Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-07-14
CHAPTER X.

ing AT her n then rounu the room
as if 10 make sure that he had not
strayed into the wrong apartment.
"Your're home rather early today,
amt You? What's the matter?'
asked the young woman, merely
glancing at him as she bit off a
thread.
Thanks for your interest in my
movements" he replied stifhy, "but |
am not aware that L have any more
business elsewhere than here"
She suspended work for a moment
TO stare at him, and then, seeming to
have suddenly found n very amusing
idea, laughed heartily, causing Ches-
ter to redden with embarrassment,
for he did not at all like being
laughed at by a pretty girl. And she
was pretty, undoubtedly, whoever she
was. If a delicate pink and white
complexion, blue eyes, regular fea-
lures and flossy golden hair fluffed
out into a cloud of bewildering curls
for a bang" and ripping in charm
ing disorder over a snowy neck an
not make a girl at least pretty in n
young mans eyes, there must be
something radically wrong about the
young man.
Don't get huffy," she said merrily,
"l'm not laughing at you. j forgot
for n moment hat we were strangers
on your side. You probably neyer~ saw
me before, and ! suppose you are sur
prised TO see me in here, but I've seen
you lots OF times over the banisters,
going out or coming in, and / know
your friend, so that's how it seemed
at first as if / was acquainted with
you, too"
II was not aware" replied Chester,
frigidly bowling, that i had had.the
honor of meeting you before"
mo, you hadn't, except once in the
halt and then my veil was down, so
you couldn't have seen me to know
me. But | live here"
"Here?'
"In the house. I've got a little
room in the attic, up three flights.
It's colder than Greenland up there.
j make fancy neckties, you see. Most
Of the work / do on the sewing ma
chine, and / don't mind the cold when
I'm running the machine, but there's
good deal of finishing off to do with
the needle, and that's the time Jack
Frost gets his work in, especially if
Ollt IL liOt lIoill running NHC llNAhtti
That first cold snap of the. winter |
caught a cold up there hat thought
would kill me. Mr.. Latham heard Inc
coughing and asked the landlady
about me, and when she told him how
| was fixed he said I might come in
here and sew whenever / liked in
daytime, while he was away, because
his room is always so nice and warm
/ think he's awful kind, don't you?"
eyes, indeed / do answered tho
young mar heartily, and then hC
added in a bantering tone, "but !
should hardly think he would have
the heart to restrict you to the time
of his absence"
"Why SOP"
"You make such a charming domes
tic picture that your presence quite
converts a bachelors den into a home
and with such a tempting compan
Jon
mo nonsense, now, young man. U.s.
your iawbone with caution. Mer
have been killed with that sort. o
weapon"
"Oh, not this sort Of j~aAvbone."
"Maybe. / can't be sure until
know you better"
THAT no time may be lost in you.
doing so, and with a basis of conyen
~tionality for the acquaintance, per
NIT me to introduce myself as'-
Chester Sewall. Yes, l know.
asked Mr.. Latham and he told me. NJ
name is Lottie Belden."
The young man made q bow of eX
agerated formality before her. Sh,
looked quizzicaly at him for a mo
ment, with her little golden hea'
cooked on one side like a contempla
tive bird, then springing up, executed
a deep, old fashioned minuet courtes,
and bounded back to her seat laugh
ing.
How strangely this light-heartc'
girls presence had dissipated tn
shadows about him! Though an EN-
tire stranger to him and one i'm who's
personality he had not the slightes
concern, the infectious merriment O
her frank, happy nature had mad
him smile, and eve laugh, when fiv
minutes before meeting her he coul
have cried had he not felt it unmanl
to do SO.
.'What have you there on you
arm?" she demanded.
"A cont.
"What are you going to do wit
it?"
"Sew on some new buttons" X
Sew? You can sew?"
"Yes. In a sew-sew fashion"
Come. Let me see you do it.
never saw a man except a tailor
whose business it was, and he doesn'
count"
"Oh, yes. as a fraction"
He sat down before n stand an
spread his tools and materials out bt
fore him for the work.
Mercy, what a ropen" eXclaime
Lottie at sight of the thread.
"Well, isn't that right? | wantc
something that would not break tn
first time it was pulled"
"And what are those things yo
have there?" she asked in a sarcasti
affectation of surprise.
why, needles, of course
"Oh, needles. TO knit with or t
sew?"
"To sew on my buttons. l wante
things I could get hold of"
"Oh, pshawi Give that coat her
and I'll sew those buttons on Will
you would be poking that rop
through one of those crowbars. 70
men are all alike-awfully helples
creatures"
"You don't imagine l will troubl
you with my mending do your"
THAT'S nothing. / often fix thing
for Mr.. Latham when his wash come
home without his knowing anythin
about it. Why shouldn't neighbor