Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-04-01

OR.
Half q Truth.
By THE Duchess"

By THE DUCHESS"
Ought she to tell her aunt of her engage
ment, or did Mrs. Langley already know
about iti
She had not mentioned the subject az
yet; and twice Valerie had received letters
from Louis, which her aunt had seen, but
had not asked any question, or displayed
any wish to he told who her niece's corre-
~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
had engaged yourself to a young friend,
Louis Charteris."
Valerie flushed deeply, and clasped her
hands n~ervously together; but her aunt did
not seem to observe her.
She went on:
"Of course Mr.. Herbert did not recognize
the engagement as binding-nor can / do
So"
'But / dop' ~interposed the girl, impetu.
ously, her loyalty, rather than her heart,
speaking.
you have a very strong will, Valerie
said her aunt. not in the least rufied, "and
I only hope 1t will not lead you into any
foolish act. have no fear, however, that
It will induce you to marry a man with an
income of about one hundred and fifty
pounds a year.. But l have no desire 70 be
harsh; and IL / were so. you would either
go off at a tangent or be deceitful. The
first would be more like you. l dare say
Mr.. Charters has written to you already,
Write to him-hear from him-as often az
you please; but, OF course, | cannot active
ly encourage q suit OF which your uncle,
very rightly, ~disapproves; and which l also
tell you plainly-consider foolish"
1t would be difficult TO analyze Valerie's
feelings while her aunt spoke; she certain
iy could not have analysed them herself.
She 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-
eeive the deeper wisdom Of an s~bstention
from active opposition.
, But this was not all. Was Valerie real
ly deeply grieved by n fiat which was in
effect this: Correspond, IL you choose,
with your lover, but / cannot ask him to
my home" Did she wish TO see Louis very
often-that is, II he came as a loverg Was
It q relief TO find that they could only meet
occasionally In truth, Valerie did not
know.
She answered confusedly, after a pause:
"But, aunt Constance, I had no idea VI
marrying now-not for years to come. I
knew that was impossible, even II uncle
Will had no objection"
"Then, my dear" said her aunt, with a
real touch OF kindness, Twill say no more.
] don't want to pain you in any way, but
1t is best to speak with perfect frankness;
it prevents misunderstanding. am sure
you will agree with me-"
It was a rather frigid way Of putting it;
but Valerie replied in n low tone:
Eyes, aunt Constance"
Then, in IN altered manner:
But you don't mean that l am never to
see Louis2"
There was that in the tone, in the flash
Of the gray eyes, in the slight movement of
the head, which warned Mrs. Langley.
She was far too good a driver to put a sharp
curb on a high-spirited horse. Valerie, she
had seen at a first interview, was not a
girl to be treated in conventional fashion;
an attempt ut downright coercion would
produce open rebellion. She must be
moulded and influenced by her surround
ings and associations; not driven or con
trolled.
So, after a short pause, the lady said:
~ should have wished all personal inter
course to drop for the present. But as Mr..
Charters Is an old friend and playmate,
this may appear harsh. l will ask him
here sometiInes-I do not say often-and
am convinced you will ask no more of me"
"No, indeed; you are very kind to relax
so much" said the girl, stretching out her
hand.
Mrs. Langley clasped it in her own with
genuine cordiality. Who could resist the
witchery Of such pathetic beauty, such
winning charm' But all the more, Mrs.
Langley said to herself:
Imagine hat glorious creature flung
away upon a little Foreign Office clerk"
At that moment the door opened, and a
footman announced:
Lady Elinor B~eauregardl"