Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-11-29


house in council with his women folk.
+ In his hand he held Q letter, which boy
had brought frpm neighboring post ONCE.
Eyes, he said, IN reply to the appealing
looks of the ladies', as he hastily skinned
its contents; sit is from Harry, sure
enough. Don't take on about it, mother;
but he's done just what Winthrop should
do when his country calls on him; he's"
sNot enlisted 4" Martha gasped, her face
white as her sn pwy apron.
''That is just what the high-spirited lad
has done, God bless himr' the farmer
chuckled. s'Pshaw Martha, I am aston
ished at you. What is there to whi.lper
about2 It WON'T take more than a month or
two to bring these stubborn rebs to their
knees, and then ="
1 He paused abruptly, for Kate Frobisham
was standing before him with flashing eyes
and heaving bo$om.
Captain Winthrop she said, speaking
moro calmly for her suppressed passion,
"let me retire before you have said what
would mako nc o forget all your kindness.
This night leave your house to return to
my own people; do not make my parting
more bitter than is necessary
"Why, God bless my ife,'' Winthrop
stammered, "you don't mean to say that
you are at heart rebel-you, gentle,
lovable girl not six months out Of schoois
The thing is preposterouS"
81 am Southerner," Kate said, quietly,
"and I never was 80 proud Of the land of
my birth as I am at this moment. The
meanest trooper in my brothers. regiment
is in my eyes, a hero"
"And Harry my boy, Harry?" the father
pleaded.
"Is no more to me, Captain Winthrop,
than any other of the band of marauders
whose ranks he has joined.''
ooh. Kater' Nell sobbingly reproached,
IS and he loves you sop
"And loved him, Nell All, God knows
how loved hir H." the girl acknowledged,
with tremulous lips.
+ 'Then, surely You will" ss,se 81 ia. ~
S "Never Of my own accord set eyes on
hlm again. It lis my one hope that may
be able to forget his cruelty and mourn for
him as one who is dead 81 ~
s. "Hush, child. hushr' Martha Winthrop
interposed; "y4u do not know what you are
saying"
"Aye," added the Captain, soothingly.
''Do not say i'm haste, lass, what you will
repent of at lei sure. And, as for your go
ing home, that is matter which,
"Is all provided for, sir" $3.50
"Eh, how sof' 49,
There was a flush of Indignant surprise as
he asked the question, for it was hard for
him to believe that the girl he had thought
worthy to be Harry's wife had deliberately
laid her plans to return home without
vouchsafing word of explanation to his
family.
ga friend leaves for Cincinnati tonight
who will give me his protection thus far {;
there some of my own people will meet me, :"
Kate replied, with assumed Indifference,
while at heart the proud girl was ready to
fling herself at the old mans feet and con-
TESS the angus b these words cost her.
''Who, in tae name of goodness, is taking
you to Cincinn+ti?" the old man Numbered.
Ere Katie's lips framed the reply she
cast a little apologetic look at Mrs. Win
throp and Nell for the consciousness was
strong within her that the revelation would
cost her their sympathy.
"Mr. Lecrdix," she stammered, 'shas
offered-that id have asked HMM fact-'
Winthrop broke in on her confusion.
"Alphonse y ecroix! !" he exclaimed, while
a start of panied surprise showed his wife
| and daughters dismay.
"And why n pt?" Kate asked, with we'll
feigned calmne SIS. 'Why not Mr.. Lecroix?'
The question was too much for the old
sailor, who ros 10 abruptly and said with as
much of sneer as he could assume, for
the good-natur4d Captain was not strong in
sarcasm:
$50 be it, then. It is natural that birds
of a feather 8 hould flock together; but I
little thought, Miss FrObisham, that should
ever be glad TO- ~ 81
He colored crf mson and paused, for after
all the girl was his guest.
ITO get rid Of me!' Kate suggested, with
apparently unstrained composure.
The Captain disdained reply and left the
room, almost rqdely ignoring the hand she
held out to him. Had he noticed the
dropping eyelid and quivering lip which sud-
denly betrayed her deep emotion he might,
by kind word, have opened the flood
gates of her ek motion, but he was blind to
every thing, and burned with a mad rage at
the wrong she had done his boy Harry.
The wrong done his boy Harry! Aye,
there was the 1ub. It was but natural that
she should Gle Ave to her own kin and be
true to the ASSOCIATIONS of her childhood
nay, the Capita in could even forgive her
treason to the q Mon; for women, he argued,
are emotional q features, and Is always side
with the under dog in the fight'-but that
she should turn from him and his to the pro-
lection of Alphbnse Lecroix was an outrage
beyond his POWERS of silent endurance.
Alphonse Ledroix! He detested this Al
phOnse Lecroik with an aversion which
knew no bounds of reason; not that he had,
nj II