Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-08-28

cannot go without seeing you. F. L"
where shall we send them, sirT' ask
ed the florist, as he came forward with
the box in his hand.
Never mind; I'll take it myself" was
the answer, as the captain popped in the
little misstve.
And when he got back to the house the
light was still burning in the window In
the second story, and the doctor had just
left, said the sympathetic Abigail, and
had saidit was nothing serious or alarm
ing; Miss Mabel would have to keep quiet
a day or two; that was all.
But what hard luck for poor Lane,
when the days of his stay were 50 very
few! All Thursday morning was spent
at the rendezvous, counting over prop
erty and comparing papers with Noel.
Then. while that gentleman went to the
club for luncheon the captain FASTENED
20 tnc Vincen:s' door to renew innnirias
and was measurably comforted by the
news that Miss Mabel was much better,
though still confined to her room.
Would he not come INF Mrs. Vincent
was out, but she thought-did that most
intelligent young woman. Mary Ann
that perhaps there was . message for
him. Like Mr.. Toots, poor Lane, in his
anxiety to put no one to any trouble,
came within an ace Of stammering: cts
Of no consequence, but checked him.
SELF in time, and stepped into the bright
parlor in which he had spent 50 many
delicious hours listening to her soft, rich
voice as she sang, or as she chatted
blithely with him and her frequent
guests. 1t was some time before Mary
Ann returned. Evidently, there was
message, for the girls face was dimpled
with smiles as she banded him a little
note. miss Mabel says please excuse
pencil, sir; she had to write lying down.
Miss Holton has just gone away, after
spending most of the morning"
Excuse pencil! Lane could hardly
wait TO read the precious lines. How he
longed to give the girl five dollar bill!
But this wasn't England, and he did not
know how Mary Ann would regard such
q proffer. She promptly and discreetly
retired, leaving the front door open for
his exit, and the sweet June sunshine
and the fnrt warm breath of early sum-
mer flowing in through the broad vesti-
bule.
"How good you are to mel" she wrote.
THE flowers were-and are still-ex-
quisite. l shall be down stairs little
while tomorrow afternoon, if the doctor
is good TO me as you are. Then l can
thank you, can l not? NJ. L. v"
The hours dragged until Friday after
noon came. He had to go to the With
arses to dinner on Thursday evening,
and dreary, ostentatiOus, ponderous
feast it was. Noel, in his full dress uni
form. was the hero of the hour. He
greeted Lane trif1e nervously.
Il meant to have telephoned and
begged you to bear me out, old man."
said he, "but this thing was sprung on
me after l got home. Cousin Matte
simply ordered ne to appear in my war
paint, and had to do it. You are to go
in to dinner with her by the way; and
wish you were en- grande tenue instead
Of civilian spike tail. Here's Amos"
And Amos marched him around to
one guest after anOther-'self made
men, sir"-heavy manufacturers and
money makers, with their overdressed
wives Lane strove hard to be enter
tanning to his hostess, but that lady's
mind was totally engrossed in the prog
ress of the feast and dread of possible
catastrophe to style or service. Her
eyes glanced nervously from her hus-
band to the butler and his assistants, and
her lips perpetua1ly framed inaudible in
structions or warnings, and so it hap
pened that the captain was enabled to
cNat a good deal with slight, dark
eyed and decidedly intelligent girl who
sat to his right, and who was totally
ignored by the young cub who took her
in-the eldest son of the house of With
ers, callow youth of 20.
"You did not hear my name, know"
she had said to him. 81 am Miss Mar
shall, very distant connection Of Mrs.
Withers', the teacher of her younger
children, and the merest kind of an acct
dent at this table. Miss Faulkner was
compelled to send her excuses at the last
moment, and so | was detailed-isn't
that your soldier expression?-to fill the
gap"
"And where did you learn our army
expressions, may ask" said Lane smil-
ingly.
If had cousin in the artillery some
years ago, and visited his wife when
they were stationed at the old barracks
across the river. There's no one there
now, believe. Listen to Captain Noel:
he is telling about Indian campaigns"
Indeed, pretty much everybody was
already, for Noel, with much
animation, was recounting the expe-
riences of the chase after the Chiricahua
Geronimo. He was an excel
lent talker, and most diplomatic and
skillful in the avoidance of any direct
reference to himself as the hero of the
series of dramatic incidents which he so
told, and yet the impression
intended to be conveyed
was that no man had seen more, en-
dured more or ridden harder, faster and
farther, than the narrator. Flattered
by the evident interest shown by those
about him, and noting that conversation
was brisk at Lanes end of the table, the
lieutenant soon lost himself in the en-
thusiasm of his own descriptions, and
was only suddenly recalled to earth by
noting that now the whole table had
ceased its dinner chat, and that, with
the possible exception Of the hostess,
who was telegraphing signals to the but
Ter, every man and woman present was
looking at him and listening. The color
leaped to his face, and he turned to-
wards Lane with a nervous laugh.