Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-04-23
CHAPTER XVI.
THE UNEXPECTED.

IIlI SANIN<NA ~ III
AS one who pauses at the threshold
of some tabled palace of the houri, so
did l stop, bewildered by the beauty
of this virgin field of love, by fancy
decked with blossoms, now spreading
all the allurements of fetterless imag-
inings before me. a sudden Whit
brought me the perfume of her pres
ence, and, turning, she appeared before
me, whether in the spirit or the flesh, 1
could hardly tell, so transported was I
by the swift changes of my thought,
merging beauties ever new, ever spark
ling, with those ear tasted ones but
just discarded. Yet there she was, a
dainty thing in white. White of dress,
white of face, white of spirit.
In frightened tones OF far-away
sweetness, her voice mingled with the
air, 80 low, so melodious one could
scarce determine when she commenced
to speak.
Monsieur, quick, listen. You are in
danger. l was in Madame de Char
trains chamber and overheard. You
have letters. M. de Greville will take
them from you-for her sake-they
compromise her. There is other dan
GER" she spoke b~reathlessly on, "other
more deadly danger lurking for you
here: l beseech you to leave-at once.
NJ. de Greville will take those letters
from you by force or guile. oh, tarry
not, there has been so much Of blood,
and this place so seeming fair; the
assassin, the poison and prison houses"
The ~eloquence Of fear trembled in
her words. Half starting forward 1
drank in every syllable, not for the
warning she would fain convey, but
for their sweetness. All I could realize
for the moment was hat she had
sought me, sought me freely. Then
she was zone. Swiftly, noiselessly as
she came, she disappeared. The dis
tant flutter Of her skirts among the
sombre trees marked the path she went.
Through 1t all 1 spoke no word, re-
turning, as one who has received an
angels visit, to my reverie.
l was not suffered long to spend my
time alone. The old beau, de Virelle,
in his bluff n hearty way directed the
attention of a party of ladies who were
with him to where I hung over a mar
Bile balustrade enraptured at the broad
expanse of valley, rosy tinted with the
hues of ebbing light, boundless as the
dim horizon of my w sweet dreams.
by my faith, captain, you should
have heard the clamor over your de-
parture. Already famous. and so soon
weary of your laurels. All! n tryst,"
he exclaimed. Verify you do better
than / thought" for he had picked up
a muslin handkerchief, edged with
lace, which sought in vain to hide itself
among the leaves. SO busted had /
been 1t escaped my notice. Instructive
ly / reclaimed the prize and with no
gentle hand / doubt, for his touch and
jeering manner desecrated the sacred
relic Of my vanished saint.
De Virelle scowled somewhat at my
precipitation, but, meeting a no less
determined air, passed the matter by.
His ladies affected not to see. They in
turn piled me with inquiries about the
savages in America, asked all manner
of silly questions, and completed with
their foolish simperings the disgust l
already felt at such an interruption to
my thought. Yet so great is the force
Of novelty to women they chung about
me as If l were some strange tame ami
NAL brought to Paris for their diver
tisement.
POUNDS, Margot DEAR" de Virelle
blurted out aside, for even his dull
senses saw I was not pleased, "our
good Moliere must have had this her
NIT captain in his mind when he made
Alceste to rail so at The hypocrisies Of
the world, and urge the telling Of truth
and looking Of truth at all times"
How brutally frank! What bad
breeding" assented that young woman.
This captain seems so full of weari-
ness at u coming, and lacks the grace
to veil II ~decently; let us CO."
Finding no hand OF mine raised to
hinder them, these fair danes and
demoiselles. with many pretty pouts
and f1utters and flounces, betook them
selves away, followed by their faithful
squire.
l began then to feel sorry at having
disgraced Jerome's gentle teachings.
The light dytpg away across the distant
fields and streams, ] resigned my soil
tary communion and set out slowly