Dodge City times., 1888-01-05

upon Toms mind at an early stage OF
their acquaintance, yet he was in.
stinctively aware that the prize was
beyond his reach. The young lady,
to be sure. smiled upon him sweetly.
and both the Co onel and his wife. by
degrees. grew quite friendly TO him.
even when they could not have failed
to perceive his attachment for their
daughter. In short. had he been diff
ferently .situated-had that luckless
tailoring business been at the bottom
of the sea. which Tom. in his frantic
perplexity. often enough wished that
it were-there seemed no reasona IA BILE
doubt that he would have stood an ex-
cellent chance of being welcomed by
them as son-in-law-a fact which
was brought forcibly to his mind
by the following significant circum-
stance:
One day there appeared upon the
scene little, pale-faced. lank-haired.
weakened young man. who present.
ed himself at the Vaughans' apart
ments with a degree of assuran ce
which caused Tom pang of angry
jealousy. He was told afterward that
he was merchant in the city. and
that his name was Walnut; and judg-
ing by the bushes of Miss Vaughan.
it was impossible not to perceive that
the little gentleman was one of her
admirers. But Toms resentment
quickly vanished when he witnessed
the reception the poor young man re-
ceived. 1t was of such crushing
and soui-annihilating character that,
at the end of five minutes, poor Mr..
Walnut took his departure in an utter
ly limp condition. and went and
smoked pale cigar on the steps of a
bathing machine until the next train
left for London.
Tom could not help feeling elated
by the preference which the
Vaughans. by implication, thus
manifested for himself; but the ex-
pressions of Indignation uttered by
Miss Mabel. as well as her parents. at
Mr Walnut's presumption, consider
ing that he was only something in
the city," made Tom more del
than ever. Mr.. Walnut's fate appealed
to him as frightful warning of the
treatment which he must expect when
tho time arrived for making the in-
evitab!e revelation about his own bus
iness occupation. No wonder that he
was inclined to shirk the ordeal and.
as his devotion to Miss Mabel increased.
80 also did his diffidence and awe of
her parents.
But poor Tom regretted very bitter
ly his fatal procraslin alton day or
two later, when an ominOus incident
occurred. He was lounging in the
doorway of his hotel one afternoon
when wagonette passed in front of
him. laden with rowdy party of ex-
cursionists from the neighboring water
place of Stargate. To Toms horror.
somebody waved his hand at him with
a boistcrous salutation, and he dis
covered that he was being hailed
by Jack Brace. lively young
haberlasher, whose place of
business was within stones
throw of his own. Jack. attired in the
approved style of Stargate. wearing
sand-shoes and a yachting cap. looked
the personification of jovial vulgarity.
Tom did not care for Jack Brace at
the best of times; for Jack. who had
a shop in 4 main thoroughfare. would
dress his own window every morning
without the least regard to the feel
ings of his friends. and was. in short,
an individual entirely devoid of deli
cacy and refinement At that mo-
ment, and in Southdore of all places
in the world, Tom felt that he was alb
solutely loathsome, for to be seen with
him would be fatally compromising,
while the chances were that Jack
would biurt out some professional
question about trouserings or the new
winter patterns loudly enough to be
heard by any one within quarter
mile radius.
The moment, therefore, that he
caught sight of Jack and perceived
him motiOning to The driver of the
wagoncttc to stop. Tom turned and
fled through the hotel to the out
buildings at the back, where he spent
a miserable half hour in an empty
horse-box. Tom was conscious that
his retreat was humilating. and even
mean but he positively could not face
his Southdore friends with Jack by
his side. not to mention the risk of
coming across the Vaughans when in
such equivocal company.
After half an hour Tom ventured
from his hidinS-place aud stealthily
made his way to his bedroom. to ar
ray himself for an afternoon prome-
made with the Vaughans. H, felt very
much shaken by what had happened.
for. besides being ashamed of himself.
the episode only served to emphasize
the fatal obstacle which existed to the
fulfillment of his hopes. How
ever. he pulled himself to-
gethcr and started forth. after first
glancing cautiously up and down the
road to see if there were any sign of
Jack Brace. But alas for the vanity
of human foresight! He had scarcely
set foot upon the green when he near
ly fell fiat on bis back from sheer dis
may ut coming face to a,ce with that
dreadful Jack Brace. walking with and
talking very soberly aud respectfully
to no less person than Colonel
Vaughan himself.