Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-06-25

'FWhy, of course, replied Windward.
delighted. So an hour was set, and
promptly on time he called for the colo
mel at his residence. Word came down
that he would be ready in moment, and
meanwhile Louise set herself TO enter
tain him. Windward noticed however,
that for some reason she lacked her
habitnal ease and self possession. She
seemed anxious, and he thought that
once or twice she was on the point OF
saying something in very different vein
from the light words that fell from her
lips. But If SO, it was not the time or
place, or she could not yet trust his idr%;
ity. Something evidently made. her uh
easy-yery likely the servants or tbs
plumbing.
Soon the colonel entered the library
looking more straight, firm and strong
than ever in his formal full Gress- IAN,
Mr.. Bassett, ready: Come on; that is,
Louise, if am irreproachable:"
You are faultless," she said, smiling
family, and then added, returning his
fixed gaze with one as proud and brave:
"And you look noble. lam proud of you'll"
THAT is fattery in coed lump sunni"
exclaimed the colonel; but he said the
next moment to Windward as they
passed out-of the doors, 'But that is
sort, after all, that doesn't do man any
harm"
On the way to the reception McArdle
explained its nature and objects, and in
a terse and frank though not rude SEN
tence of good advice recommended the
young man to keep his ears open and his
mouth shut. 81 shall introduce you"
he said grimly, "as a gentleman, not as
a claimant. All in good time; tonight
observe and reflect"
In few minutes they reached the le-
cation, and plunged at once into the
glare and hustle of the reception; and
notable assembly it was, one possible
only in Washington at the height of the
season. Windward was stunned; every
man he met was famous, until great
ness, through lack of gradations, be-
came commonplace again, and he found
himself moving among the honored of
millions with q calmness and equality of
feeling astonishing to himself. He, too,
was an American, and if they were
famous, he was young, and might be.
Many things he noticed on this fruit
full evening, but one particularly-the
huge bulk of the men. He was of me-
dunn weight and size, but among these
celebrities he felt like a dwarf. He
measured their height as he passed them,
and he judged six feet to be the average;
many were taller still. And then the
girths, the broad, deep chests; full
cheeks, warm and glowing under frosty
boards; strong, coarse features, blunt
round chins, big necks, bold, resonant
voices, pushing ways-they crowded to
the salad Just as they had crowded to
congress. 1t was magnificent collec-
ton of physical manhood. What stom-
ach power they hadl Terrapin, salad,
jellies, creams, champagne and compos-
tie punches, fruit, cake-and at II o'clock
at night! Windward had seen nothing
like it since sophomore year, and yet
these men had been living thus defiant
ly, gluttonously for ten, twenty, forty
years, and nevertheless now at so or 60
years of age were hale, alert and strong
enough to kill him with blow.
These gigantic men, thought Wind
ward, are gladiators who have fought
all corners, neither asking nor giving
quarter, and survive as the fittest to sur
vive in the cruel brutal struggle for