Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-02-11

,olA. Stems clustered with wh1bt
grapes.
wasthat stsphefAhcl npsephey, steph.
enl That great, broad-chested. tuddy.,
checked, jolly-looking country gentleman
In q straw hat and gray morning coat,
With d dainty little bouquet Of moss-rose.
buds ia the t0B b~uttonhoist And carry.
ing O baby?
Nothing less. A great, fat, tsspidsom1ss,
lively baby OF some eight or nine month";
old, who held an enormous amber goose
berry squeezed In one little pink, fat. dim.
pied hand, and with the other retained q
firm and unceremonious clutch of Captain
T~tedenniek,s feektfsi
And by his side; leanihg on his other
arm, walked a lady--a pale; faif; delicate.
looking little woman. dressed I'M Il sifilpie
graceful dress of pearly gray, with rich
claret velvet ribbons I'M lfer hair and
around her throat, these with q thick silk
sash OF the same hue .knotted at her waist
and hanging its heavy rich fringes down
far over her dress, brought out the deli.
cacy of its clear pale hue and the fragile
purity of her own complexion in q manner
that caught Madam Viyian's artistic eye
and charmed it on tile Instant,
That pale little womai walking rather
feebly by his side, the fat, handsome;
troublesome baby, and the joliy-looking
eotintry gentleman-who were theyf Utter
blank aniasement rooted Madam Vivian
To the grotiud.
"&unt viviani My dear aunt-my dear
6u,ntl' Stephen Tredennick cried. rushing
forward, holding the baby tightly yet,
even while he embraced and kissed the old
lady; whereby the young person III the
white embroidered frock was brought into
remarkable contiguity to Madam Vivian's
bonnet.
"Aunt, dear" he said In the next breath.
holding aunt and baby squeezed In one
arm, and allowing Madam not an instant's
opportunity for the tender, severely-re.
proachful, gracious, forgiving little speech
she had been preparing all the way from
Observation-Disclosures even seeming to re.
collect the necessity for IL In his flush OF
pleasure and gratifcation="Aunt, dear
look here!'' aud he put his other arm
around the little woman In the pearly-
gray poplin dress. Aunt, look ut my
Winniel As well as ever nearly, THANK
Heaven. She can walk about the groundt
rs we'll rs ! can new! Isn't IL wondcrful"
Winnie Tredennick remembered the
need for the forgiving speech II her hus-
band did not. The old shy color flooded
her face, and her lips trembled as Madam
remembered to have seen years ago when
giving her one Of her lengthy rebukes.
"Dear Madam" she faltered, timidly
putting out her hand, II am glad--so glad
to see you again"
"And ~ said Madam, gracefully meet
t,,. Al, na.Ys.. I..-l .,a SIn, hall xxva
"am glad to see that you, my dear, have
been 50 m%ercifully restored"
Madam meant that Winnie should have
the benefit Of that neat little reproachful-
ly-kind speech, and was proceeding to say
that "the pleasure Of knowing that you
have recovered your health, Mrs. Tredep-
nick, Is gratifying enough TO cause me to
feel less keenlS the memory of the past"
when, fortunately, or unfortunately, the
floating white ostrich feather, curling
gracefully on the top Of Madam Vivian's
black lace bonnet, caught the quick,
bright violet-gray eyes Of the young per.
son in the embroidered frock, and In m
instant both the satiny dimpled hands,
dropping the crushed ripe gooseberry,
clutched at the white feather ia rampant
glce.
ooh. dear me-the childp' Madam ex-
claimed, involuntarily.
'My daughter, amt" said Stephen
Tredennick. putting the fat, handsome,
troublesome baby right into the old lady's
arms. Isn't she q b%eauty-a regular
young TEedennickp Hasn't she got the
Tredennick eyes, aunt, and the Tredennick
nose? She's an imperious young daniel
And my wordi hasn't she got the Treden.
nick temperP She has got Winnie's mouth,
though he added, more softly-"a gentle
persuasive little mouth-and Winnie's hair
see what thick, curly brown hair she
has, and she is no nine months old"
"Only eight months and three weeks,
dear" put in the mothers gentle, per.
suasive little mouth" with accurate ma
ternal knowledge. Dear Madam, isn't
she very like Stephen"
Very" said Madam, holding the trou.
blesome baby in a closer clasp.
\ kind of thrill ran through her-a mo-
mentary feeling of displeasure md resist
ance at the sound of the wifely familiar
words which seemed to draw Stephen and
Stephens child so tenderly close To her
who had been Winnie Caerlyon rs to shut
out her who was but Madam Vivian, his
aunt, into the outer circle of mere rela
tionship.
II was but momentary. In the tender
light of Winnie Tredennick's wistful low.
ing eyes, in tie radiance of stephen Tired
ennick's welded happiness, In the touch
of the baby-arms Of the little one on her
bosom, who seemed like n sons child, q
grandch i'd TO the lonely old white-haired
woman the last remnant of GOODNESS, jeal
ousy, and unworthy pride faded quite out
Of her heart.
1--WE called her after you, Madam
Winnie added, softly.
The old lady looked earnestly and in
quisitively at her fol- q moment, and then
she gave her the ~reconciled kiss she haG
meant to delay for SO much longer.
Did you, my dear?" she said, putting
the baby into her arms. There, Heller
Tredennick, you shall make peace be
tween your mother and your grand-auni
foreverp'
THE END.
A MiIIiOnaire,s IIuuauaI ChaCk.