Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-10-06

4
fellows And now this fine and whole
some loving kindness In him was being
taught the sternest Of disillusioning
lessons ST may have doubted many of
Them" he told himself, 'sbut at least !
firmly trusted Phil. Well, well, what I
asked him to do was perhaps better left
undone. At least, I can do it more ca
pably than he. 1 need no emissary
I'll go to her myself, and face the worst /"
He went that same evening. He did
not ask for Mrs. Kennaird, but that lady
chose to receive him. He instantly saw
| that her demeanor was formal, and
even a trif1e austere.
sI am so sorry that poor Kathleen has
| q horrid headache this evening"" she
| soon said, land is lying down. Pray
! accept me, will you not, as her substi-
tute?' Alonzo was quietly desperate.
He looked the speaker straight in the
eyes as he answered, feeling that the
air bristled with coming discord: 'tMy
dear Mrs. Kennaird, you are the most
charming of persons, if you will permit
me to frame such commonplace. But
/ must be frank and inform you that for
Kathleen there can be, to my thinking,
no possible substitute
He watched her eye1ids culver little
and her large form slightly stiffen.
''But you will show mercy to my poor
child's headache she returned, with a
smile that seemed just to edge her lips
and no more 'sYou will be good
enough on that account, I am sure, to
make the best of me under the circum-
stances"
Alonzo gave his head a short negative
shake. 81 can't. / want Kathleen,
headache and ALL
''Oh, but you're presumptuous.'
''That's just what you force me to
become"
''Not at all.''
''Then allow Kathleen to appear
''She is too much indisposed, as told
you
81 would like to learn that, if you
please, from her own lips
''Bless me- said Mrs. Kennaird, lift
ing her shoulders for moment and put
ting up her glasses. You're ruder
than 1 thought you knew how to be-"
''Say more decided. And I'm COM
PEELED to add this: If Kathleen is forbid
den me neither can nor shall accept
you as her proxy"
''No?" replied his hostess, with hard
ening face. ''But suppose my daughter
desires just that arrangement"
''She does not desire it,
''You speak with delightful conf
dence, really"
sob, madam, let us end this" cried
Alonzo, feeling himself grow pale. eff
you attempt to keep Kathleen from see
ing me your effort can only produce
transient results"
Mrs. Kennaird threw back her head
little, as though on the verge of scorn-
full laugh. But either she checked her
self or something in the visitors look
checked her. Like a flash her whole
visage changed; not that it became soft
er, but that it surely lost in expression
both subtlety and restraint.
''My dear young gentleman" she
said, ''I'm very sorry for you, because I've
always liked you. But the truth may
as well be told without another instant
of delay. Your engagement to my
child must cease, and you know why
$50, then, it's open war;" returned
Alonzo. ST prefer that
cit isn't war at all; it's worldliness-
any bad name you're bent on calling
it,
''I'l call it the same spirit, then, that
made you try to entrap into marriage
with her that crippled young English
lord.''
He had hit, and with poignant thrust,
the heart of a wound that had never
healed. She frowned, and the color
left her Tightening lips. While she
stared at him he went on:
4fOh, Kathleen has told me! But she
never knew what love meant, then, and
that was why she was such wax in your
hands. It's altered with her now; your
rule isn't what it once was. If it had
been you'd have kept her from writing
me those letters. I've offered to release
her but she has refused. The terms of
her refusal have seemed to carry with
them certain tang of yourself. Per
haps I've judged her wrongly"
Now he rose and went toward door
which led into the other apartments of
this limited fiat. He caught with one
hand the curtain draped across this door
and drew it slightly aside. cts not your
opposition fear; it's the thought that
she may be Influenced by it. know
you've done all you could to dissuade
her. But she must come to me scorning
Eyes, that's the word scorningD such
odious arguments as you've doubtless
addressed to her, or she shall not come
at ALL
At this point he drew the little cur
tain still further aside, and knowing
that his voice needed only to be raised a
key or so above the ordinary to make
it reach the furthest room of the suite
he called with clear accents:
Kathleen! Kathleen! I am here,
and wish to speak with you. Will you
not come to me for at least few mo-
mentS?'
An exasperated cry broke from Mrs.
Kennaird, who had now gained her
feet.
You're insolent," she cried. you're
outrageous! I told you my daughter
was i'll. And now, sir, command you
to leave these apartments
But Alonzo scarcely heard this voice,
for another, faint, sob-brolzen, and
somewhat distant, had fallen on his
ears. He still held the curtain side
ways when Mrs. Kennaird sprang to-
ward him and tried to wrest it from his
grasp.
''Do you call yourself a gentleman"
she gasped, as he thwarted her at
tempt.
''Do you call yourself mother?'' he
replied. And then Kathleen glided
ho o,o,