Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-12-22
CHAPTER III.


When Grant returned to his hotel
tn ere was an augmented respect in the
voice OF the clerk as he handed him a
note with the remark that 1t had been
left by Senator Boompointer's COACH
man. He had no difficulty in recognize
ing Susy's peculiarly Brobdingnagia n
schoolgirl hand.
"Kla'uns. / call II real mean! i be-
lieve you just hoped 1 wouldn't know
you II you're n bit like your old self
you'll come right off here this very
night! I've got a big party on-but
we can talk somewhere between the
acts! Haven't l growed! Tell me!
And my! what a gloomy swell the
young brigadier is! The carriage will
come for you-so you ave no excuse"
The effect of this simple note upon
Brapt was strangely out of proportion
to its triviality. But then it was
Susy's very trivlality-so expressive of
her characteristic irrespon sibility-
that had always affected him at such
moments. Again, as at Robes, he felt
1t react against his own ethics. Was
she not right in her delightful nate
rialism? Was she not happier han II
she had been consistently true TO Mrs,
Peyton, to the V to the episode
of her theatrical career, to Jim Hok-
er-even to himself? And did he con-
scientiously believe that Hooker or
himself had suffered for her inconsist-
ency? No. From all that he had heard
she was n suitable helpmeet to the
senator, i'm her social attractiveness,
her charming ostentations, her engag-
ing vanity that disarmed suspicion,
and her lack Of responsibility even in
her ~partisanship. Nobody even dared
to hold the senator responsible for her
promises, even while enjoying the fell
lowship OF both, n ii is said that the
worthy man ~sinBularly pro1ited by Ii.
Looking upon 1t merely as a phase Of
Washington society, Brant resolved to
go.
The neon was high as the carriage
whirled him out of the still sitting
towards the soldiers home-a
sylvan suburb f~requented by cabinet
ministers and the president-where the
good nate had "decreed" like Kub-
la Khan. "a stately pleasure dome" to
entertain his friends and ~partisans. AS
they approached the house the trem-
bling light, ike ~fireflies through the
leaves, the warm silence broken only
by a military band playing a drowsy
waltz on the vcranda, and the heavy
odors Of jessamine In the air, thrilled
Brant with n sense of shame as he
thought Of his old comrades In the
field. But this was presently dissipat-
., ed by the uniforms that met him in the
hall, with the presence of some of his
> distinguished superiors. At the head
OF the stairs, with q CirCling back
? ground of the shining crosses n rib
bons of the diplomatic corps, stood
!. Susy-her bare arms n neck glitter
? ing with diamonds, her face radiant
with childlike vivacity. A significant
pressure OF her little glove as he made
!, his bow seemed to be his only welcome
but q m later she caught his
/. arm. You've yet to know him." she
said, in a half whisper; "he thinks @
/, good deal of himself-just like Jim
: But he makes others believe it, anC
, that's where poor Jim slipped up" Sh'
/, paused before the man thus character
, istically disposed OF and presented
. Brant. 1t was the man he had seer
. before-material, capable, dogmatic. 4
: glance from his shrewd ~eyes-accus
toned to the weighing OF mems weak
: nesses and ambitions, II n few hur
+, ried phrases apparently satisfied hin
y hat Brant was not at the moment i'm
portant or available, and the two me
y, a moment later drifted easily apart
= Brant sauntered listlessly through tn
9 crowded rooms, half remorsefully con
9 scious tina he had taken some irrevo
8 cable step, and none the less assure'
by the presence of two or three re
porters and correspondents who wer
logging his steps or the glances O
two or three pretty women whose curl
4 osity had evidently been aroused b,
the singular abstraction OF this hand
some, distinguished, but ardonic-loo
ing officer. But the next moment II
; was singularly interested.
4 A tall young woman had just move
into the center Of the room with an In
q dolent yet simple gracefulness tina
seemed familiar to him. A change |
. her position suddenly revealed he
a face. 1t was Miss Faulkner. Previous
e ~ he had only known her in the ridin
habit of confederate gray which sh
a had at first affected, or in the ligf
morning muslin dress she a worn 9
% Gray Oaks. 1t seemed to him tonigf
that the careless elegance of her fu
a dress became her still more; that til
"a pretty willfulness Of her chin an
u shoulders was chastcned and modife
by the pearls round her fair throa
"a Suddenly their Eyes met; her fac
paled visibly; he fancied that she a
most feared against her companion f.
IN support; then she met his glance agai
n with a face into which the color ha
"a as suddenly rushed, hut with eyes Thu
a seemed to be appealing to him, ven
4 the point Of pain and fright. Brai
&c was rot conceited; he could see tn
A. the girls agitation was not the efte
NJ Of any mere personal influence in h
= recognize n, but OF something else. I
so turned hastily away; when he locke
Ie around again she was gone.
A. Continued Next Week.)