Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-08-08
IN CONFIDENCE.
From the London sketch.

than rOiloWS the popping OF average
champagne corks. Friend Eustace was
up to his work at the bar. He had a
future before him-uncles in high
places, and so forth; in fact, the sun
shone upon their joint path. and yet
the clouds came.
AS a friend of both families I re-
ceived the condolences of both from
time to time.
You are an old fogy. Cousin Ar
thur" Margaret would say. Il can tell
you anything. In confidence, of course.
Strictly between you and me-"
Qualified or not for the diploma OF
old fogyism, what man ever seriously
objected to receive the condolences of
a pretty woman?
AS a matter of fact, l rather liked
the idea. Whenever she wove the fab.
ric of hint, always asked to see the
embroidery.
Eustace, on the other hand, was
hundred degrees more nervous. 1t was
seldom, Il want to know this or that"
or Il want TO tell you such -and-such
matter" He talked of himself I'm the
third person and in the conditional
mood.
IF man were willfully to rake up
something in the past, when he could
easily let it slip and live as though it
had never happened, what would you
call him?"
"A fool" said 1.
Somehow this failed TO give pleasure.
''Of course, old man, l was putting
a purely hypothetical case. This time
your Judgment strikes me as tritie
crude. No offence! You know l rate
your opinions tremendously high, as
rule
Well" l vouched. looking straight
at him, they're honest, at any rate.
to hn Fool himself
should give the same answer"
Next day came Margaret. She looked
tired, | thought.
oh. the slightest bit!" she admitted.
You know what a rush London is.
l never did pretend to be robust.
One would need to be of strong metal
to stand it,"
mo doubt, the ladies of the iron age
had the best of it,
why, you eXalt the dead above the
living!"
But / don't like to see you jaded,"
l demonstrated. That air doesn't suit
you. When l look back at your we'd
ding day-let me see, how long ago was
that? Three years this week"
Fancy your remembering!
"One always notes the critical times
in the lives of ones friends
"Critical?"
"The end of the third year is a very
dangerous stage
Margaret sighed
How about those confidences?" ]
inquired.
"Oh. Cousin Arthur If I only had
some one to lean on!"
Your father"
Father" she bit her lips and
frowned. Besides, father is really i'll.
II am sorry" said l conventionally
"Fiscalitis. A bad attack"
THAT explains everything"
Mother is worse"
well, after ALL" I ventured, light
ly, they do belong to the older gener-
of the gray hair. We're more on d
level"
It's a woman!" Margaret said, sud-
denly.
"Of course"
Don't laugh"
But one must" l explained gently
"At this stage one positively must. II
Is much too earl for tears"
Cousin Arthur, were you never in
love?"
That" said l, gravely, 'is quite an.
other story. Perhaps you shall heal
| 1t some day. In confidence, you know
Strictly between you and me-
"Oh," she said, flushing, II was
| amin love with Eustace. This trou
Dle is nol ~ dayS olu, out IL seeIlS I
lifetime"
"The signs?" l inquired.
"T should never dream OF prying
Cousin Arthur, but there are letters.
"Yes?"
Which he destroys unread"
Hopeful"
Some day feel sure he will opel
them"
Your pessimism shocks me-"
| 10 Go 4.
has received one"
DO you tax him with it?"
| ut would be degrading"
! BE careful" l said. There ar
breakers ahead"
an"
You shan't be broken" I PROMISE
gallantly. We'll see this through to
! gether'
Eustace was my next visitor. Fl
dumped himself down in one of IN
| armchairs. Soon he grew restless an
! began to pace the room.
I've seen her again." he said.
THE devil you have!"
! Il can't get her out Of my head. ]
amounts to what those literary chap
| call and obsession."
He was toying with q delicate piec
| of my cherished satsuma.
Put that down." / said land settl
yourself to talk. Have a weed an
look forward 20 years"
That sobered him.
Il suppose one must admit" he re
marked, that there T. a good deal G
the beast left in most of u.s."
yet you've a rare wife in Margaret.
I'm not brute enough to DENY /
But that's just the point. She's thou
sand times too good for me. l see tn
fact quite clearly"
Speak on"
"a turn of the head did It,"
Your head must be easily turned.
Don't ! admit that? Hang it al
| weakness is humanr'
80 I learned from DR.. Kennedy
Principal"
You don't help me out a bit"
IT was thinl-lng of Margaret"
He colored up.
We'll" he said slowly, turning p
suddenly ashen, you'll have time
think some more about her. I'm har
hit. It's the old infatuation stronge
than ever. There can only be one en-
to it. And / want you to break it {
Margaret"
/ tried to reason with the man. Br
he tossed morality to the winds.
He begged me to stand between MAJ
garet and a rough world. warne
him that / myself was not a stone, an
he only smiled.
"The runaway game is played" RI
minded him, with a ball that RI
bounds"
But, though he took my meaning,
left me utterly perplexed.
I'VE are off tomorrow night "
catch the Dover boat, but we go soutl
ward. You can make up your mind
that, unless you hear to the contrary
The odd fish. But one can't reasc
with creatures out of their element.
l was glad there was time to slet
over it. In the morning, that / mig
be prepared for emergencies, l boug
two tickets for Paris. Then / sat dow
and awaited events. The day wore O
but there was no sign that Eustace hs
changed his mind.
! / returned from my afternoon saui
ter to find Margaret herself at my fir
side. She rose to greet me.
How goes our romance?" / asked.