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

moro at n time. True friends are scarce.
you knowi Sit down-there's no hurryl"
Dallas seated himself, n Beauregard
resumed his place at the table.
"And how is Lady Elinorf" asked Dallas.
"Tolerably we'll" He knew that Lady
Elinss's grief was not deep-seated; but he
would not have said this even TO Hal Dali
las. "She is still at Abbot's Leigh, and rs
soon as / can leave England / am going to
take her abroad for two or three months"
"That will do her good,' - said Dallas. II
called In Upper Brook Street yesterday, by
Che way, and Mrs. Langley told me that
she and Miss Herbert are going abroad,
most likely until October or early In No
vember."
For so longP" said Beauregard, with a
touch Of surprise in his tone.
"Only three or four months" replied
Dallas. 'They don't leave until next
week"
81 didn't mean that, HAL" returned the
other, moving a little so as to cast his face
In shadow; "but the Lawford affair"
1.-THE Lawford AFFAIR." repeated Dallas,
staring; haven't you heard, thenf"
Heard whatt" said Beauregard, quick
ly; then checked himself abruptly, and
added:
II have been two days in town and have
seen no one except on business. What is
there to knowf"
Why" said Hal, looking down and
changing color n little, "that's all off.
Everyone in town knows it,"
For a minute there was n mist before Beau
regards eyes. The hideous thought those
words Of Halls conjured IL pcould not crush
tha 1nos a. ..aIa hso
heart throb so wildly. However freedom
had come about-whatever the motive that
had made Valerie snap the meshes that
surrounded her-still she was free. She
was not his, but she was no other mans.
But after hat minute Beauregard had
mastered himself, and said, quietly:
at was Valerie who broke off the match,
Of course? WhenY"
"Well, one doesn't like to believe such
things of any woman, Beau, especially
such n bewitching creature as Miss Her
bert; but don't know; it looks awfully
black. Look here-you won't mind my
s%aying-in fact, it's what a good many are
saying, naturally enough"
go on" said Beauregard, a little husk-
ily."
Its this, then" said Dallas, reluctant
ly, out bravery; ne was beginning 10 lear
greatly what he had once or twice suspect
ed, that Max Beauregard's interest in Va
lerie was deeper than was consistent with
his own happiness. "Ill tell you the
facts. and you must draw your own con
clusions."
stay" said the soldier. "Who told you
the facts?"
Aston Lawford himself. The day your
brother was taken i'll Lawford wrote to
Miss Herbert asking her TO be his wife.
She had the letter in the afternoon. Mrs.
Langley, who had been lunching and din.
ing with some friends, called at the Law,
ford's in the evening rather late, and they
told her-she Ind not known it before
about Gerald's illness. She left them and
went straight home. About half-past ter
after Mrs. Langley could nave reached
home-a letter came to Lawford from Miss
Herbert, decidedly declining his offer. II,
had hardly read the letter when he hat
from the head butler here the news o
Gerald's death, which, the writer said, hat
arrived an hour previously, and which Mrs
Langley and Miss Herbert must have
known before that refusal was written, Of
at any rate sent; and Miss Herbert woulC
surely not have written and despatched
such q letter on her own responsibility"
Continued Next Week.) =