Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-08-12
CHAPTER xLvi.-vALERIE's CHOICE,

"S'e ~ W
greet her.
CHAPTER xLvI.-vALERIE's CHOICE,
1t was a very keen glance Max Beaure-
gard gave Valerie, and HIS hand closed
over hers with unconscious force as he babe
her good-morning. Thought he added.
gently, whether willtully or not, still keep
ing her hand In his, "you don't look as IL
you had slept well, Fairy Queenr'
mo, 1 did potl' she answered, trying to
speak carelessly, and failing, wishing, too,
that he would drop her hand; and yet glad
that he held it; 'but a bad night now and
then does no HARM"
"Perhaps not-now and thenl'' said Beau.
regard, gravely, Then seeing the change
in her face, he added, quickly, "Torgive
me, Fairy; i suppose l ought not to have
said anything beyond the usual greeting.
My role Of surgeon Is over, your foot seems
quite well!''
He released her hand DIS he spoke, and
turned away. Valerie answered him:
Eyes, | feel as IL l could walk miles now!
and it was kind in you to say the other"
kind in me: whyf" He drew her to q
low chair, and sat down by her.
"Rather, why.notf"
"Kind to take any interest in you, Is that
iti"
The girl shrugged her shoulders, and
like a sudden flash that reckless look came
into her face. She laughed, and rose to
her feet.
"Oh! only spoke eonventionally," she
said:
Beauregard rose, too, turning deadly
white. A moment he paused; then he put
his hand on the girls shoulder, and turned
her with gentle force round to him.
"Valerle!" he said, in a low voice, "you
did not mean what you said last. Comel
your hand again, we must not be other
than good friends now, whom you are so
soon goingi You know / must always have
an interest in you, Fairy Queen, for the
sake of old times!'
His voice broke a little; he turned away
abruptly, and stepped out onto the terrace;
but Valerie moved slowly across the room,
and sat down: She felt dizSy-sufrocating;
but she would be, better presently. The
old timesl-the old happy timesl If one
could only forget-only forgetl Oh! the
curse of memory, when to remember Is but
to be stretched on the rack.
Valerie, Lady Ellnor thought at break
fast, meant to put a good face on the fail
ure with Max, for she was brilliantly gay,
and ratified nonsense; as IL she had never
had a care in her life. Had she made up
her mind, after all, her hostess wondered,
to put up with 1.-THE iron mani"
Mrs. Langley was not down TO breakfasts
but when the young people had drlfted out
onto the lawn, and someone suggested
tennis, Valerie being asked, said she could
not join.
81 shall be busy this morningt' she said.
"Amy, do you know If aunt Constance Is
up?''
"Yesl Writing letters in her dressing
ROOM"
Thanks! Then" said Valerie to her.
self, Il will go to her nowp' She paused,
and her face softened. poor aunt Con.
stance!' she addel, with a heavy sigh,
"she meant well by me, but she has made
shipwreok Of my life"
She went on to her aunt'sdressing-room,
and knocked at the door.
Come ini" cried Mrs. Langley, seated
at hor davenporti sho turned round, and
the sight of Valerie's face puzzled her.
Was the girl come to throw down the gage
of battle, or to make logged submissions
Valerie closed the door behind her, and
came forward.
Are you busy, aunt?" she asked.
"No, my dear. Do you want me?"
"Why, yes, to give you my nnswerl"
She paused, leaning against Il cabinet a
couple of yards from where her aunt sat.
Mrs. Langley looked at the girl as she
stood, her hands behind her, her head a
little thrown back. The attitude was
gracefully nonchalant, the face set like a
flint; there was a quiet consciousness of
power, which might be called calmness;
but Mrs. Langley saw and felt that the
girl was not inwardly calm. The woman
of the worll, however, betrayed no appre-
hension, rs she said, gently:
II hope, dear Valerie, you have thought
the matter over, and will answer me care.
fully"
Thought the matter over" repeated Va
lerie; 81 did not need three days for that,
not three hours, nor three minutes. Ionly
deferred answering you because | thought
it best TO wait until we should be leaving
this pace. My mind was made up before
you had done speaking the other dayl"
"Valeriel'
"Stayl aunt Constance" the girl stood
erect now, II don't want to speak migrate.
fully, or with any lack Of respect; but let
me explain myself. You have meant kind
ly by me from the beginning, but your kind.
ness was ~mistaken-Gt least for me; some
girls would appreciate it better. / am not
fitted to be a success, as you understand
success. / am a failure and a discredit TO
you, and so matters have come to a ~crisisl"
"Valeriel" cried Mrs. Langley, you are
talking willy. What do you mean?"
Il will tell you what | mean. You spoke
plainly enough to me the other day, aunt
Constance; you must let me speak plainly
to you. You wanted me to become the
wife OF Aston Lawford, because he was
rich; my heart was TO have no part in the
bargain. You encouraged him, you did all
You could to bring about a marriage; but
the instant Max Be~aure2ard became owner
of Abbot's Leigh you were ready to throw
over Lawford, and urge me TO fly at the
higher quarry. | refused Lawford because
/ did not love him. did not know even
that Gerald Beauregard was i'll, and you
when you knew | had sent the letter, re-
joiced, instead of %rebuking me. You
c.