The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-06-10

Aunt Constance she said, her dark
eyes full of tears, will You take this with
You. and ask them to lay it in, the grayei,
"Oh, Valerfelln said Mrs. Langley, under
her breath, what q perfectly beautiful
cross! Where did you get iJ?'n'
II bought the flowers, and made it my
self"
my dear Valerie, no florist could have
surpassed this! Elinor, and Max, too, will
be very pleased that you sentlt!s
And for Max that cross had been made,
with many tears and infinite tenderness Of
care.
Ask them to lay it in the grave,n' the
girl had said. 1t might be that Max's own
hand would lay 1t in the grave among the
hundreds of floral offerings from relatives,
friends, tenants, counting it less worth
than ;sny. Never mind; it was u precious
Offering from heart to heart, though only
one heart knew 1t; it might wlther and die,
yet it would be denthless; lost, forgotten,
in 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 ~abundantly, 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
(Elinorl, Mrs. Langley opened her boxes
of flowers, which had been brought into
the room for Lady Elinor to see; and as she
did so there was a 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.
"Flowers9"h he said, when he, had greeted
Mrs. Langley. s'This is kindl''
"And oh, what an exquisite cross!" said
Lady Elinor, clasping her hands.
"Ah, that" said Mrs. Langley, sis from
Valerie. She made it with her hands,
and begged me to ask them to lay it in 1.-THE
grave"
Dear child! how kind how thoughtful!'
But Max said nothing. Was he, too,
pleased and touched? Mrs. Langley could
not tell. He was bending over the flow
ers; and when he lifted his face it was un-
revealing.
isn't it a lovely cross, MAXI" said his
sister-in-law, turning to him.
sit is perfect" he answered. "Let me
take it, Nellie, and this wreath" file 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 at tho
altar, and Just below the chancel steps
stood the bier, and on it the coffin, with its
rich, emblazoned pail, six tall tapers ut the
head and six Mt 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.
The watchers Withdrew us they saw the
tall form of Max Beauregard coming up
the nave.
lie paused by the bier, md reverently
laid the wreath at 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 benthis 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 the
crowd of mourners to look down into the
grave; but now the flowers reached almost
TO the surface of the pavement, and W.
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 lyet
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 It
had been Max himself.
II was never" said Mrs. Langley, cat
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 satT her; but, Valerie she was deeply
touched by your offering. Colonel Beau
regard said nothing until Elinor appealed
to him, and then he snid, 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 filled up with flowers when 1
looked, so I don't know where he put your
cross.n
Valerie was silent; her heart stood still
with emotion. She had never dreamed of
this-thnt Max should select her cross, and
with his W hands carry it to the chapel.
He would not lave laid it on the coffin,
among the offerings of the dead mun's
nearest and dearest; but he must have had
n tender thought of her to do as he had
done. Yet would he not regret this when
he knew Of her answer to Aston Lawfordi
~ don't know what Elinor means to do,''
Mrs. Langley said, presently. "She said
she could not stay long ut Abbot's Leigh;
but of course MIX must remain for Il little
while, SO | think he will take her abroad
for a time, when things are settled; but lie
will come to London first-Elinor seems to
depend on him very much. For us the
season is virtually closed. and in n week or
two we might go to Italy. 1 shall have to
decline I'LL invitations-as a friend of Eli
nor's md the family generally one could
not well visit this autumn.-at any rate,
not until September"
ooh, no, nor said Valerie, quickly; "and
1t would be nicer to go to Italy"
"And do you more good, child. Yes, we
will 60"
So right and left sped letters from Mrs.
Langley to friends at whose country houses
she and Valerie were to have visited, ex-
cusing their inability to keep their engage
ments on account of Gerald B~eauregard's
death; and there was not Il little grulnbltng
among the men, because the beauty would
be absent from houses to which not II few
had accepted invitations only in order to
meet her.
CHAPTER XXynu.-1LnvEp oScE-4ovED EvER
Dallas, old fellow, welcome! it always
does one good To see your face.n
So Max II gard spoke, rising from a
table in the library in Whitehall Gtirdea5,
said table being covered with letters and
papers.
'.But are you not awfully busy, Beaup'
asked Hal, as the hands of the two men
met in & close clasp.