Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-06-10

IVAN Va SOtA0O IN t10 - @N Il
III would not have gone il / had been
Asked" Valerie answered, briefly.
Mrs. Langley scarcely liked the tone in
which this was said. Was the girl going
TO prove a failure after all? But the diplo-
matist said no more.
But when the flowers which Mrs. Lang
ley was going to take with her were being
packed, Valerie, looking very white In her
morning garments, came in, with an ex-
quisite cross of the loveliest flowers that
taste could select.
"Aunt Constance" she said, her dark
eyes full Of tears, twill you take this with
you, and ask them to lay IL in the grave?"
ooh, Valerier' said Mrs. Langley, under
her breath, what a perfectly beautiful
cross! Where did you get it,"
81 bought the flowers, and made 1t my
self"
my dear Valerie, no florist could have
surpassed thisl Elmer, and Max, too, will
be very pleased that you sent I'll
. And for Max that cross had been made,
with many tears and infinite tenderness Of
care.
ASK them to lay it In the grave" the
girl had said. 1t might be hat Max's own
hand would lay it In the grave among the
hundreds of floral offerings from relatives,
friends, tenants, counting 1t less worth
than any. Never mind; II was a precious
Offering from heart to heart, though only
one heart knew it; IL might wlther and die,
yet It would be deathless; lost, forgotten.
I'm the multitude of its fellows. but one
day, when death was no more, Max would
know.
When Mrs. Langley reached Abbot's
Leigh she was shown into Lady Elinor's
boudoir, where the widow, in deepest weeds
sat alone; and by-and-by, when Lady Eli
nor had wept a~bundantly, and explained
how all had happened, and how Max had
proved himself the hest of nurses to his
brother, and the best Of brothers to her
(Elinor), Mrs. Langley opened her boxes
of flowers, which had been brought into
the room for Lady Elinor to see; and rs she
did so there was n gentle tap ut the door,
and Colonel Beauregard came in.
He looked somewhat haggard and stern,
and perhaps even paler than usual; but he
was not a man to wear his heart on his
sleeve, and so there was little outward
change.
"Flowers?" he said, when he had greeted
Mrs. Langley. 'This is kind!'
And oh, what an exquisite CROSSE said
<uNA FiAiiSi i ~ aAhANah
"Ah, that" said Mrs. Langley, lis from
Valerie. She made it with her own hands,
and begged me to ask them to lay it in the
grave"
Dear childl how kind! how thoughtful!'
But Max said nothing. Was he, too,
pleased and touchedH Mrs. Langley could
not tell. He was bending over the flow
ers; and when he lifted his face it was UNI
revealing.
isn't it a lovely cross, MAXI" said his
sist~er-in-law, turning To him,
at is perfect" he answered. LET me
take it, Nellie, and this wreath" He raised
the two offerings from their snowy bed,
and went out of the room, and took his way
To the chapel.
Without it was still daylight; but day
was banished from the chapel by the heavy
violet draperies; but there was light ut the
altar, and just below the chancel steps
stood the bier, and on it the coffin, with its
rich, emblazoned pail, six tall tapers at the
head and six at the foot. The air was
heavy with the scent Of flowers, and on
the coffin they laid SO thickly that nothing
of the surface Of the pail was visible.
TIL watchers Withdrew rs they saw the
tall form of Max Beauregard coming UP
the nave.
He paused by the bier, and ~revcrently
laid the wreath Mt the coffin foot; then he
moved slowly to the head, and stood some
minutes without moving. What passedin
the mans heart in those minutes, perhaps
no other human heart would ever know.
Presently he bent his head and kissed twice,
thrice, the cross he held, and laid it at the
coffin head, side by side with another cross,
his own Offering.
After that he knelt a few moments, COW
ering his face, then rose, and went out OF
the chapel.
And the next morning, when the funeral
was over, Mrs. Langley went among :he
crowd of mourners to look down into the
grave; but now the flowers reached almost
to the surface of the pavement, and Va
lerie's cross was hidden far down beneath
the fragrant heaps. Where had Max Beau
regard placed it yesterday evening?
Mrs. Langley returned to town the same
night; and though it was late when she
reached home, she was ready to tell (yet
not half so ready as Valerie to hear) all
that had passed at Abbot's Leigh. But
the girl took care SO to place herself that
her face was hidden from her aunt.
Who, she wondered, had laid her cross
in the grave? She dared not hope that 1t
had been Max himself.
81 was never" said Mrs. Langley, Eat
such an impressive ceremonial. 1t tried
me very much indeed" After proceeding
with various details. the lady went on:
"Elinor was n good deal affected when l
first saw her; but, Valerie, she was deeply
touched by your offering. Colonel Beau
regard said nothing until Elinor appealed
to him, and then he said, 1t is perfect'
But he took it and a wreath of mine and
left the room. Elinor had said nothing,
expressed no wish. He must have taken
the flowers to the chapel; but the grave
was almost filed up with flowers when
looked, so | don't know where he put your
cross"
Valerie was silent; her heart stood still
with emotion. She had never dreamed OF
this-that Max should select her cross, and
with his Owl hands carry it to the chapel.
He would not have laid it on the coffin,
among the offerings of the lead mans
nearest and dearest; but he must have had
q tender thought Of her to do as he had
done. Yet would he not regret this when
he knew of her answer TO Aston Lawford,
81 don't know what Elinor means to do
Mrs. Langley said, presently. "She said
she could not stay long at Abbot's Leigh
but of course Max must remain for a little
while, so | think he will take her abroad
for a time, when things are settled; but he
will come TO London first-Elinor seems tC
depend on him very much. For us the
season is virtually closed, and in a week oil
two we might go to Italy. / shall have tC
decline all invitations-as a friend of Eli
nor's and the family generally one could
not well visit this autumn-at any rate
not until September"
ooh, no, mop said Valerie, quickly; "ant
it would be nicer to go to Italy"
"And do you more good, child. Yes, w,