Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-06-10

OR.
Half a Truth.
BY THE DUCHESS"

N $500 \
almost an engagement, this petted, pam,
pered beauty of eighteen coolly tells me
that she can't marry me, because, forsooth,
she doesn't love me! Ha, ha!'-he threw
pack his head with q harsh laugh-"and
begs me to forgive her for having trifed
with me. But, by Heavenp' he went on,
beginning to pace the room, "Tll bring her
to her kneesl / warned her to trife nc
more; and in spite Of that warning, she Il.
simply trying to coquette-to make me beg
and entreatl Refuse mel There isn't o
manageable girl in society who would not
thank Heaven for an offer from Aston
Lawfordi"
"Astonr' pleaded his sister.
docs that child imagine" he went on,
not needing her, ''that / am to be made a
butt of-jilted, as if | were a trumpery lad
fit to hold her gloves or fan, and dismissed
when he is done with? She must have
written that letter without her aunt's
knowledge. Yes, surely" he added, paus.
ing, and speaking n little more calmly,
Mrs. Langley has been out all day. Va.
lerie only had my letter in the afternoon.
and Mrs. Langley could scarcely have
reached home before the servant who
brought this answer left. Why, them
he flung himself into n chair-'the matter
is soon settled. The girl, If she means re,
%fusal-and don't believe she does-will
soon have TO yield"
A knock at the door, and a servant en-
tered.
please, sir" said he, handing n letter,
"this has just come from Whitehall Gar.
dens."
Lawford opened the letter quickly, and
read aloud:
"SIR:
~ have, with great grief, to inform you
that n telegram arrived an hour ago from
Colonel Beauregard, TO say that Mr.. Beau.
regard died at eight O'clock this evening.
"~Your.obedient servant,
JOHN WITTER."
A blank pause. Then Miss Lawford,
who had started into a sitting posture, said
slowly:
aston, the meaning or vaIerle's letter
is clear. Mrs. Langley dictated its pur-
port, if not its terms. You are simply
thrown over for u better catch-for Max
B~eauregardr'
Aston Lawford turned and looked at his
sister.
ut is true" she continued. Mark mel
Colonel BeauregaTd would telegraph direct
to Mrs. Langley, rs she is So great n friend
of Lady Elinor, she would have the news
as soon, or almost as soon, as they had it
in Whitehall Gardens. Valerie's letter
was written at once, and sent quickly, 50
that 1t might not appear so openly to jilt
you for Colonel B~eauregard. Now Mrs.
langley and Valerie can say the girl wrote
II before she knew even that Gerald was
i'll; and Valerie would easily convince
Colonel B~eauregard of the truth of this
though on the face of it, it is a f~alsehood,
for she woul. not, in the first place, dare
to refuse you without her aunt's knowledge
or sanction; and, in the second place, why
send the letter so late at night-why not
earlier in the evening-or tomorrow"
Aston Lawford sat looking at his sister
listening to her without offering to in
terrupt. When she had finished he rose to
his feet.
IL understand it allr' he said, grimly.
''You are right. And does that girl think
she will make Max Beaurcgard believe
such a transparent falsehood?"
Such a girl as Valerie, Aston" said
Miss Lawford, truly enough, 'can make
any man her slave if she chooses. But she
is rs worthless morally as she is beautiful
~Outwardly. Tear her out of your hearth
"AyI' said Lawford, fiercely, "but | will
take care Max Beauregard knows to the
full what manner Of woman it is who in
tends to spread her net for him. He
stopped and picked up the crumpled letter.
'Beauregard shall see this" he said, and
without a word more he went out of the
room, needless TO say, banging the doc:
after him.
Mr.. Lawford waited until late the fol-
lowing day, and then he wrote to Valerie.
lie owned, he said that her refusal, after the
undoubted encouragement she had given
him, very much surprised him; but he was
willing to accept the decision rs final, since
he could not fail to see the motives VIII ich
dictated it. Certainly he would not desire
to place his happiness in the hands OF a
woman who permitted herself to be all but
engaged to one man, and on the very in
slant that another-hitherto ignored be-
cause he was comparatively poor-attained
unexpected wealth, the first lover was
ruthlessly thrown over, in the hope of gain
ing as a sutton the man who took higher
rank in the social scale in addition to his
wealth. Possibly Miss Herbert might find
that she had grasped at the shadow and
lost the substance; and for the rest, she
would have done well TO omit any pretense
of rejecting him UawfOrd) because she did
not love him, since love had no part or LOT
in the question
! With lips parched and hot, and dry, tear
less eyes, Valerie read that letter once
twice, thrice through, every word soaring
her heart as with a hot iron-not because,
L., t,,,t1, gh. 1,eorynJ ~ II,t hoco,,ua cJ.
seemed to deserve it..
1T is not chivalrous-it is not gcnerousl'
she said, within herself. MAX Beaure
gard would never have written like this tc
any woman. 1t is cruel; and yet, if | were
the wretched fOrtune-hunter Aston Law
ford must believe me, it is not more harsh
than | deserve. ! will not stoop to denial
A girl sunk so low as ! seem to have sunk
would hardly hesitate at a falsehood 10 save
her credit with her new prey. What doe!
it matterH" She rose up and flung out hel
right arm with n reckless, defiant gesture
"Let all the world think what it pleases
call me jilt, fortune-hunter, anything
Since nc must despise me-hold me shame
less, mercenary, heartless-and yet live
how should ! care n jot, though the who'll
universe cried shame upon mer'
CHAPTER XXXu.-VALERIE'S OFFERING.
Not q word of her new plans did the ju
dicious Mrs. Langley breathe to Valerie
That point-blank refusal of Mr.. Lawford'
suit had considerably startled aunt Con
stance; and she felt convinced that, in he
present mood, Valerie would breathe def
ance, and might even rush back to We
ford, or run away with Louis Charters.
Things should be left to take their owl
course; and as Max Beauregard was a PAL
~ticularly attractive man, instead Of being
like Lawford, a cumbersome addition t
his world advantages, the desired mate
might come about without any ostensibl
wire-pulling.
Nor did Mrs. Langley ask ifLawford ha,
written; and when Valerie briefly told he