Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-12-03

"Now, l leave it to you, Mr.. Kyle, il
I'm not the cheerfulest person!'
Poor Officer Kyle grew yet more con-
fused under this ELUSIVE style of con-
versation, but, finding it necessary to
| make a plunge into the talk, he he
marked boldly that Mrs. Trussel was,
indeed, as cheerful a person as he ever
| remembered to have met.
Mamie, who had as kind a little
heart as ever beat beneath muslin
kerchief, came to the rescue. She
played not only '.What Are the Wild
Waves Saying?" but other melodies
more to the taste of the stalwart visitor,
and sang in clear, modest soprano.
Officer Kyte's head was completely
turned. He felt he had rushed
upon his destiny. In vain he looked in
the direction of the widow in the hope
that she might retire. The widow APP
propriated the chances with fiattered
smile and chatted on. She showed her
own autograph-album and her daugh-
ter's; she exhibited her collection of
stereoscopic views, and gave him the
biography, so far as she knew, of every
person whose portrait had a place in
her photograph-album.
At one page, from which looked the
face OF a youth with a well-nurtured
black mustache and q polka-dotted
necktie, Mrs. Trussel was discreetly
silent
is this another cousin of yours?'
asked the visitor, inwardly wishing CO.!
how devoutly) that it was Nannie's
shapely fingers turning the leaves for
him. The widow shook her head in
reply to the questions.
"a nephew, perhaps?' ventured Of
ticer Kyle, not in the least caring what
the relationship might be.
''No relative at all-yet," the
unctuous widow returned, in the fullest
enjoyment of the mystery.
YETI repeated the guileless man
blankly.
You'll have to ask Mamie how
soon he acW be- continued Mrs. Trus-
sci, coming out of her shade of mys-
ticism into the blandest sunshine of
confidence. There arose throb from
the simple heart of the listener that
lodged helplcssly in his throat, choking
him. He dared not lift his honest eyes
from the book, but kept them fixed on
the page with the young face. How
he hated pOlka-dotted neckties! AS for
Mamie, she caught the last two SEN
fences and turned about with flaming
face.
''Mother!" she protested, "what are
you saying?" Her eyes fell on the
panied face Of the distressed, foolish
Greatheart on the sofa by her urbane
mother, and she lost the power to say
more. There swan mist before her
eyes. Officer Kyle forced to look up,
caught a glimpse of her flying blue
skirts as she fiirted them out of the
room. The realization that she was
gone aroused the combativeness which
circumstances had cultivated to so high
a degree in the sturdy policeman. He
determined to fight. He began a SEEM
ing retreat.
Il have kept you up long enough"
be said, rising with a decision that
checked Mrs. Trussel's vehement ex-
postulations.
''Sav goodnight to Miss Mamie for
me, And may l come tomorrow at
one o'clock and see you alone for
moment? l want to see you about
some particular business"
The relict of the late Captain James
Richard Trussel, being of mind that
no time was so good as the present,
queried; why not now?''
mo, not now," returned the deter
mined guest, and. repossessing himself
of his helmet and the lightest and most
useless of canes, marched out in the
moonlight with stride as martial as
if he were leading an onslaught against
a barricade.
A mddle-aged lover is the most in
fatuated of his kind. The hitherto
practical brain of dutv-loving Police
man Kyle was as full of visions, for the
nonce, as a poets. His dreams that
night after he left the widows house
We're broken by floating phantoms of
golden-headed, dove-eyed maidens
They foated about the lumber docks,
they dived into the river-legions of
them-and he was positively relieved
when morning broke, even though he
awohe to the consciousness of rival
for his love. The days familiar mo-
notony seemed strange and unreal.
This inward tumult was something
quite foreign to Officer Kyte's ordinary
placidity, but at last the hour for din
ner came and he hurried to the home
of Widow Trussel.
She was waiting for him in the par
lor, dressed in morning gown of tam
colored brocade, and she wore some
geranium leaves in her hair. She
looked very large to her guest as he
entered, and very overwhelming.
Il hope I'm on time he said, sit
ting down corner-wise on very I'M
chair.
Take this rocker, do" cried the
widow.
80, I'm quite comfortable" said the
officer, crossing his feet nervously and
them abashed. II can't
stay but minute, anyhow. Is Miss
Mamie out?" he inquired.
Mamie? 0, yes, Nannie's out" her
mother returned inditferently.
I'm glad of that" said the officer,
he would manage the difficult
task better in her absence.
'Are you?" laughed the widow. self
When she laughed he
could not help noticing what remarka-
bly, fine teeth she had for woman of
her age.
"Well, Mrs. Trussel,' he said, bring
ing himself up desperately to the point,
Il may as well come to my business at
once. l know I'm getting on in
years.
"Not at air. broke in the widow,
protesting with both plump, white
hands. one of which by some mad
vertence fingered upon the blue sleeve
of the policeman uniform.
Yes. am" said he. with the air of |