Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-03-25

! Sunlight was mingling with daylight
when the ball broke up, and Mrs. Fanshawe
asked Valerie, laughing, IL she was salts
fed with her triumph.
"I don't know she answered, half smil-
Ing. II suppose / ought to be."
Louis had said goodbye and left, prom
tsing to call at the Lines the next day.
It was Captain Beauregard who brought
valerie's opera-cloak and wrapped it care.
fully about her.
'Fairies are scarce, you know" he said,
with his bright, tender smile. You must
take care of yourself"
He drew her hand on his arm "A ed her
out to the carriage, following General Fan
shave and his wife; then, as they waited
while the elder lady was entering the car
riage, Beauregard bent down to his young
companion, clasping closely the little hand
that rested on his arm.
'Let me say now,' he said. in a low
voice, show, from my heart, / hope your
future life may be very, very happy. Good
night. Heaven keep your
These were the last words Valerie heard
from Max Beauregard for many q weary
dav, and she could neither answer him nor
look at MIN. He placed her In the carriage,
shook hands with the General and his wife,
bowed as the carriage moved on, and, turn.
ing away walked back alone to the bar
racks, avoiding all his brother-of1cers, even
Hal Dallas. He was scarcely in a mood
just now TO talk to anyone.
Bat that night, 50 looked forward to by
Valerie, SO strangely mingled with sweet
and bitter in the fulhllment OF the wish,
was, in all things, the turning point In her
ne fIa ,r,athrarna nf a rQVnlnfiOn I'm
all that had hitherto made up the sum Of
her existence.
And before the sun, whose dawn had
looked in on the brilliant ballroom, was
high in the heavens, all was hustle and ex'
element at bennington Barracks. AT
eight o'clock an order had come down for
the TIL regiment and the three companies
of the --th to sail for Egypt in as short a
time as they could be ready, and that meant
only a few hours.
Early in the afternoon Valerie, sitting
listlessly in the garden, trying in vain tC
keep the tears out of her eyes-and hel
thoughts from Max Beauregard-saw q
mounted orderly at the gate. Sh0 RAJ
down and took from him a letter.
"From Mrs. Fanshawe, miss" he said
saluting; and before the girl could Dpeah
he turned and rode off at n gallop.
Valerie's cheek blanched. Why thai
desperate haste? Were the troops ordered
out? The girl opened the letter with trem
bling fingers. 1t was almost a scrawl:
any DEAR CHILD:
Hardly time for n line. Our men or
dered out to Egypt-leave in an hour from
this. l am going to Alexandria. Will
write TO you first opportunity. Captain
Beauregard asks me to send kindest re
CARDS and best wishes. Same from tn,
General. Kind love from
MARGARET FANsHAwE."
Valerie stood still in the July sunshine
They were gone then. "Klndest regards
and best wishes from Max Beauregard
that was all-all he would probably wish
to say. And she might never see him AGAR
never in all the long years she had per
chance to live.
She went slowly back to the house, up Il
her room, and there she fell down on thu
floor and sobbed herself into exhaustion
sobbed away her childhood forever; TIT
belle of last night!
Continued Next Week.)