Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-09-17

reached the doctors Office he had worked
himself up to the point of believing that
he was in very critical state, and his
face was long and serious as he told the
doctor of his strange lapse of memory
and of certain peculiar buzzing he had
noticed in his head The doctor, who
was a jovial man and an old friend,
listened attentively to his patient, put a
stethescope to his lungs, examined the
beating of his heart, felt of his pulse,
looked at his tongue, inquired about the
state of his stomach and the number of
hours he slept nightly. and then clapped
MIN on the back and broke into hearty
peal of laughter.
"Why, Childers, you are as sound as
roach-not defective spot in you any
where that can discover-good for
thirty years yet. Any man is liable to
forgetfulness or lapses Of memory now
and then. You have worked yourself
up into quite needless panic"
Mr.. Childers went home with light,
almost buoyant step. The sudden revul-
sion of feeling after the doctor had told
him he was sound seemed to rejuvenate
him. He hummed little air he had not
thought Of for years as he went along
under the trees, and would even have
skipped if he had not been ashamed. For
an hour he sat on the veranda reading
the newspaper with his back turned to-
ward the Spofford house, conscious that
Mr.. Spoford, IN his spare erectness, was
seated on his own veranda in the same
relative position to the Childers' house,
quite buried up, likewise, in the evening
paper. After dinner Mr.. Childers went
off to his club to make night of it with
his chums, but he felt so young and gay
on the strength of the doctors opinion
that he actually kissed his wife again be-
fore going out, and told her that ''Sears
did not think there was anything serious
the matter with him."
Gradually as the golden brown sum-
mer dusk came on after the long twi-
light the Childers' mansion began to IL
Illuminate its windows and take on fes-
tive air. 1t was a balmy June night,
MINDLESS and slightly overcast, but full
of lingering CLEANS and soft suggestions
from the full breathed beauty of the
day. There was much shrubbery about
the Childers house, and some large
clumps of trees that threw a dense
shadow, projecting near to the bright
drawing room windows.
After the guests had begun to arrive
Mark had slipped through little side
gate into the Childers grounds and hid
den himself in one of those thick,
dark clumps Of trees within easy range
of the light cleaning broadly from the
drawing room. Grip was chained up
for the night to prevent his making
of an unwary coachman or
Of the confectioner's men who were COM
ing to serve the supper. Mark was a
prey to the kind of thumbscrew torture
3 man feels when he is forced to see
without being seen the girl of his heart
making herself bewitching to other men.
Now as he crouched there like hare on
its form in the thick shade of trees the
carriages began to drive up, and maid
Ems, like goddesses descending from
clouds, alighted. There was a cackle of
happy, merry voices. Little feet ran up
he steps, and light colored silks and
aces huttered and foated on the even
ng air.
Presently the drawing room was full
If pretty young women, with a fair
of men. Kitty moved among
hem like the moon among stars-Kitty,
n her simple white gown, without an
ornament save her own lovely golden
lair. Rigsby was there in his faultless
.vening dress, accompanied by his Ian
,uid smile and drawl. He never laughed,
or laughter discomposes the features,
md was very unbecoming to Mr.. Rigs
,y's style of beauty. Rigsby was beau
iful to behold, and his dancing was
ruly fine art. The whole scene was
-isible to Mark through the large open
low window, where the shades were
aised to admit the air. There were
hree pieces of very good music-a piano
nd two violins-and the sight of Kitty |
round on Rigsby's arm made !
lark clinch his great hand and breathe |
ard, while the large veins started out
n his forehead. He never knew how
hose hours sped. By turns he was filed
Nth love and rage toward Kitty, alter
ating with an intense desire to punch
sigsby's head-that little head set grace
ully on fine sloping shoulders.
Mark could not dance, therefore he
of the beautiful art. His
eet were rather large, and, unfortunate
=, when he made the attempt, generally
OF entangled in the maidens' light /
owns and caused black looks. Poor
fark's feet were not at all out of pro-
ortion to his big, powerful, handsome
cad, but at times he would have given
Il he knew if he could have laid by the
Tub of Hercules and put on the winged
hoes of the featherpated Mercury. It
'as a severe discipline to Mark to be
,oIing in like tramp at his true loves
-indows and seeing her deal out smiles
, Rigsby and Company.
When the dances were ended the
Dung couples adjourned to the veranda,
he girls with light floating draperies
bout head and shoulders, and there the
lckling and laughter and soft cooling,
lressing sounds went on with the trip
! merry feet and snatches of hashed
nall talk, which Mark, in his sad Gym
ism under the ash tree. pronounced
lank nonsense. Then they all repaired
, the dining room for supper. More
lckle and absurd inane laughter, and
= twelve the carriages came around
nd the whole party was whirled away.
ON, who had been very active during
le evening, in white choker and swal-
W tail, doing duty to the ladies, went
Z in HIGH glea with little AMY Nash