Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-06-02

ica, WHO ~ strangely WakcIul ana rdtIef 81
lent and distruHe. For ever since the morn
ing when he had come TO carry Miss Pris-
ella to Coole, Brian has been absent from
her; not once has he come 10 her; and q
sense of chill and fear, as strong as it Is fool
ish, Is o~verpowering her.
She rouses herself now with a little ner.
vous culver that seems to run through all
h,r veins, and lets her hand fall on KITS
dropping head.
ut grows very late. Go 10 bed, darling"
she says, gently.
mot till you CO., says Kit, tightening the
clasp Of her arms.
well, that shall be In n moment, then,"
says Monica, with a stifed sigh. All through
the drag ring day and evening she has chung
to the thought that surely her lover will
come to bid her ''good-night." And now 1t
Is late, and he has not come, and
She leans against the side of the wide-open
easement, and gaZes in sad meditation upon
the slumbeiing garden underneath. The
lilies,-'tall white garden-lllies~, Though
1t is late In the season now, and bordering
OH SHOWS and frosts, are still swayingt to and
fro, and giving most generously a rich per-
fume TO the wandering air. Earth's stars
they seem TO her, as she lifts her eyes to
compare them with the 'forgetme-nots of
the angels up above.
Her first disappointment about her love is
desolating her. She leans her head against
the woodwork, and lifts her eyes 10 the
vaguely-,inted sky. Thus with face up.
turned she drinks i'm the fair beauty Of the
night, and, rs its beauty grows upon her,
her sorrow dcepens.
with how sad steps, o moon' thou climb'st
How silently, and with row wan a face,
Thou ft elst u lovers easel
i reud il in thy locks; thy lanpGi>h'd grace,
To ne, that feel the ! kc, thy state describes
As she watches the pale moon, Sidney's
sad words return to her. Just now Diana is
resting in 4 bath Of paleSt azure, whilst all
around her clouds, silyer-tinged, arc lying
out from her, trcmblin in mid-air.
Great patches of moonlight lie upon the
garden sward. One seems brighter than its
fellows, ami as her eyes slowly sink from
heaven to earth, they rest upon II, as though
attracted unconsciously by its brilliancy.
And, even as she looks, a shadow falls
athwart 1t, and then, a low, quick cry breaks
from her lips.
what is it?' says Kit, scrambling to her
knees.
'Only Brian" says Monica, with a hastily
drawn breath. A rich color has rushed into
her cheeks, her eyes are alight, her lips have
curved themselves into a happy smile.
ats all right now, then, and i can CO."
says Kit, j0yfully.
go? TO bed, you mean, darling"
"Ycs, now | know you are hdppU," says
Kit, tenderly; and then the sisters embrace,
and presently Monica is alone, but for the
shadow in the moonlight.
as 1t you, Monicap' says Brian, coming
close beneath her window, and looking up,
ward.
She leans out to him, her white gown
cleaning softly in the moons rays.
"Oh, why venture out at this hour?' she
says, neryouSly. Now he is here,-woman
like,-fears for his safety, forgotten before,
arise in all their horror. "They may have
followed you; they may"
"Come down TO the balcony" he inter
rupts her, with a light laugh. 81 want tc
talk to you. Nonsense, dear heart! | am rs
safe rs q church. Who would touch me,
with an angel like you near to protect mc%
His shadow, as he moves away, may again
be seen for an instant, before he turns the
corner of the old house; and Monica. open.
ing her door softly, runs lightly down the
corridor and the staircase, and across the
hall and the d~rawing-room floor, until
| Sllt lNuNlfCS VIC bdlNOhl btJ Ulu, NlltH Sic
finds his arms awaiting her.
"You have missed me all dayP" he SAYS
after a pause that to them has been divine.
"Oh, Brian, what q day it has been p she
clings to him. "All these past hours have
been full Of horror. Whenever | thought
of your danger last night, / seemed to grow
cold and dead with fear; and then when The
minutes slipped by, and still you never cam,
to me, | began to picture DOu as cold anC
dead, and then-Ahp' she clings still
closer to him, and her voice fails her. 81
never knew" she whispers, brokenly, show
well | loved you until so nearly lost you
l could not live without you now"
"Nor shall yOu," returns he, stralning he
to his heart with passionate tenderness
MY life Is yours, TO do what you will wit
it. And somehow all day long l knew lam
was happy in the knowledge, forgive III
that that You were lonely for want of me
but l could not com to you, my soul, unit
this very moment. Yet, believe me, l suffer
cd more than you during our long separa
tion." OF any II laughs here, 1t will prov
he has never been in love, and so is an OF
ject of pity. This should check untimel,
mirth.)
"You felt it long, too, thenP" says Monica
hopefully.
'How can you ask me that? Your darling
face was never once out of my mind, an
yet / could not come to you. had SO man
things to do, so many people to sec, and tn
poor old fellow wa SO i'll. But have we no
cause to be thankful?-at last the breach be
tween our houses is healed. and we may tel
all tl~ world of our love-"
'YoT should have heard Aunt Priscilla
how she talked Of you when she came bacI
to-day from Coole," says Monica, in q littl
feryent glow of enthusiasm. at was beau
tiful! You know she must have understood
you all along to be able to say the truth o
you so well. She said so much in your ia
vOr that she satisfied ever mo-
She says this with such agraceful ndiUett
and such an utter belief in his superiority I
the vast majority of men, that Mr.. Dcsmon,
does we'll to feel the pride that surges in hi
heart.
II really think she has fallen in love wit
you" says Miss Beresford, at the last, wit
a little gay laugh.
perhaps that Is why she refused tn
Squire" says Brian; and then he basely be
trays trust, by telling her all that tale of tn
late wooing of Miss Priscilla, and its result
which awakens in the breast of that ancieI
lady's niece a mirth as undutiful as it is pre-
longed.
And what were you doing all day"' sh
says, when 1t has somewhat subsidized.
Trying to keep my uncle-did | tell 20
he has fallen in love with your photograph
from talking himself into a brain-feyel
and was swearing hard, and
Brian"
"Only informations, darling! And
wouldn't have done that either, only ha
to. They made me. Lay the blame @
they 1t wasn't my fault, indeed. If l ha
thought for a moi:.~nt you had the slightes
objection to that sort Of"
Nonsense! dop't be silly; go on" say
Miss Beresford, austerely.
swell, then, l listened patiently to a goo
L Innl rR nnrrir,u frn.. Knll.r ~. L. ..linnA 10