Ny lady was somewhat offended by the
tone.
"He scarcely looked pleased to see you,"
continued Lawford; was it because you
were hereby me?"
Valerie opened her great eyes on him
with n stare of comical surprise.
"Why should he, or anyone, mind that"
she said, with that determined ndipCtc
which is sometimes very ~aggravating III a
lovely woman, but very witching all the
same. Il might have been with anyone
else. The Duke OF offered me his box
seat; and poor little Emily almost knelt to
me to 90 on his"
"And yet" said Lawford, lowering hi
tone, you gave mt the preference!"
Simply" with a shrug, because II
went with the Duke the Duchess would b.
Jealous; and | heartily dislike Emily"
Lawford's brow darkened.
"Am l only a pts alter, them" he said.
"You should take blessings as they come,
said Valerie, g~ravely, land not inquire to-
closely why they come. Mono more
please. One positively can not be seriou:
on the boX-seat of a coach; though verll.
believe you would be serious at a carnival.
"And you serious at ~nothing!' returned
Lawford. almost hrusHuely. He loved Va