Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-05-28

with her undeniable charms"
'sNow this comes of visiting pair OF
spoons like you two" Henderson said,
with assumed regret. 81 can not ask a
simple question about neighbor, but
off you fly into the realms of romance
and matrimony. See, didn't even ask
after the widow at ALL said the Be
SAINTS, as plain as. I could speak. Now,
do you think you can come down from
your stills long enough to tell me who
the Besants are?''
'sBut, Mark, there are no Besants
but Mrs Besant," Mrs Burrows
pleaded.
''She is widow with some MEANS -
her husband explained, ''who lives in
the best house in the village, and is de-
cidedly the person Of the place, as you
will find out before you have been here
very long. She has only one child, a
son, who is now covering himself with
glory on the battle-felds.'
EYES," Henderson interrupted Il
spent the evening with him few nights
ago at Sedalia.''
WHAT Mrs. Burrows calculated.
''You have been all night in the house
and never told US this. Why, Mrs. Be
SAINT will be wild to see you. Get ready
to go with me at once, sir, or 1 shall
never be forgiven for having kept her
so long from seeing you
81 object" ruthlessly declared DR.
Burrows. ''Mark is an invalid and
wants rest.'' Then, seeing the pout on
his'wife's pretty lips, he'added: ''But I'll
propose an amendment to your propo-
sition. We've never attempted to give
WV c., ,.<>I
suppose you go to the Walnut House
and invite Mrs. Besant to tea tonight.
You can then trot round to the parson-
| age and ask Mr.. Brentwood and his
! women-follx, and
won't that be perfectly splendid'
| Flossie Burrows cried, and as Mark la
| lilly accepted the plan it was forthwith
carried out.
But Mark Henderson was fated tc
| meet Mrs. Besant before the evenings
festivities, for in the early afternoon a
note came round from Walnut House
to say that that lady's niece had jus,
arrived from Chicago, whereupon the
accommodating officer was commits
| stoned by his sister to call and induce
both ladies to honor them with theil
presence.
| "You know didn't dare to say that
you were friend of Franks this morn
ing, or we should have had the widow
down here long before this, interrupt
| ing my immense preparations for sup
per-simply an army officer, my deal
boy-so while you're there you cal
just let the flood-gates of your informa
ton flow, or you'll be boring Us to dealt
this evening with it ALL" the volatile
little lady suggested.
'And this niece-do you know an,
| thing about her?''
''Oh, suppose she is lady who wa
visiting Mrs. Besant two years ago
| whom met at the Brentwoods, when
first made Harry's acQuaintance-no
at all good looking and rather passe-
not bit your style, my dear; but, a.
| She IL be up to her eyes unpacking, yO1
may rely on having the fair widow al
to yourself
Henderson was fine, handsome fel
low, with distinguished military bear
ing, and had often been the cynosure O
ad1niring eyes on the parade-groun,
and in the drawing-room, but he ha'
never known what it was to be stare,
at as he was by the gaping rustics OIL
his way through the village, and wei
they might feast their eyes on his gal
liant figure; for Meltonburg was one o
those delightfully."- primitive villages
where, if you had an egg for breakfast
there was not an old maid in the plac
who did not know which end you ha,
broken it at before dinner-time, an,
consequently Marks arrival had beer
heralded from house to house
hol :ol
on the wings of gossip from Preside t
fireside, and the patriotic editor of tn
Weekly Advertiser had primed ther
with double-leaded description Of th
glorious cavalry charge at Springfield
lin which the brother-in-law of GU
talented fellow citizen, DR.. Burrows.
took so noble part. Nay, not half a
hour ago, the new edition of the pape
had come out with the announcement
in bold type that ''The hero of the bat
tie of Springfield is among US, visitin
Doctor and Mrs. Burrows. It is pro
posed to give him public reception bs
fore he goes back to gather fres
laurels,'' a piece of information whic
Marks sister religiously kept out of hi
sight, for she felt sure if he saw it b
would be off to Dayton by the frs
. train. So the villagers stared their FL
Women ran to their doors to gaze afte
him as he passed, men gathered on tn
sidewalks to discuss his martial bea
ing, and more than once the little boy
got up feeble cheer, which was SUI
pressed by their elders. If he had onl
entered a store. how they would hav
crowded in after him and solaced then
selves in true rural fashion with
\ hearty hand-shake, but he kept rigl
on up the main street till he reache
, the garden gate of the Walnut Hous
r where he was lost to the gaze Of his a
5 mirers.
A neat maid servant, all bushes az
( ! giggles, received him. Yes, Mrs. Besal
was at home-would he be pleased I
walk right in, and she would call h
mistress?
Mark had time to notice the pretty r
| finement of the room, which bore S
a many traces of feminine taste and ha
e such a home-lilze air.about it, before b
: hostess made her appearance.
}. Yes, Mrs. Besant was decidedly han
d some, he declared to himself, as 81
q swept into the room with grace
T movement so fascinating in beautif
t women. There was a charm of ma
v ner about her, too, which put him at