The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-10-15
WHISPERING WOMEN.
nY %GERvRUnn wAnpEN.

ny GERTRUDE WARDEN.
In the ladies' narler of the Westbraol
Family hotel, Brighton, a hevy of women
all of them extensively dressed, and none Q
them young, sat discussing a family of new
arrivals.
Its Col. Temperley, not captain-th'
white-haired man with the red face" Mis-
jackson declared. 81 have looked him W
in the army list"
His wife is rather a communicating
person" observed Miss Kingston. "Eller
told me she sent down for hot brandy anc
water as soon Gs she arrived"
THAT is not q crime" put in Mrs. Park
er, with decision, "But I don't much car,
for the appearance of the son and daughter
He looks a milksop, and the girl is too shewJ
for my taste! Besides, I must own to {
prejudice against red hair"
II shouldn't have called her hair red;'
! Mrs. Patterson ventured to suggest. my
husband. eaid it was a lovely shade of au
burn. But, then, Mr.. Patterson easily gets
enthusiastic over a pretty girl"
The door of the parlor opened at thai
moment and the subject OF her remarl
entered.
Caudia Temperlcy was just 10, of me
dunn height, and beautifully developed fig.
ure, milk-white skin, exquisitely formed
hands and feet and a face SO full OF charm
that the slight Irregularities of feature were
forgotten tby a man) in an impression OF
youth and health and feminine charm, OF
red-orown eyes, white teeth and cleaning
auburn hair. She took an illustrated pa.
per from the table and seated herself in a
remote corner, concealing her face behind
its pages.
Look at her shoes whispered Mrs.
Kingston. Heels an inch high. and so ridi.
culously small. How her feet must ache!'
"Open-work black silk stockings, in this
weather. exclaimed Mrs. Parker.
Claudia yawned behind her paper. Pres
emily The door opened a few inches, and a
slight, pale, very fair young r.al II even
ing dress peeped in. Claudia threw down
the paper and ran into the corridor to him.
TITS her brother!" Kissed the chorus of
Eve. But it was not her brother. Claudia
Temperley was an orphan, who, with her
fortune of EOS, 600, had been for two years
in the care OF her uncle, a retired colonel,
and his wife, and the fair, washed-out look
Ing young man was her cousin Trevor, two
years her senior, to whom his parents
wished to marry Claudia.
= 1SrS w q w SSos AASNo3 Alo
cousin began, lis just this. While we're in
this hotel I am going to be quite nice to
you. But it won't mean anything. It's only
part OF my plan to get free"
81 wish you wouldn't tell me these
things" he said, irritably. 81 can't see why
you should make such a fuss about marry
ing me. You'll lose your money if you,
marry without poper's consent under 81,
and he won't consent to your marrying any
body but me-"
Footsteps along the corridor disturbed
them at this point, %heralding the approach
of a very tall and powerfully-built young
man with a handsome face, curly dark hair,
and a dark mustache, who stared very hard
at Claudia as he passed her in his heavy
travelling coat, followed by a porter with his
rugs and pertmanteau.
Later on, in the diningroom, however,
this last visitor, who gave his name as
Dudley Bingham, hardly glanced at Claudia.
He made the acquaintance of the colonel
and Of Trevor, and succeeded in winning
the confidence of the irritable, domineerin9
father and the cfe1ninate, affected son, but
did not show the least wish to be intro
duced to Claudia.
Pretty son I've got, haven't II" the
colonel said to his new friend after three
days acquaintance. Cant dc anything for
his living, so he's got to marry his cousin,
1t she can be induced to nave him!"
The lady who sits next to you at table?'
Mr.. Bingham suggested. indifferently.
Some day you must introduce me-"
u never introduce young men to my
niece" snapped out the colonel, until I
know ell about them. She's in my csre,
and / am afraid Of fortune hunters"
"You need have no fear in my CASE OBJ
served Dudley Bingham. "For I an mar
ried. Apart from that fact, though, / have
not the least wish to know the young lady"
To Mrs. Temperley, a fabby, sentimental,
dyspeptic lady, who wershiped her son and
nagged at her husband, this handsome and
fascinating young man was more ex-
plicit.
ct was a loye match" he admitted, "and
we are keeping 1t secret. I was bicycling
in Worcestershire this autumn, and 1 ran
into q lady who was turning a corner at
scorching speed without ringing her bell.
Her machine vas smashed and she tainted.
carried her to a cottage, and afterward got
q conveyance and drove her home. She was
staying with some people I knew, and I
called every day to see how she got On. The
last day of her visit we were secretly mar
Red
"And where is she now?" asked the old
lady, much interested.
with her relatives. She Is afraid to tell
them the truth. But very soon I hope to
SECURE an appointment which viii make us
independent Of them"
Mrs. Tempsrley deeply sympathized, and.
later n having been admitted to the COS.
nfuinr c1inl1a IN tba dro unr.ron-n nhn4.1l