Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-04-29
nws her nower and uses it,

MATCH and is quite willing to sell her
beauty I'm exchange for wealth, IL one is to
judge by the encouragement she gives As
ton Lawford; and all the time she consid.
ers herself engaged to Mr.. Charters, who
is only a clerk In the Foreign Office"
For a moment Colonel Beauregard was
silent; for a moment the strong self-com-
mand which habit had made second nature
almost failed him; the deeper paleness that
spread over features always pale was a
sign too slight to be noticed; but he felt
that IL In that moment he had spoken, his
voice might have betrayed too much; in the
next he was master of himself again, and
said, quietly:
"who told you, Nellie, OF her engage
ment TO young Charterisf"
Mrs. Langley. or course she does not
recognize it-treats the whole thing as q
boy and girl affair; but she is wise enough
not TO forbid the two meeting sometimes.
Time and altered circumstances would do
their work with Valerie, she argued; and
1t looks as IL the girl was growing tired Of
love for loves sake. Lawford is her bond
slave, and though she flrts all round, she
certainly gives him encouragement. She
Is going on the box-seat of his drag to the
meet Of the Four-in-handv'
Gerald interposed here, sparing Colonel
Beauregard the necessity OF reply.
"In a worldly point of view the match
would be q splendid one; but | coll it cruel
TO throw away such a perfect creature as
Valerie Herbert on Aston Lawford. He is
more than twenty years her senior, n a
matter-of-fact, prosaic fellow into the bar
gain"
But" said Lady Elinor, Struggling her
shoulders, "he has, Heaven knows how
many thousands a yearl And you know,
Gerald, Valerie will have nothing. Mrs.
Langley has only a life INTEREST," In the prop.
erty. When she dies everything goes to
her husbands nephew"
Wa all this trueS Max Beauregard was
asking himself in agony, while he seemed
to give q half-careless attention to what he
heard. Was Valerie - his Valerie the
pure-hearted child he had left-so changed,
so c%orrupted' Oh, it could not be! He
must see her soon-he could not long en-
dure this torture--and learn the truth
learn If he would be welcomed back with
the old sweet ~gladness, or made to see that
the belle Of the London season was far
wiser han country-bred Valerie had been,
and could clearly distinguish between an
elder and q younger son.
Lady Elinor rose as she spoke the last
words, and Max rose to open the door for
her. Turning back to the table, he said to
his brother:
~ must call on Mrs. Langley in a day or
two. Tomorrow | shall be at the Wal
Office a good deal"
"My dear boy, Lady Stonend gives a ball
tomorrow, and Mrs. Langley and Valerie
will be there. Nellie and / are going.
Come with us!"
To meet Valerie in q crowded ball-room!
Well, perhaps better so; he would be more
sure of himself than if he saw her alone;
or with only one or two people by.
Thanks, he said, after a pause, "Pn
go with you"
You'll be the lion of the evening"" said
Gerald. Shall we join Nellie now2 All
the wine you drink in a year, Max. would
not serve even a moderate man for a
month"
Beauregard smiled, and rose, and the
brothers went to the d~rawing-room.
CHAPTER XX.-TIE TURN OF II TIDE.
81 am at the Office again to-day. When
can | see you, Valerie? You have written
TO me so seldom and so coldly, and some
of the fellows here tell me your aunt wants
yOu to marry Aston Lawford. | can't be-
lieve you would treat me like that! Tell
me when / may call"
So wrote Louis Charters; and Valerie
Herbert, on the morningo Of Lady Stonend's
ball, paced her boudoir distractedly, with
the letter in her hands. How was she to
meet Louis? How tell him the cruel truth
that she could never be his wife? Had
she not dallied too long already Had not
he Justly accused her Of writing seldom
and coldly? And now, when they had
been parted so long, she must meet him
only to crush his hopes-to tell him they
must never meet again until 1t could be as
dearest friends, but no more. She might
have written; but it never occurred to Va
lerle to seek the towards refuge of a letter.
Face to face, she must tell her lover the
truth; and yet not all the truth. No, bet
ter ten thousand times that he should be.
lieve the worst Of her than be able to say,
at is Max Beauregard who stands between
us!'
"He will reproach me bitterly-bitterlyp'
the girl said to herself, land he will be
Just, thinking as he must needs think.
Louis, my old playmate, my brother
She broke down in passionate weeping,
but, quickly checking herself, tried to collect
her thoughts.
81 cannot see him to-day" she said, "nor
tomorrow, and Wednesday is the meet"
she shuddered, and put her hands before
her eyes. 1T must be Thursday"
She sat down and wrote:
DEAR LOUIS:
please forgive a hurried note. I have
VNn IN ,nn,ny. hAf,rn Mammalian nv, NOT
my own mistress. Will you call on Thurs.
day after five, and | can see you?
Yours ever, VALERIE"
"Auntie will be out" the girl said, as she
sealed the letter, land ] will tell her ]
must see Louis. She will call me sensible
to give up n lover who has no Money or
position. | am young" she added, dreari-
ly, "to begin living a lie!"
And Max Beauregard was at home now.
Lady Elinor had told them he was expect
ed last night, and the morning papers told
them of his arrival in London.
What car he think of me?" thought the
poor child. Maybe he will not trouble
himself much about me. Why should hep"
The luncheon-bell rang, and she went
downstairs. Aunt and niece were not Of
ten without other company at luncheon;
but they were to-day. Mrs. Langley look
ed up from a note as the girl entered the
dining-room.
Valerie she said, 81 nave just had this
from Lady Elinor. Colonel Beauregard is
coming with them tonight to Lady Ston-
ends"
The blood rushed to the girls face; but
she wa AIRED IA hear of Max Beaure-
gard at minute-that he was going to
call, or she would meet him at this house or
that; so that, though her heart stood still
and she held her breath, she was not
startled out of all self-control; she had not,
too, lived in vain in the beau monde, so
that she was able to answer, smiling:
"Oh, am so glad! Does Lady Elinor
say any more about hims"
mo, my dear; you can read the note?"