Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-31

My dear mother, i would do so
willingly. but have already promised
promised so faithfully that shall not
break my word.-
What was it. misgiving. dread, that
looked at him out of Nine. Farrington's
eyes? She seemed for a moment as II
she would urge her entreaty, bat sighed
and turned away without another word.
Plenty of light. plenty of color, in
Madame Florine's handsome rooms.
Madame herself was petite, and blonde
of the blondest type; great turquoise
blue eyes looked at you out of the be-
rouged and enameled face, an abundant
roll of the softest faxen hair crowned
the small head. She wore black satin.
bow of the same in the mass of pal0
hair, and she looked at least ten years
younger than her actual age. "a
WORKOUT actress" Madame Harrington
had called her, but Madame Florine
was popular yet. The cleverest men,
writers, artists and others, the h1nd-
soonest actresses in the city, were always
to be found at these pleasant, after
theater reunions of hers.
Launt arrived late, barely in time to
offer his arm and lead madame to the
table, glittering with silver and crystal,
adorned with rarest flowers. bearing
pyramids of the costliest fruit, with a
golden flood of light streaming down
from a great chandelier, with an array
of wit and talent and beauty assembled
at the board; but the grace of the occa-
sion was quite thrown away upon him.
He was favOrite with Madame Florine
for some inexplicable reason-it was
through no effort on his part-and.
though he sat like marble guest"
scarcely speaking at all, eating as little,
and that little as unappreciatively as
rs If the dainty viands were like ashes
to his taste, she gave him her brightest
smiles and most frequent glances.
Madame had conquered scores or hearts,
turned scores of heads; had young men,
clever men-men of wealth and posi-
ton on the list of her admirers TO this
very day; but if she had any thought of
cOnquering Launt she must have given
it up long ago. Through the glitter OF
lights, the perfume of flowers, the
laughter and talk going on all about
him, came the vision of pale, haunt
ing face which followed him forever,
sleeping or waking, whether alone OF
in a crowd.
lie had tried to forget her. He had
plunged into this gay, enticing. envied-
by-many experience, and found in il
nothing but weariness-weariness most
complete.
"NOR ami, what is this Lear? What
wild scheme is leading You to make q
vOtive offering of yourself? Surely,
science has enough devotees without
you. There are plenty of men who
leave every hope behind them TO GO
on those dreadful missions. Are YOU
irrevocably bent upon that act of mad
ness, my friend?'
81 am decided.
"And he says II as If fate itself
couldn't shake him a hairs breadth, :"
exclaimed madame, smiling her bright
est into Launt's gloomy face. And
yet | would lay him a wager that he
does not 90. Will you take me up. my
Launcelot? Offer me that new bracelet
want against anything you choose to
name that YOU do not change your mind
before morning"
Il am not betting man, madame"
They had returned to the drawing.
room. Madame had kept Launt at heI
side while she disposed of her guests
! for their mutual entertainment and
pleasure. Some one was singing; the
rest were talking, or walking or playing
cards. All were flirting, as matter OF
course. That was n Characteristic Of
the society in which Madame Florine
delighted. If she found amusement in
cornering the malapropos young man,
who had the exceedingly bad taste &c
carry his broken heart in full view, no
body there was disposed TO find fault
with her. In general she was only too
formidable a rival for even the youngest
and brightest.
You Will not 20, mon ami" she re.
| peated, looking up ut him with her sac
charne smile. mo, not though YOU
are this moment the most hopeless and
miserable man upon earth. Or if YOU
do, it will not be because Mignon Al
mont did you such deadly wrong that
it builds up an impossible barrier be-
tween you and her daughter
| Launt started irrepressibly. A dark
flush. an indignant CLEAN, shot athwart
his face.
Keep your temper, my Launcelot:
don be angry with poor little woman
who is only anxiou to do YOU good
turn. One wouldn't suppose l would
DC anxious either-One who knew. II
does not surprise you that know your
little romance, that charming summer
idvl with its miserable end no. Every
one knows it, bui it was not given to
every one to read between the lines rs
it was given tn me. have been study
ing YOU, Launt, and know what 9TH
ers do not, that her fathers disagree
able fate alone would never have part.
ed you from the girl for whom your
heart is breaking. And / am going to
be the benetccnt fairy to send YOU
back to her, instead of on that wild
i goose chase to the Polar seas
Madame, in Heavens name, what
do YOU mean?"
''Ah, thought / could rouse YOU 10
life again. BE quiet, my dear boy, OIL
you will attract attention this way.
What | mean is, that your fathers death
don't lie at the door of Mignon Almont.
or i believe of any other woman. ]
should be sorry TO think that it did;
should be sorry to think that had any
part in bringing it about
HE was ny lover, Launt-my lover
after he was hers, and was young and
foolish, and-need say itP-very much
in love with him. He told me all about
his marriage and y0u-more than he
ever told her-your mother being, al
that time. very recently dead.
ITO BE CONTINUED
Had and Would.