Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-09-27

clallOn part from you forever, ana go 70
look after my fellow-travelers who are less
mortally wounded than myself. The bored
reader lays down the book and says with a
yawn that the story didn't come out well.
| The husband ought to have died"
The short rainy afternoon had drawn to a
close, and the lamps about the station were
| all lighted.
"Well, / have had pleasant afternoon
but suppose it's most time for US to part, }"
said Mr.. Dunlap.
"Yes," she answered, sadly.
The sparkle had all died out Of her face
| and tones; she looked worn, discouraged and
woe-begone. Her companion was more and
| more convinced that her story was founded
| on her love for him and the fact Of an inhu-
man husband. He was filled with pity, but
| could think of nothing to say.
'1t'n be rather dismal going to Montreal
| in the dark" he said, after pause. 81 had
| counted on seeing something of the country"
''Why not wait till tomorrow or next
| days" she asked, with suppressed eagerness.
20, i must CO." he answered, vaguely.
She looked down at the floor for some
time with look of inexpressible sadness.
She seemed trying to make a difficult resolu-
| ton. At last she looked up with strange,
forced tone:
''Please don't go for day CT tw3. 1want
to see you again. l can't bear g think that
after this pleasant afternoon we must part.
never to meet again. Can't you stay in
Springfield until day after tomorrow, and
meet me again here, in the afternoonr'
Mr.. Dunlap hesitated. His companion
| was pale and trembling.
of Inn 70
after pause.
my husband" she exclaimed, in a star
tied manner, as if she had forgotten his very
existence. 30. it's about that and other
things that I wish you to advise me-" she
went on with terrible earnestness, Il am in
great deal of trouble. l want to tell you
about it. You look kind, you can help me
| if you only will"
Mr.. Dunlap knew perfectly well that it
was very imprudent to make an appoint
ment with an entire stranger, but as he was
| equally sorry for her, and sure of his own
| ability to take care of himself, he gave the
| required promise. A look of inexpressible
relief came over her face and her eyes filed
with tears.
She thanked him fervently, begged him
not to trouble himself to see her to the
train, and after warm pressure of his hand
disappeared.
Mr.. Dunlap's pity for her did not prevent
him from the disloyalty to her memory of
searching his pockets to see if any of his
valuables were missing. Finding them all
intact he went to hotel to await the ap-
pointed day.
When the designated time arrived, Mr..
Dunlap. though he had thought constantly
of the fair unknown in the interval and had
mixed up the thoughts of her with his con-
scientious study of the city so that about all
| the view he had been able to see from the
Armory tower was the vision of bright
eyed woman making violent love to himself,
and had studied the architecture OF the
public library with the question: rs it ever
| Unsuitable to get divorce for intolerable
cruelty?" uppermost in his mind, was still
unable to arrive at any definite answer to
either superstition.
He strolled aimlessly up and down the
platform, now and then stopping to peer
furtively into the waiting-rooms.
Il will tell her." he finally decided ''that
this is very sudden, but that after long and
careful deliberation, l have decided that
though 1 appreciate her kindness and the
confidence she has reposed in me, l have
conscientious scruples against marrying 6
divorced woman, but that will be brother
| to her."
There had been no definite time set fol
the meeting, and Mr.. Dunlap began to grow
impatient. Suppose that she had decided
on remuneration instead of leaving thai
agreeable duty to him! He acknowledged
that if she had come to realizing sense o.
her forwardness in making an appointment
with perfect stranger, it was perfectly
right and extremely proper, but 1t was very
tiresome and stupid wandering about &
smoky old railroad station, waiting for 6
person who had not sufficient sense OF
moral obligation to keep her engagements
He was rapidly growing ill-humored wher
he met Fred Richmond an acquaintance o.
his who was beginning to do quite little
in detective work. Richmond accosted hin
jovially, and, turning around, walked along
with him. Dunlap was rather impatient al
the interruption. He thought Richmond
would be much more pleasant companion
if he lad not been so exclusively enthusiast
ic on the subject of detective work, so in
clined to manifest hardness toward any
thing that was not closely connected with
this hobby.
"You have no sympathies with any thing
but sleuth- hound instincts" he had told him
once, and Richmond had laughed and said
that in order to be successful one must
whoop on his own side"
"That was a fine piece Of work capturing
Williams, the absconding bank cashier" he
began at once, as they walked along together.
81 saw something of it in the papers, be-
lieve," Mr.. Dunlap responded indifferently.
81 think sometimes that you think the
whole business of mankind is to detect or be
detected
Richmond laughed. "Well, 1 confess it
does look so sometimes from my point of
view" he said. ''People are concerned in
these things more than they always know.
Do you know yet how closely you were
mixed up in Williams capturel'
''Me mixed up" said Mr.. Dunlap, staring.
ayes, you," returned the other; sits too
good to keep now it's all over with. Anna
Brown, the girl saw talking with you the
day before yesterday, must have caught on
the fact that some one was lying for Will
Jams, for I saw her lettering round here for
an hour or two before the train for Mon
treal stated She didn't see me watching
her, mind you, but she was studying time
tables and looking this way and that, and !
made up my mind she had some scheme for
hindering the process of law. She just
worshiped Williams, and she's just that
kind of woman that would go through fire
and water for the man she loved"
isn't she married, you say!'
"No never was. He never cared so much
for her. but be made her think so, suppose
He was the cashier in big bank and she a
poor girl who worked here in button shop,
though she had a good education and is
smart as steel Well, he must have con-
fided his trouble to her SOS she could help
him, and mean trick it was too, for he had
it all planned out to meet another woman in