The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-11-21

Of trouble. and the WORT 0f me a ~
Tho old lazy raised herpelf on her
arm Gnd gaxed with 4 look of terror
have 3 done. chiid? Let me hear
the worst at oncel"
@sTis nothing ~inferposed Feggie,
putting her arm round her cousin, and
drawing her gently but forcibly away.
she is excited and oYerwrought, aad
methinks she has quarreied with Sir
Us that allrv e3aculatcd Lady
D~rumloch, sinking back with q laugh
that ended In q grOan OF PAIN "Til
|forGive that easily enough; he is no,
choice OF mine. and now Prudence Isl
back at court. It's odd II she can not
GO better than marry q bankrupt
Better or worse" cried Prue pas
sionately, It'll never marry him; I'd
rather marry ga highwayman."
Peggie CAV her arm a vicious pinch,
but the comparison was * riionstrousr
~ improbable that Lady Drnfnloch
did not ldeign tottake any notice OF 1t.
You were very much in love with
Sir Geoffrey Q week ago. she remark
ed ansterely. 'but your fckleness ap-
pears to have no limit"
Dear grandmotherlp exclaimed
Prue. recovering her self control, @'tis
not hckleness but sjmply the result BE-
sound reasoning. love certain quail
tiles. and while II believed Sir &
rey possessed them. 4 loved hir4 for
their sake. 1 am still faithful to the
thing ! love; but. unfortunately, Sir
Geofrey has It not. at least, not enough
Of It for me- But let us not despair;
the Duchess OF Marlborough is deter
mined to marry me or and has been
g~raciousiy pleased To- select n husband
for me-"
Indeed, and who MAY ne be?-
* know not; his name is still q se-
cret. | have, indeed, a suspicion that
II may be Lord ~Beachcombe's new
born heir, for she remarked that by the
time her choice was ready FOR pre-
s~entation TO me, / might perhaps Ne
settled down. and sobered suficientIy
TO make q tolerable wife-of~sortsts
Peggte, watching her cousin closely,
came 20 the conclusion that she was
talking nonsense to keep herself from
thinking, and at the first opportunity,
|coaxed her out OF the room and away
from the danger OF betraying herself to
Lady Drnmloch. whose keen wits and
close observation were the more to be
dreaded, the less she dispIayed them.
AS q result Of the report OF Prue's
return 70 court, and her f1attering well
come there, the shabby little drawing
rooms Of her grandmother,s house were
IAAAAAA ~ WI AAGALU dKaf
by those who hastened to offer con-
gratulations and make excuses for neey
Ilect that h was too thorough a
woman OF the world to resent. The
throng or courtiers found her, indeed.
most accessible she had q Jest and q
compliment nd g ffiendly word for
everyone. Arch glanced and e1chant-
ing smiles fell alike on friend and zoe:
perhaps more especially on the latter.
as Prue. ~foreonce, ATTEMPTED to follow
her graHdmother's instructions and De
Long AFTER midnight. the tired girls
performed the last sweeping courtesies
to their parting guests, and leaving
y yowning James to exfinguish the
lights crawled WeariIy Up the long.
narrow stairway to their attic he'd
rooms. Peggie, buretiDg with long
suppressed curiosity, offered her SER
VICES to- unlace her cousin from the
slim prison OF whalebone and buck
ram In which her slender form had
been encased for so many hours. and
|unpin h luxuriant cErls and pufea
from3the cushion upon which the hair
dresser had disposed them early fngfhe
morning. Pruea sighed with relief as
Pesgie, regardless Of her own fatigue.
removed the monstrously high heeled
shoes and flmy silken hose, and
rubbed her cramped feet until they
ceased to tingle and smart With the
restored circulation, but vowed she
was too tired to- talk, and, moreover.
q nothing to tell but what Peggie
already knew.
What said Robin, when we LEFT Won
alone?" Peggie whispered. "Did i keen
Sir Geoffrey long enough finding me q
Echair2 I sent three away before i
could be satisfied that the chair was
clean and the chairman sober
Long enough for ali we had to ay."
said Prue pettishly, DO you sup
of eternal fidelity, p or arranelne
for u next mcetingg Then. pathets
lcally, II you were as tired as i am.
Peggie, you would rather be IA bed
than. gosstping, and tomorrow we are
going TO Lady IdmerickH drum. ard fhe
play afterward, and want to look our
prettiest; 50 kiss me, dear coz. n get
thee to bed
Nor was she more communicative the
next day. From early morning. the
house was besieged by q profession Sc
apologize tradesfolk, eager to explain
away their threatening letters and dun
ming messages and placing themselves
and their wares e the disposal OF the
reinstated ~favorite. No talk now az
the fleet n the sponging house-no
more wrtts and suits--nothing but
dapper tailors and coquettish mi1lineris
assistants. suave jewelers. and myste-
rtoug, ill-shaven Foreigners with dirty
parcels from which they extracted. nm
der VOWS OF secrecy, laces from France
or Flanders, or embroidertes from the
distant Indies, such al might have
tempted the most austere OF Ewes
daughters 10 break at least one OF the
10 commandments.
N@NA " a