Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-07-29

well, you snail try"
He raised her up, and, slowly, leaning
on his arm, she succeeded in reaching the
corridor.
"You see,' she said, smiling, "my sprain.
ed foot hardly touches the foor.''
"Yet even that little hurts you,'' said her
cavalier, gently, Though you try to hide it
from me-"
"But a little pain doesn't matter. Colonel
B~eauregard."
ut does to me, very much" he answered.
"Come, Fairy, let me carry you to the
drawing-room door; l will put you down
there"
He suited the action TO the words, taking
her up in his arms as he spoke, Valerie
yielding without further remonstrance, rs
was besti besides, she knew 1t made him
suffer to see her endure pain.
THANK you so much" she said, CRATE.
fully, as he gently placed her on the ground
outside the drawing-room door,
THANK you, Fairy Queen, for giving in
to my mans weakness. 1t is so cruel to
see a woman suffer! but 1t was easier so,
wasn't itY"
"Much-much e~asier!'
Cruel to see a woman suffer- Yet she
had made him suffer, and for whatG-as he
must think. His words were a sharp stab
to her, though he had not meant them so.
Valerie on her couch was like q queen on
her throne; they all gathered around her
all save Max Beauregard, who resigned
her to others, and, while he talked with
Mrs. Langley, tried to steel his heart
against the girl he loved so madly, and yet
all the time he was wildly conscious OF her
ax,nrty .,.n 80 ax-Anas. - A-- n
for her words or her laugh.
And presently Lady Elinor, who had been
watching her opportunity, beckoned her
brother-in-law TO her side, where she sat,
somewhat apart.
what is it, Nell, dearg" he said, as he
seated himself on the lounge.
Nothing very special, Max. Did you
know that Constance Langley had a letter
from Lawford this afternoon"
How should know? and what is it to
mef''
with al enclosure for Valerie" contin.
ned Lady Elinor, agitating her fan gently,
but glanclng edgewise at the soldiers dark
face.
He turned TO her with a half smile.
"Well," he said. us that alli"
"Alll Upon my word, Max, Ican't make
you outi"
Hadn't you better leave off tryingH"
impossible! ] really began to think
Valerle's wiles were succeeding; you have
been leading her to think so, anyhow"
Il think Valerie can take care of herself,
Nellie" said Beauregard, very quietly.
Certainly she CAM said Lady Elinor,
trying TO turn off with a laugh words who =
meaning, as regarded herself, was perfect
ly clear to her; mo one better. Lawford
is, OF course, resuming his offer; he can
have nothing else to write to Valerie about.
Mrs. Langley told me she had the letters"
THAT you might tell meF"
II don't know; but | only repeated this
for you sake, Max"
"Vrdtmcnt! Well, by your leave, We'll
talk Of something else"
But, all the same, the news was another
stab to an open wound. Had Valerie done
anything to lure this tassel-gentle back
again" so that If she failed to win the great
er prize she could still fall back on the
sutton so remorselessly thrown overf
No, he would not think this of her; but
he did not doubt that Mrs. Langley had
taken some such steps.
Was Valerie c]onsenting2 Had she read
Aston's letter, and was she holding over
n reply until she saw whetl .r-even at the
eleventh hour-she would S orG Il triumph,
and bring the owner Of Abl)t's Leigh to
her feet, or close her visit T. the Hall with.
out succeeding in the object that took her
there?
IT was m%addening even to ask such men
tai questions concerning Valerie; and yet,
horrible as they were, he could not quite
dismiss them; he could not say such delib-
crate calculation of chances was impossible
to her; and yet, there was ever the para,
doX which the girl presented TO all that
she had dOne-all Of which she might Gar.
guing from past acts seem capable. She
made no effort to win the man for whom
she had abandoned n rich suitor (yet that
might be ~profOundest coquetry); she was
30 fresh, SO pure, so innocent; in her face
no guile; in her acts, in her looks, none of
the arts OF the coquette. Could design so
completely, so successfully, wear the mask
Of innocence?
No wonder these things perpleXed Max
Beauregard, lacking, as he did, the key to
the t~ruth-Seeing only through a glass
darkly."
1t was not till near the close OF the even.
ing that he approached Nalerie's couch,
and asked her If they should finish the
chess-gamc sometime tomorrow.
eyes" she said, 'any time you like"
NAY, put it the other way"
Valerie shook her head.
at would be all one TO me-" she said.
81 shall have TO keep still, 50 one time
would be like another; and YOU may only
have a few times you can call your own"
can ingenious plea for me-thank you
for it; and if you are not inclined to play
when | ask you, will you rcfuse?"
But shall like to play anytime"
Suppose you were reading n fascinating
novel?'
81 wouT prefer chess"
VERY well, | see | musttake you at your
word"
So they parted for the night.
The next morning Valerie's foot was
much better; and Max told her that anoth.
er days complete rest, and partial rest foI
a day ortwo afterward, would make "Rich.
ard himself again" though Of course, she
could not walk any distance for a fortnight
or more.
In the morning nothing was done but
general pottering, of which Valerie was the
center; and Mrs. Langley waited patiently
for an opportunity OF seeing her niece
alone. 1t came at last, just after luncheon,
when the girl had gone to her dressing.
room to change her dress, and was resting
her foot n little before going down again.
Valerie looked up, vaguely apprehensive,
as her aunt entered the room. but she said
nothing. Mrs. Langley sat down by the
couch, facing her niece.
81 hope your foot will be quite we'll by
Saturday" she said-this was Tuesday
cas- we have to leave on that day."
"Oh, it will be all right before that" SAID
Valerie, carelessly.
well enough. at any rate, to travel.
We are due at the Morton's on Saturday
evening, you see."
"Yes."