Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-03-05
AVENGED AT LAST;
Or, a Worldwide Chase.
A STORY OF RETRlBUTlON.
BY ~WABASH."
COPYRIGHT, 1901
CHAPrER xIu.-CoNr1NuEp.


CHAPTER XIII.-CoNTNuED.
ssDear me-" said Mr.. Wilcox. t.but
this matter is getting serious. Here's
that young grocer again. He was here
last night. too; he'll begin to think he
owns the place very soon, and all be-
cause he happened to be laid up week
or two on account of an accident It
would have been better for all.-con-
cerned If he had taken the five hundred
dollars we offered him; we should then
have been rid OF him with all obliga-
lions cancelled"
'.Armida tells me he makes very rapid
progress in his studies and is really
very remarkable man," responded Mrs.
Delaro, without accepting Mr.. Wilcox's
remarks in their serious sense. Then
noticing that her apparently light man
ner Of treating a subject which each
had short time before thought SO seri-
Gus did not seem to please Mr.. Wilcox,
who remained perfectly silent and con-
tinued to read the evening paper. she
again spoke: 'sMr. Wilcox" The tone
in which she addressed her old friend
was quite sufficient; had the paper been
hot the venerable millionaire could not
have dropped it quicker. and in an In
slant he was all attention. "Do you
not think it would be wise to concoct
some plan whereby we could, for
time at least, interrupt the studies
which are being pursued with such in
defatigable zeal in this house?'
''That is something which has oc-
CURED to me very many times of late.
but I have been waiting for the first
suggestion to come from YOU" was the
answer.
'And I am very much puzzled to con-
ceive Of a suggestion which is worth of
fering," answered the widow.
For few moments they both APP
peared to be lost in thought, from which
quiet state they converged simultan-
eously. Sup" they began together,
and both smiled. Mrs. Delaro gave way
to Mr.. Wilcox, who said: 81 will wager
a pair Of gloves, which is the most Sc
rious amount ever bet In my life, that
we are each thinking of the same thing"
THAT is probably So" said Mrs. De-
laro, ''but will defer to you and per-
NIT you to give your suggestion first"
''Well, was about to say, suppose
that when Percy comes back we all go
to Europe"
Precisely the current of my
CuOu2uLSs was mES. O01dIOS Ioduy
response.
Then Percy can not como back mo-
ment too soon and this Mr.. EN- erick,
whoever he is. can purs ue his vocation
without interruption. For Armida's
future, which is really threa tened" land
here the old man spoke with great earn
estness) lis far too serious matter to
be trifed with, and must be sacredly
guarded"
If Mrs. De1aro had only guessed the
true meaning of these words of one of
natures gentlemen. she too would have
rejoiced at their import, but she did
not, or she would have been more earn
est in her manner.
"Let Percy remain where he is for a
few weeks longer, then if he does not
meet with any success, cable him to re-
turn home" said the widow.
cat any rate I must send him a
message tomorrow, for I have not had
word from him now for three weeks,
and my instructions were that he
should send a line or two at least once
week" were Mr.. Wilcox's next words.
There was just the slightest look of
alarm in Mrs. Delaro's face as she
glanced UP at Mr.. Wilcox and ques-
tioningly said: "You do not mean that?'
Indeed it is true" he replied.
Then l fear some harm must have
happened him." said Mrs. Delaro.
mo, I hardly think that. He may
have had occasion to go up into the
country hurriedly, and, anticipating
that he might have q message Of i'm
portance to send us, has delayed his
communications. In fact, there are a
hundred things which are liable to
happen on a journey of that kind" were
Mr.. Wilcox's words as he again took up
the paper.
''In the meantime think it may be
as we'll to caution Armida, mildly,
about making too free with Eugene
Breezy. And by the by I forgot to
tell you" there Mrs. Delaro INDUCED in
suppressed ripple of merry laughter)
that your old friend Mr.. Blodger who
turned up again so unexpectedly few
days since has made it his business tc
Investigate into the antecedents Of this
bumptious young grocer, as he terms
him, but he does not appear to have any
thing to report at present beyond the
fact that Mrs. Breezy is very estima.
BILE woman and knows good soap from
bad"
"When Blodger dies" said Mr.. Will
cox" think some ono will have to in.
vent an imperishable soap monument te
place over his grave, for 1 never knew g