Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-10-18

ny tuo HO6lOu Vi your Ups. w u0u-
ever he looks around we must talk of
ships, for fear that There goes an
other one;g that is a steamer, Milly;
you can tell that, Milly, by the steam
and its going through the water.
There, see how / met that crisis! l
never moved visible muscle. You
must excuse me if tell you all sorts.
of foolish things about ships when he
turns those deep eyes on me. They
are beautiful eyes, Milly, soft and
brown and good. / think he is a good
man-that is. he would be if he could
hear and talk; not goody-good. but a
man of characters gentleman under
all circumstances"
''Oh, do take breath, Kate" said
Milly. s'How you rattle on, no matter
what the subject! But tell me, would
you marry such a manp"
'Do you mean if loved himP" was
the reply. ''Why, OF course, I would
marry any one loved"
''But mean," explained Milly.
scould you love him?"
ooh, that's one of your puzzling
questions" replied Kate. ''That de-
ponds If he loved me, perhaps; if he
priced me above all other women, if
was necessary TO his happiness, if he
should prove to be the one man In the
world for me, why, his infirmity would
make no difference But here comes
Agatha. Do you know ] wish she
wouldn't come? She's deceitful. /
some way have no confidence in her
since that Percy affair. She encour-
aged him for months, until his father
failed. But let us shock her; don't
tell her the mystery of our friend here,
and we will horrify her"
They might have succeeded had it
not been that Agatha had just been
talking with Harry on the lower deck,
and. under pledge Of secrecy, he told
her the joke which he began 60 realize
was more on Tom than on any one
else. So Agatha went forward, at
Harry's suggestion, to SEQ what was
going ON, and also determined to make
a good impression on Tom, whom she
knew by reputation.
ssHow do you do, Agatha?" said
Kate, affably. s'Won't you sit here
with us awhile? This is the coolest
place on the boat, and most pleasant,
too We have such a charming COM
panion; look at him, Agatha isn't he
handsomef He is little sunbrowned,
but that's because he travels; he hunts
and fishes and flirts, and leads a very
happy life. He has money, too. in
vested beyond the reach of failure, and
he is of stalwart, manly build, and
eyes Milly. there is another ship
there somewhere; I can't see it yet,
but will look for it And, as was
| saying, he looks self-reliant and dig
nifed and kissable and adorable
| ''Why. Kate. are you crazyP" said
I Agatha.
| 'tNot that I am aware of, Miss
| Agatha" replied Kate, loftily.
"But, Milly," continued the new
| conner, show dare she talk 80 in his
presence?"
sOh, Kate means no HARM" said
Milly, blandly. HE is gentlemanly
fellow, and doesn't care what we say,
and he IL sunburned and dignifed;
Kate was right"
els he friend or relative OF yours?"
| asked Agatha.
/ ''ReiatlVe! NO" said Kate. ssErlend2
| I do not know. am his friend, and
| his name IS Tom. Whether he is my
| friend or not, remains to be SEEN"
Swell, young ladies'" said Agatha,
"your conduct IS, to say the least, in
explicable. I certainly should grieve
to hurt the feelings Of this gentleman,
or of any person. Perhaps you may
| ho rriu LII
| thing unconventional. I do not wish
to misjudge you-there is some mys-
terry about it that I can not fathom.
But must go below with mamma"
SWELL" said Kate, after Agatha left,
''that was curious position for her to
take; as though we were possibly do
ing any thing wrong-the idea! Her
whole speech was unlike her; there is,
as she says, some mystery here"
sIndeed there must be-" replied
Milly. ''She have feeling! she has
none for any body. Something in her
voice reminds me of the day when che
told the madame how she had been in
weighed into that excursion, of which
she was the promoter"
s'Yes, ! remember just how she
looked" said Kate. s'I tell you there
IS treachery here. Let US go TO the
cabin for awhile. Someway I feel un-
easy"
When they had gone, Tom rose,
walked TO the side of the boat and
seriously contemplated jumping over
boards His cheeks Burned at the posi-
ton in which his folly had placed him,
and he was so angry at his friends as
to have given them little grace had
they appeared Just then. It had been
awkward, terribly awkward and dis
tressing. Why hadn't he left when
first they began to talk? He had
placed one of the brightest, sweetest,
most beautiful GIRLS he had aver. seem