Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-01-20
"She looks verv untidv.n savs ,Tor,co

odds and beat him; / don't believe myself
there is so much as one comma In her COM
position"
'.Poor girl! What an exerton it must be
to her."
Mustn't it? Especially nowadays, when
one neUer goes for much, real hard work of
any kind being such a bore. That's her
mother beside her. She is always beside
her. Fat little woman, dye see?'
"Yes. A nice motherly-looking little wo-
man, she seems to be-"
Horribly motherly! She has birthday
for every month in the yearr'
"HowT says Monica, opening her eyes.
II don't so much alludc to her own natal
day (Which by this time should say is OBJ
scure) as to her children's. They came to
her at all seasons, from January TO Decem-
ber. There are fourteen of them"
"Oh, IL can't be possible! Poor, moor
souly' says Monica, feeling quite depressed
"She isn't poor; she is very well of, saws
Mr.. Kelly, obtusely. much better than she
deserves. So don't grieve for her. She
! glories in her crime. Well, it's "A poor heart
that never rejoices' you know; so | suppose
she is right. There's Miss Fitzgerald; do
| you admire her?"
II am sure ! ought says Monica simply;
'but don't"
"You have the courage of your opinions.
| Every one down here admlres her tremend.
ously. / agree with you, you know, but
then" softly, II am nobodyv
Perhaps you think l am jealous" says
Monica. "But indeed am not"
what baby you arer says Mr. Kelly.
"Wh0 could suppose you jealous OF Bella
| FitzgeTaldP Two stars keep not their mo.
ton in one sphere and l shouldn't think
the fair Bella would have much motion il
put in comparison with you. She always
calls a spade spade etc. In fact, she is
material"
That means, she has common sense. Why
call her 'materialp"
"Never mind. IL is quite imn,dtertdl," !"
says Mr.. Kelly, TRANQUILITY, after which 81.
lence reigns triumphantly for a moment or
two, until new figure presents itself Oh the
small platform below them.
"Ah! there is Desmond" says Kelly. "IIe
looks" innocently, las if he was looking
for somebody"
II hope he will find her." remarks Miss
Beresford, with some acerbity and most
unnecessary amount of color.
Perhaps he Is looking for me-" says Mr..
Kelly, naively.
Perhaps So" dryly.
~
1t seems difficult of discovery Did you ever
see so woe-begone countenance as his?"
IL think he looks quite happy enough"
says Monica, without sympathy.
Kelly lets his languid gaze rest on her for
q moment.
'What has Desmond done to you?" he
says, at last, slowly.
'Done?' haughtily. Nothing. What
could he dO?'
Nothing, Suppose-as you say. By the
bye, have not seen you dancing with him
this afternoon"
NO"
"How is that?rW
'How is what?'
II thought that day at Aghyohilbeg that
you and Desmond were great friends"
Friends! when we have only seen each
other two or three times. Is friendship the
growth of an hour?"
mo. But something else is." He looks
at her almost cheerfully as he SAYS this.
"But neither you nor |, Miss Beresford,
have anything to do with that fimsy pas
sion"
you mean"
"Lovew
as there such thing?" says Monica,
wistfully, whcreupon Mr.. Kelly says to him
self, Now, what on earth has that fellow
been doing to her?' but aloud he says, in
his usual subdued tones
IL don't know, I'm sure, but they say so,
and perhaps they whoever they may be, are
right If so, | think it is dangerous sub
iect to discuss with yOu. LIT us skip it, and
go on. You haven't told me why you are
not dancing with Desmond"
Why Sid Idance with Mr.. Desmond?'
MI a no hnxF
refusal ready, perhaps, Or lie has ask
ed you?'
She would have given good deal at this
instant 10 be able to answer mo-" but the
remembrance of how he pleaded WITH her
for one waltz that evening at the end of the
Moyne meadow comes between her and her
desr1. So she says, YES" instead.
"And you would none of him?"
"NO"
ut isn't my part to ask why" says Kelly,
with quite a miserable air; 'but still / can
not help wondering how any yOne can dislike
Desmond"
No answer. Miss Beresford, is looking
straight before her, but her color is distinct
ly higher, and there is determination about
her not to be cajoed into speech, that is UNI
mistakable. Having studied her fora little,
Mr. Kelly goes on:
VI never know whether IL is Desmond's
expression or manner, that Is so charming,
therefore | conclude It Is both. Have YOU
noticed whata n peculiarly lovable way he
has with him? But Of course not as, some
how, he has the misfortune to jar upon you.
Yet very few hate HIM. You see, you are
that excellent thing, an exception"
IL do not hate him." says Monica; and,
having thus unlocked her lips against her
inclination, she feels Owen Kelly-of Kelly's
Grove has won the game; but she bears him
nc i'll will for all that. 1T is the cause, it
Is the cause, my soul!'
AS she says this, she becomes aware that
Desmond himself has come to the foot of
the stairs and is gazing at her reproachfuly.
''IIcre is tickle Fortunes favorite literally
at our feet" says Owen Kelly; and, before
Monica can say anything, Brian has mount
ed the two steps that lie between him and
her, and is at her side.
''If may not dance with YOU may | at
least talk to you for moment or two?' he
says, hurriedly, as Owen slips away
Certainly" with cold surprise.
"What have / done?' asks Desmond, abb
ruptly, turning to Monica, who is gazing in
rapt fashion at her large black fan"
"Done%'
Don't answer me like that, Monica. /
have offended you. l can see that. But
how? Every moment of this wretched after
noon, until you came, spent wondering
when you would arrive. And yet when at
last | did see you, you would vouchsafe me
neither smile nor glance. In fact, you
looked as if you hated mev'
Every moments" sardonically.
''Every one"
"Even those spent with Mrs. Bohun%' To
save her life she could not call her "Olga"
now.
with her" staring in some surprise at
his lnquisitor. "Well, it certainly wasn't
quite so bad-the waiting, l mean-then.
Though still, with my mind full of you l
was"