Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-09-08

praise of his festivity, and told him
that the entertainment had been
blended establishment and delight Mrs
Kennaird, who had not danced, BUT who
had watched the coti11on with her
grand air at its grandest, whispered to
her prospective son-in-law, Just as he
was slipping from the room, having In
his hand card which a servant had
lately given him:
"Your tribute to dear Kath cen has
been perfectly enchanting
$50 glad your like it-so glad" re-
turned A1onzo, as he receded from the
lofty lady's view.
The card which he held was from his
uncle, Mr.. Crawford Lispenard, head of
the great banking house, Lispenard 81
Chichester.
''My dear Uncle Crawford, /" he said,
grasping the hand of big man with
iron-gray side whislzers, who stood in
the hall 1--WE meet SO seldom, and
when we do meet it shouldn't be like
this know you hate society, dear old
boy. Still, you'll come up and see my
sweetheart, won't you? I'm giving her
a little afternoon dance. You know,
Uncle Crawford, you and she must meet,
| sooner or later. Why, you're sort of
v
| matter?''
/ "Alonzo,' said Mr.. Crawford Lispen-
| ard. in a husky voice, 'T-I must speak
with you, and speak quite privately
Alonzo's eyes swept the face that he
knew SO well and dearly loved. This
monetary potentate, the prince of
finance, his dead fathers trusted broth
er, who had been to himself and his SIS
ter such a model of all devoted guar
| dianship, in trouble. It seemed incred-
| ible.
you're somehow not YOURSELF" he ex-
| claimed, momentarily careless of the
| watching footman. 'sOh, Uncle Craw-
ford, it isn't''-and he drew back with
laugh on his lips, but an anxious cloud
in his gaze. cit isn't any nonsense of
mine that you've been hearing OPP
mo, no, Lonz. Can't we be alone to-
you'll come to me- and the gentleman,
| door, reaching forth f1uttering hand
as If to grasp its knob.
| Alonzo caught that hand between
both his own. He had held it for an
| instant before, but not till then had he
| realized how cold it was.
| Light my studio at once" he said to
a servant, recalling that the winter day
had now completely darkened. The
man sprang upstairs to obey his bid
ding, and Alonzo followed him at his
uncle's side
1.-THE idea of your rushing off like
| that, Uncle Crawford You come here
SO seldom that you're not to be released
so easily when you do come"
The long, melodious wailings of the
waltz music foated up to them as they
assembled the stairs. After several sec
onds Alonzo suddenly turned to his
| companion.
Upon my word, Uncle Crawford"
| he recommended, '.if there were any
bad news that you could bring me,
| should imagine you had brought it
| now"
Mr.. Lispenard paused. They were at
the door of the studio. He put hand
on his nephew's shoulder and stared
| g1oornily down into his face.
II do bring you bad news, my boy. I
| Il bring you horrible news" he said.
A1onzo felt himself whiten In a
flash he OWNED what was meant. It
could only be one thing. The ground
swung beneath his feet as he passed
| with his uncle across the threshold of
the studio, and closed its door behind
| them both.
CHAPTER II
Mr.. Lispenard sank into one of the
rich chairs. It CHANGED to be a Vene-
| tian piece of furniture, and his gaunt
frame and elderly yisage, both SO clear
~ touched by modern meanings, made
an odd contrast with the velvet and
carvings of this archaic seat.
'fYou said-horrible news-Uncle
Crawford"
Alonzo dragged forth the words while
his gaze wandered among the tunultu-
| Gus beauties of the room, though it
| possibly did so without seeing one Of
them.
It's been Chichester's work. No one
| knew. I think some woman has been
dragging him into the whole horror
| middle-aged man like that! He's drawn
enormous sums and gambled them
| away. It must have been going on for
| good while. You see, was careless
about the books. I left all that to
! Chichester, my confidence In him was
so perfect. I might, of course, have
suspected. knew that he lived high,
| belonged to fashionable clubs, enter
| tanned troops of friends. But there was
so much money for his share that I
| never dreamed he could even spend his
own income from year to year. And all
! the while he was plunging into your
money, into your sisters, into mine.
| There's one Wall street operation alone
| by which he must have lost two mil
lions. And he's been so Internally
crafty with it all! Even in dying he
showed certain devilish shrewdness,
waiting till the very last enjoyable mo-
ment before he killed himself
'Ki11ed himself" echoed Alonzo.
/ Haven't you seen the evening
| papers?" replied his uncle. stChiches-
ter was found in his bedroom at two
o'clock to-day, shot through the head,
and evidently by his own hand
| There was now silence, during
which A1onzo stole up to his uncle's
side and began to stroke that gentle
mans grayish locks and pat one of his
shoulders with affectionate fervor.
"Uncle Crawford" he said, 'syou
mustn't let this awful thing affect you
too much. Now that I look at you
closer see just how jaded and upset
you are. I'm so sorry for you indeed,
| indeed ann
Crawford Lispenard's eyes filed with
| tears. He was called by the world
rather frigid old celibate, and he was
known to live lonely and 1oveless life