Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-11-19

its w all S. 1t
stood duly
respectable and characterless on that
June morning as its hundreds of dup
Heated neighbors.
Inside there was the awed stiffness of
the presence of the king of terrors.
For Number Six was dead.
Mrs. Evesham, the landlady, had an
@ticipated his fate from the moment that,
summoned by her cham bermaid, she
had found him delirious and writhing
with pain his bed; the physician,
rwho had arrived just five minutes too
flate to be of service, had dropped the
limp, cold hand with professional in
difference and pronounced life extinct.
and the coroner had already given notice
of his intention to hold an inquest on
the body.
Poor Mrs. Evcsham was plunged into
sincere grief at the catastrophe, for not
only was her tender nature touched by
the sudden and awful incident, but she
saw, at critical time in her affairs,
.one of the principal sources of her
income abruptly cut off.
Ambrose Arlington = the unhappy
Number SiX-had been to her prince
of dodgers, prompt and liberal, unob-
trusive, easily satisfied, and, in the brief
communications she had had with him,
urbane and considerate. His very re-
serve, which to some might have been
obnoxious, was to her, who had seen
more prosperous days, his best recon-
1mendation, for she had not long reigned
over the fortunes of the present domi-
Gle.
Nor must it be understood that the
house was common boarding place.
No lone bachelor in that well-regulated
establishment growled over the tough
ness of his beefsteak nor bewailed the
feebleness of his coffee. Only room
ers,' and those of the very best class,
found an abiding place under it's hospi-
liable roof.
To the inmates it was not sociable
way of living, for they knew little or
nothing of each other, while among the
servants their individuality was obliter-
sated and they were only spoken of by
the numbers of their rooms. Thus in
this democratic atmosphere every
guests name became absorbed in the
humble figures painted on his chamber
door.
With some of her patrons Mrs. Eve
sham did enjoy 4 passing acquaintance,
but this man, Ambrose Arlington, who
now lay dead in number six, was as
had not dwelt beneath her roof.
The whole Evesham family sat i'll
vmournful consultation over the morn
7ing's disaster. There was the widow
Eherself, still in the generous summer of
. life, retaining the matured beauty of
the sweet girl face which, sixteen years
ago, had won the love of the light
hearted Hal Evesham, the prince of
good fellows and life and soul of the
press club, who was now lying at rest
in Brooklyn cemetery, and had left, ah
me! such a pittance for his wife and
little ones to begin the world upon.
There was blue-eyed, brown-haired
Alice, thoughtful maiden of thirteen;
there was Kate, the exuberant, of
twelve, whose wild, glorious hair would
mot keep out of her sparkling eyes; and
last, though not least in the widows
estimation. Harry, aetat ten, whose
short, crisp, auburn curls were in per-
feet sympathy with his clear, sharp, in
ztelligent features and trim figure.
They were sounding fearful peans of
Tpraisc to the virtues of the dead.
$50 quiet and regular in his pay
rments," sighed the widow. with prac-
steal sympathy.
$50 delightfully."- mysterious" MUIR
injured Alice.
'Never scolded when he caught me
.stufing paper in the keyhole of his
door" mOaned Kate.
'Nor blabbed to ma when hit him
Ion the head with my ball, though of
course didn't mean to-" whined Harry.
''He must have been rich, for he
seemed to follow no profession, yet had
ralways plenty of money" Mrs. Evesham
continued, still, poor soul, harping on
the loaves and fishes.
''Then, to think that next Tuesday
his sister is to arrive from London on
the steamer" Alice lamented. ''What
ION earth we shall say to the poor girl
~or what we shall do with her when she
darling"
''Nor 1, either, child; it is terrible
dilemma to be i'm
well, at any rate" Kate hazarded,
f'she will be able to tell us who he was
land where we can find his folks
$50 she will, dear; 1 had not thought
~of that. but it is long time between
now and Tuesday" Mrs. Evesham as
scented with some assumption of cheer
zfulness.
At this moment, the discussion was
interrupted by a servant who announced
a visitor. No, he did not give his name
nor card, but the girl felt sure he was
gentleman.
II will see no one-but stay, perhaps
I had BETTER Mrs. Evesham said,
brushing away her tears and proceed
ing to the reception-room, where she
found herself face to face with a singu-
narly handsome middle-aged man, whose
Thne intellectual countenance was in
4eeping with his well-cut clothes and
distinguished bearing. She noticed
that he carried a large, square, silver
amounted leather case in his hand, but it |
never entered into her head to associate |
his visit with business motive.
BE seated, SIR" she said, graciously. |
'You must pardon my intrusion.
madam. But
He paused SO long without explaining |
himself that Mrs. Evesham was a little
startled.
ssYou were saying, sir?" she queried. |
sI-er-yes, madam, the object of my