Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-09-29

sounded well in drawing-room; it had
been for years like the delicate little
trumpet peal of her regnant popularity.
''My dear Kathleen! If you could
only hear YOURSELF You don't know
what really dewy effect you create,
with your dron assumption of ex-
perience. But the wisdom cap, my
child, is decidedly becoming. Go on,
my dear, and talk Of marriage as
sweet and holy relation. The ensemble
is immensely fresh in willowy girl
with your cut of features"
"Ah," cried Kathleen, flushing and
biting her lips. ST truly believe, mamma,
that if You saw one man rescue another
from drowning, your first idea of the
affair would be whether the savior per-
formed his feat with awkwardness or
grace"
At about this time, as it happened,
Mrs. Kennaird committed the crowning
mistake of her life. Among the per-
sons Of note who had most cordially
greeted her on her return was stanch
former friend, the marchioness Of Den
dudlen. The marchioness was woman
Of large heart, though quick temper
She was famed for the sincerity and ten
acity of her likes and dislikes, and Mrs.
Kennaird had long stood high on the
list of the former. Lady Dendudlon
thought that Sir FARMLAND had treated
her friend with sorry stinginess, and
very freely vented this opinion. She
fell in love with Kathleen, and encour-
aged an intimacy between herself and
her only daughter, Lady Guinevere
Poindexter, one of the reigning London
bellies. Twice she invited the Kennairds
to come and visit her at the most de
lightful of her several country-seats,
Dendudlon hall, near the Devon cliffs.
It was during the second of these visits
that Mrs. Kenaairds fatal blunder oc-
Cured.
Besides Lady Guinevere, the mar
chiOnesS had two other children, both
sons. The eldest, Lord Arrnitage, had
lately married and was travelling on the
continent. At Dendudlon hall, when
Kathleen and her mother made the
second visit there, was the younger son,
Lord Egbert Poindexter. Neither OF
the ladies had ever seen him before, and
for an excellent reason. Although in
his latter twenties and of marked
personal beauty, he lived most retired
life on account of his lameness. An &C
cident in childhood had partly deprived
him of the use of both lower limbs, and
he never moved himself except with the
aid of crutches. His mother was al
most fanatically fond of him, and
guarded him as the apple Of her eye.
She confded to Mrs. Kennaird that he
was immensely rich, and would in this
respect far outshine his elder brother,
even after he should become mar
quis; for an elderly aunt, pity
ing his Juvenile misfortune, had
left him a great property in Sussex be-
sides ample noneyed capital, to the
rage and disappointment Of a bevy of
waiting heirs. ''It is a great chance"
proceeded the marchioness, ''for Egbert
to show his fine humanitarian spirit.
He viii, [ am certain, send his name
ringing through the centuries as a no
BILE and wise benefactor to his race.
His marriage, you know, is impossible
and"
why impossible, my dear Lady Den
dudlon?'' broke in Mrs IZennaird.
The marchioness' pure-cut patrician
face hardened little. ''Oh, 1 should
not have said impossible, perhaps, but
surely in no sense probable. at least.
not for years yet. Egbert is still
young. If he once. reached an age of
sufficient discretion to make him real
ize that the woman whom he asked to
become his wife might give him fidelity,
companionship, affection, without a
CLEAN of the sentiment which younger
men expect and demand, and if, sc
realizing, he married as much with head
as with heart, why, then, I should put
no obstacle in the way of such a union.
But now!' And the marchioness lifted
one hand, waving it before her face
''Plenty of girls might say that they
cared for him, you understand, but
Here, with self-consciousness little
laugh, she paused. However, my
friend, let US talk of something else"
Mrs. Kennaird thought her prejudice
a most perverse and ill-advised one,
which no doubt it was, considering the
gentle charm of Lord Egbert's CONVEX
sation and the marked comeliness of his
visage.
More people came to Dendudlon hall
in day or two, and the marchioness,
occupied with other guests, failed to see
what swift and tender havoc Kathleen
had wrought in the breast Of her
younger son. But Mrs. Kennaird saw,
and tingled with new, delicious hopes.
The Kennairds We're, and yet were not,
pOTtlOIi Ol GilO picSCAO AAOuEoS
their stay had graciously been taken
for granted as an indefinite one Lord
Egbert fell in love with kind Of tu-
multuous expedition. He sat beside the
object of his sudden passion as long
each day as she would let him, and
when not following her on his clutches
he did so, as far as feasible, with his po-
etic blue eyes. The determination of
his mother had thus far never given
him thought; now he rebelled against
the idea of not being permitted to marry
when and whom he chose.
In q short time the marquis, his "a
Their, was expected back to his favorite
home in Devonshire, after n term of
shooting on the Scotch Iloors. 4 GER
tain plan had entered the head of Lord
Egbert, and he at once proceeded to
carry it out. He had observed Mrs.
Kennaird's power over her daughter; he
had observed, too, this lady's marked
admiration for himself. Though young,
he was worldly wise. 1t was plain to
him that his parents would not sanction
his engagement to Kathleen kennaird,
even if they allowed him to wed at all.
She was not, from the Dendudlon point
of view, his equal, and the whole prop
osition would have been met with dain-
A.