Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-03-20

vanished from his life as mystericusly as
she had come into it.
At length in despair he again entered
the shop where he had asked her name
He had seen her there many times since
The same dapper assistant ~as arrang-
ing gloves in box, and the whole scene
SO exactly the same that Bond paused IN
bewilderment, half-inclined to think the
past few months had been dream. Ad-
vancing to the counter he stammered out
Have you seen her lately. The lady:
What are you staring at? You know
who I mean"
.sSeen herr' exclaimed the assistant
with fash of remembrance. ''The Ia
dy! Oh! alb! that's good joke" He
ended with a most Objectionable laugh.
"a good joker" said Bond absently. ]
don't understand you"
"You read the papers, I suppose, sir. y
81 don't. Speak plainly, man.
.'The lady"-he grinned as he spoke
= '.has Just been tried for obtaining
goods on false pretences.
"You lie, you cur" shouted Bond
Quick as lightning his clinched fist went
across the counter and fattened the aston
ished youth against the shelves behind. y
A crowd collected In moment
drunk" said one. ''Mad," said another
and. those behind began to press forward
and those in front to sheer away. In
truth, this gaunt creature with flaming
eyes looked violent enough for anything,
Amid general clamor for the police, the
proprietor of the shop fortunately ap-
peared upon the scene He was not go
ing to have fuss made there, he said; SC
Bond was hustled into the street. He
TURNED when he got clear OF the crowd
"Tried, poor, thing" he shouted
back. ''But she was acquitted. I swear
she was acquitted"
.'She was guilty, though cried the
assistant, viciorsly shaking his fist from
the doorway.
.sPure and sweet and beautiful"
"Guilty, or I'll eat my hat"
"Shut up, you idiot" cried the pro-
prietor. And shaking the youth by the
shoulders, he pushed him back into the
shop.
Bond scarcely knew how he got back
to his rooms. His pile of manuscripts
lay on the table; the cat sat purring be-
fore the fire; everything was precisely as
he had left it. But oh how different it
all seemed! He dropped into a chair,
and the veins stood out in his pale fore
head, and his hands worked convulsively
Eulalie in felon's dock Could men
be so mad, SO cruel, SO unjust? 1t was
impossible.
One solitary idea now took possession
of him-to find Eulalie, though with
what object he did not determine. BY a
strange chance he met her in the street
next day; met and scarcely recognized
her Moving swiftly and stealthly along
as if she feared to be seen, with her hair
in disorder, her face no longer touched
by that art to which it had largely owed
it's beauty, and her dress old and sloven-
ly, she was indeed dreadfully changed
Bond started back when he saw her, his
face deadly white; he pressed his hands
to his heart, it gave such painful throb
he could scarcely believe his own eyes.
His earnest gaze seemed to decompose
for she dropped faded old umbrella in
the mud, whereupon he rushed forward
picked it up, and handed it to her. She
took it without a word of thanks, a
scrowl being all she gave him. Then
she hurried away, leaving him in painful
bewilderment, He could only repeat
over and over again. Her smile was
very sweet"
"a bad un, sir" said policeman who
had been watching this little scene. "a
regular bad un." He winked in the di,
rection of the retreating woman.
But Bond was already out of earshot,
hurrying after her IN obedience to an il.
resistible impulse to offer her all he had
yearning to tell his love and acquire the
right to protect her. Though his ideal
was little more than memory, the wo-
man remained and, in his eyes, she was
still beautiful. With her by his side he
cared not what the world said. Never
had his love been stronger than it was
at this moment.
But though he dived down one OBJ
scure street after another he could not
find her. And at length, murmuring to
himself, "Ah, yes, her smile was very
sweet" he YEARLY dragged himself back
to his lodgings.
Once again, and for the last time, he
saw her. 1t was on the following after
noon. He was sitting at the open win
dow, absently caressing the cat upon his
lap, when she happened to pass by on
the opposite side of the street. Looking
up at the window she suddenly stopped
and started. Before he had recovered
from his surprise she stretched out her
arms and cried:
''Oh, my pussie! Nell, Nell, won't
you come to me?''
The cat sprang through the window
and crossed the street in less time than
it takes to write the words. There could
scarcely by doubt about the ownership.
The animal, with arched back and
Strengthened tail, was deightedly rub
bling itself against her shabby dress, and
she was bending down, talking to it as
if it were her child.
Bond was not slow to grasp the situa-
ton. He rose hastily to explain the cir
cumstances under which he had bought
the cat from lad, whom he had believ-
ed to be the rightful owner. He was
trembling in every limb, for had not his
opportunity come at last, as some one
has said it always will come to the man
who waits? Blundering down the stairs,
he whispered to himself: "Even the cat
| loved her and she loves IL / knew she