Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-10-15


bare, it seemed to me- true picture Of
my frame OF mind.
t'She has eyes to-day only for the
| English lord" heard the stout lady
from East Prussia say to the mater
| familiaS.
1.-The count-hem-the other has his
| dismissal
| looked over at Mrs. Clifford, and saw
| her carrying on the old game appar-
| emily with the greatest success That
| had probably driven the count from
the room
| He now stepped up to his wife.
| ssMay conduct you upstairs?" said
he. ELLEN has bad headache, and
asked me to tell you of it,
| The countess rose, said good night to
me pleasantly, and the pair left the
room. followed by Mrs. Gifford's scorn-
| full glances. / could stand it in the hall
no longer; fastened to Lapotin. He
! was already in bed You come Late"
he called out to me, merrily.
81 come late, and not in a festive
| mood" said I, seating myself on his
bed and thanking him heartily for the
ring. the giver of which 1 could easily
guess. l also chatted about various
things. He listened to it all attentively-
''What disturbed your holiday hu-
mor?" he asked then. Twill you not
| tell me?''
ssYou, rather than any other man
You would sympathize with me the
best. bat cannot make up my mind to
| it. 1 must tell some woman first"
'sSpeak with Miss Rennert; she is
| 1or he
corridor short while ago.
I knocked at Miss Rennert's door.
| She opened it herself.
murnured an apology for disturbing
her so late.
''Come in, baron. 1 cannot sleep,
anyway. 1 really expected you. Sit
down by me at the fire. She looked
sadly at me as sat opposite her. Poor
child!'' sighed she; Il have just left
her.
! How did you find her?" asked /.
| 81 found her on her knees by the
| sofa, weeping. She was beside herself.
1 took her in my arms and besought
her to compose herself. When she had
with difficulty quoted down 1 asked
| her the cause of her agitation. She
buried her sweet face on my shoulder
and said she could not tell me, and she
kept her word, although 1 urged her.
| 1 am in great trouble. What can have
excited the poor child SO terribly?''
In a few words described the scan
dalous scene had witnessed. She was
| very much excited.
''The miserable man." cried she, with
flashing eyes. ito dispe1 in such a man.
ner the young girls dream of childhood
and to allow her to suspect the baseness
of the world and the weakness of man
at time when all seems good and pure
to her. And just this child, too, with
her idealistic thoughts-it is disgusting.
Yes. now can fully understand her ag-
itation.'
| handkerchief.
You cannot imagine how the whole
affair works me up" she said AT
first when you told me about it, my
thoughts went back fifty years to a
lonely castle in CORTLAND, whence i
went with my beloved young countess
| when she married. She loved her hus-
band devotedly, and he her, in his way.
| But the climate was too severe for her,
and she was i'll nearly all winter.
nursed her. At that time was n young,
happy girl, very much petted by the
| family, for i was brought up with the
| countess. I was not suspicious when
the count tested with me and paid me a
| good deal of attention. But once, In
| the middle OF the night, when / was
coming from my poor angel, who bore
her SufferingS with such fortitude, and
| always thought of her beloved husband,
| the count was waiting for me in the
hall. and 1 was reminded of it by the
| scene you just described. l tell you.
| baron. at that time there was rift
| made in my mind, and after that ]
| never trusted anyone again, and it dis
| gusted me with men, l have seen much
and passed through much and often
! thought to myself: 1T is well that you
never marriedr The worst experience
is the awakening from childhood; there
fore am troubled on my darling's ac-
| count
The old lady stopped talking and
gazed silently into the fire.
SIS not this case different?" said 1.
s'Miss Ellen is still such a child, the
count is her uncle; she may think it
only jokc-though coarse one.''
Certainly the matter is different here,
and Ellen will never allow a word to
pass her lips, for she is striving to look
upon it in that light. The worst is that
her fine feelings cannot be Quoted
that such thing should happen to her
just herr" Miss Rennert stared be-
fore her. Her fine face looked so worn
and suffering that 1 rose hastily and
babe her good night.
''Good night,'' said she. "a sad end
ing for such a mcrrily-begun Xmas
ever
lTo BE CONTINUED.
Style in ShI ouds.
lady walked into a pattern store on
Fourteenth street the other day and