Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-05-06

ours2 Yes, very much. Who is shef"
"Amy Linwood. She and Valerie Her
bert are great friends"
Beauregard looked with more interest
after Miss Linwood.
81 seem to know the name" he observed.
"They are friends of Mrs. Langley's.
Mrs. Linwood is n charming woman, | am
told. All! there is Miss Herbert dancing
with Mr.. Lawford. How badly he dances
and how perfectly she does! A splendid
match"
~ thought you said it was n bad one"
"For life mean, you tiresome fellowV"
at Is a match, then?'
"Well, / believe so-averyone says So
and he might marry a peers daughter II
he chose. Lady Stonend tried very hard
to get him for n OF hers: so did the March
ioness of Fashmore. OF course the girl
could be a pecress; but Aston Lawford can
buy up most of US. So | suppose she ha
become reconciled to the front"
Didn't she like it at first?"
The countess laughed.
mo; used to call him the iron man. so
I have heard. dare say you think it mira
dig, with your military prejudices; and
you B~eauregards are as proud rs High
landersI"
II am content to plead guilty; but rs to
Mr.. Lawford, apart from the iron, my
brother knows him better than | do. Ibe-
lieve | met him once"
"And that is the cool way you talk Of a
mar worth millions!-at any rate over a
million-for whom all the girls and young
widows are pulling caps"
81 am sorry to be so old-fashiOned. lam
afraid one gets rusty campaigning; for in
field and camp one is apt to reckon a man
for what he is, and not what he has,
"Now, Colonel, you are sarcastic, and
you certainly are old-fashioued. Give me
your arm and let US walk through the
rooms. | won't discuss the money ques-
ton with you any more; for you talk liE~ a
Bayard, and make me feel ashamed of my
self"
An hour later Valerie sat alone for the
first time that evening. She had begged her
partner to leave her; her head ached, she
said; she must keep quiet for n few minutes;
but, in truth, she felt as If she could not
bear much more; she was almost dizzy
with the agony Of her mind. She longed,
with a wild, desperate longing, TO get away
away anywhere, free from the crowd, the
gaze of curious eyes, the meaningless chat
ter, the lights, the music-away by her.
self, alone and in darkness, to weep her
heart out. 1t would be some relief, at
least, TO be able TO drop this horrible mask
Of smiles and merrimeut.
Someone passed through the door by
which she sat, and paused close TO her.
She had not heard the step-it was lost
amid the beat Of the band and the steps of
the dancers-but she knew whose it was,
and her breath seemed to ebb away like
the breath Of a dying woman, and she saw
and heard nothing; but she needed no out
ward sense to know that Max Beauregard
was near her. Yet she did not turn her
head to look-did noteven move, as though
she had been unaware of his presence.
"Miss Herbert" he said, gently, and her
start was not all feigned. Miss Herbert,
alone?'
For, with n sickening rush Of memory,
she came back to the ballroom ut Don.
nington-so Beauregard had come up to
her as she sat apart and spoken to her al
most the same words.
Blu tone and manner then and now
How the difference wrung her hearth The
old, sweet touch Of tenderness gone; that
something which recognized the dawning
~womanhood, yet saw the child. Had few
months so changed her?-so altered their
relations?
But this, which showed her so clearly
she was nothing to him more than a friend
If indeed so much-gave her greater
strength to guard her secret.
With a pretty shrug she answered him,
just CHANGING round.
ITt ;, 4, t,oot e., Ia, o1,,,a cn,,otip,nu-onI
/ was tired!'
Again the stab, so straight and keen that
he could not for a moment speak.
Then, lightly:
"Is that a hint. If so, pardon me-"
mo, no." she said, quickly, flushing
crimson now. II did not mean that!'
~ was only iesting.'
He laid his hand on the back of her chair
and bent down a little.
Miss Herbert, are you engaged for the
mex dance?"
If Valerie had not been prepared for the
question her nerve might have failed her
at that moment, but, though the crimson
changed to paleness, and then to crimson
again in one great thro5 of her heart, she
faltered under her breath:
II am so sorry IL am indeed. II
have not one vacancy!"
Colonel Beauregard drew his hand away
and raised himself.
Thanks" he said, quietly. 81 dare say
your card was full before | came"
He bowed and passed on.
Valerie saw him through a scarlet mist.
She was dazed-stunned. If she had tried
to rise then she would have fallen.
If he had only spoken some bitter wordsI
reminded her Of that ride through the
moonlit lanes, which he must have recalled
wildly just now, when she had pledged
herself to give him four dances; and to-
night, after he had been away so long, she
mad not one dance to spare for him, though
she knew he was coming!
Yet he uttered no reproach; he even tried
chivalrously to shield her; perhaps he al
most pitied her-mere puppet of fashion
that she had become; tool in n worldly
woman's hands; heartless coquette, who
accepted all mems homage, and would
sell her youth and beauty to the highest
bidder!
Mr.. Lawford cane up as, rallying her.
self desperately, the girl vas about to rise,
"Ahl Mr.. Lawford," she said, with O
faint smile, II am glad of someone now,
Take me into the conservatory; it is COO
| there, and my head sches SO. No fuss
please - for Lawford was one of those tact
less people who cannot understand when
to 'tlet alone"-"simply do what 1 ask YOU
So he. not sorry to have her to himself