Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-06-20

dream, and diamonds would be the
trump to mar her slumbers by its
steady blast. A solemn council with
Maria resulted in the present deposit
of the gems in the latter's trunk, a
relic. in which one might expect to
find a mummy's last will and testa-
ment. but never the jewels of a modern
belle.
A capital hiding place it proved. and
as day after day passed. Sylvia finally
settled into a condition of languid
security regarding her treasure, giving
it no attention, more than an occasion
al hasty visit of inspection, which al
ways ended in weary sigh that Bore
ton had no Casino balls whereat to dis
play their radiance.
So the drowsy season dragged into
August, only to find Sylvia hopelessly
at odds with self, world. every thing.
Turning the days into a very winter OF
discomfort, without so little as a shad-
owy prospect of even one presentable
summer to her. When 10! just as the
last leaf was dropping from her flower
of resignation, there came to Boreton
a man. Not a downy undergraduate,
nor a post-dated dyspeptic. but real
man. and a handsome one, too. as Mrs.
Lightfoot mentally noted when first he
appeared on the beach, strolling by her
in fannels redolent of Cook or Poole,
tall, dark. with just a shade of sadness
in the brown eyes that for moment
glanced toward her and then turned
seward.
Dame Chance, good soul, found her
fondest mission that day in bringing
Sylvia face to face with the interesting
stranger and adding fresh fuel to the
mornings spark of curiosity. She was
from her afternoon drive be-
hind pony lingo, when the all-observ-
ant Maria remarked that her driving
coat had dropped out of the back of the
cart. where she had slowed it on start
ing, and was now somewhere tween
here and nowhere"
That coat was one of the combina-
ton of causes that had buried Sylvia
in BOreton, and she did not beam at
the thought of a garment that had cost
her SO dear, on the shoulders Of some
rural Cynthia Jane at the next county
fair. So Jingo's protesting steps were
urged along the back track, while
hedge, ditch and road were dissected
by Maria's sharp glances. A fruit
less drive of more than a mile brought
them to a corner, the turn of which re-
vealed the stranger of the morning,
advancing with the lost wrap in hand
II had the good fortune to find your
coat on the road beyond. My have
the pleasure of restoring it?''
1t was a charmingly smooth voice
and the manner ''all of sweet accord"
For the first time in her life Sylvia
found her wits at fault as she stam-
mered:
''You-you are very, very kind; but
how did you know it to be mine?:'
Il knew it must be: you wore it at
the beach to-day"
Then, with a profound salute, he
struck across fields toward the vii
age.
Sylvia nervously turned Jingo's head
homeward. rousing that eagerly stable
loving beast to an ambitious trot, with
which her thoughts kept pace until
the pony, with joyous frisk.
was led to the stable. and then they
raced on their own account in the di-
rection of pair of brown eyes all the
rest of the evening.
Next day, in the usual gathering on
the beach. appeared The Mystery"
as Maria had already dubbed the
stranger; but this time he was neither
alone nor unknown, for with him
strolled that buzzing social blue-bot-
tie. Major Dashen. Every one knows
the Major, and newell. the sacred
Four Hundred limit is too pent-up for
his world. He knows every body from
New York to Yokohama and from
to the upper Nile. True,
his acquaintance is rarely more than
superficial, for, nod to the Major, and
you are his lifelong friend; but then a
man who knows so many, who spreads
so small a supply of the butter of
friendship over SO vast surface of
social bread. can't be expected to
know any one very we'll.
He was evidently boxing the COM
pass of Boreton's ha6itue's for the ben
eft of 1.-The Mystery" whose eyes
wandered from face to face as each
was discussed. until they rested upon
Sylvia. snugly propped up on her
lounge of sand under bright-hued
umbrella, and entirely conscious that
she was worth looking at more than
once. Immediately the Majors remi-
niscences were broken by few words
from his companion. He halted,
smiled approvingly and approached
the pretty picture.
MRS. Lightfoot, yesterday happy
chance gave my friend, Mr. Faunt, the
honor of meeting you. May 1 be the
happier chance that give him the
pleasure to-day?"
A few moments later Sylvia's UNI
brella sheltered the major and his
charge. The episode of the coat was
renewed with fuller details, and when
the bathing hour had passed those two
very agreeable men accompanied that
one fair woman to her cottage. leaving
her with lively impression that Bore