The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-04-01
Fl
Hall! 3 Truth.
q OWE pucHEss..

Ought she I tell her aunt of her a
ment. rsdtd Mrs. Langley already know
about III
She had not mentioned the subject =
yet; and twice Valerie had received letters
from Lonis, which her aunt had seen, but
had not Askedsan qusstlon, or displayed
any wish to he told who her niece's CORE.
spondent was.
Mrs. Langley glanced at Valerie, and,
reading the girls thought, smiled to her
self.
Slipping her tea, the worldly-wise lady
observed. quietly:
Your uncle told me, Valerie, that you
nAd engaged yourself to q young friend,
I1onis Charteris.N
Valerie flushed deeply, and clasped her
bands nervously together; but her aunt did
not seem to observe her.
She went ON:
Ofcourse Mr. Herbert did mot recognize
. engagement as binding-nor can 1 do
80
but I dor, interposed the Girl, :mpetu.
ouslyy her loyalty, rather than her heart,
speaking.
You have very stsong win, valerie,n
raid her aunt. not in the least rufied, .sand
I only hope 1t will not lead you into any
IkS0 W. AAASSO AZ Ao&I, uUW6VSE, tQAG
It will induce You to marry q man with an
income OF about one hundred and ATTY
pounds agar. But I have no desire to be
harsh; and If I were so, you would either
go of at q tangent or be deceitful. Tho
first would be more like you. / dare say
Mr. Charterts has written to you elreadyl
Write TO him--l.ear from him-as often ~
you please; but, of course, I cannot active.
ly encourage a suit Of which your uncle,
very rightly, d~fsapproves; and which I also
tell you plainly-consider foolish,n
Itwould be difficult to analyzs Valerie,s
feelings while her aunt spoke; she certain
ly could not have analysed them herself.
LII saw both the Justice and the wisdom
Of a refusal to recognize an engagement
between two very young and impecunious
persons; she was too inexperienced to per
ceive the deeper wisdom of an s%bstention
from active opposition.
But this was not all. Was Valerie real
ly deeply grieved by a fat which was in
effect this: Correspond. il you choose,
with your lover, but Icannot ask him to
my home" Did she wisht to see Louis very
often-that Is, II he came az q loverf Wa
1t q relief to find that they could only meet
o~ccasionallys In truth, Valerie did not
know.
She answered confusedly, after a pause:
"But, aunt Constance, l had no idea II
marrying now-not for years to come. ]
knew that was impossible, even IL uncls
Win had no obiection."}
"Then, my dear said her aunt, with q
real touch OF kindness, 81 will say no more.
don't. want to pain you IN any way, but
IT is bassto speak with perfect frankness;
1t prevents misunderstanding. I am sure
you will agree with me,
Itlwas q ratherfrtgid way Of putting 1t;
but Valerie replied in a low tone:
Eyes, aunt Constance
Then, in an altered manner
But y0u don't mean that I am never "a
sec Iouissn
There was that in the tone. in the fash
OF the gray eyes, in the slight movement Of
the head, which warned Mrs. Langley.
She was far too good a driverto put a sharp
curb On q h~igh-spirited horse. Valerie, she
had seen at a FIRST interview, was not q
girl to be treated in conventional fashion;
any attempt at downright coercion would
produce open rebellion. She must be
moulded and.infiuenced by her surround
ings and associations; not driven or con-
trolled.
SO, after q short pause, the lady said:
\ SnOuin nave Wlbheu Ill personal inter-
course to drop for the present. But asMr.
Charters is an old friend and playmate,
this may appear harsh. I will ask him
here sometimes-I do not say often-and /
am convinced you will ask no more Of me-
mo, indeed; you are very kind to relax
80 much" said the girl, stretching out her
hand.
Mn. Langley clasped 1t in her own with
genuine cordially. Who could resist the
witchery Of such pathetic beauty, such
winning charmi But3all the more, Mrs,
Langley said to herself:
Imagine that glorious creature flung
away upon q little Foreign Office clerk!''
At that moment the door opened, and {
fOOtman announced: