Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-04-21

-rsas-ked upon a tablet and crosses each
out with a pencil as its total of sixty
minutes IS consumed. Now all the
world knows that Miss Balderstone's
establishment is no Common seminary,
nor is that lady by any means type Of
the schoolInistress novelists love to
portray-the washed-out, faded piece of
gentility who presides over gloomy
mansion where the lives of girls are
made miserable by the discipline of a
penitentiary and the diet of a work
house; for, on the contrary, the lady
herself was a pleasant, brown-eyed
woman OF five and thirty, with cheer
full, lady-like manner and generous in
stincts. and her house. No. Clarendon
Terrace, Kensington-tilc best quarter
of London-was as brightly and hand
somcly furnished as any mansion in its
vicinity. OF course, her terms were
high, and, equally of course, her pupils
were drawn from the very first families
in fact, to be one of Miss Bladder
stones young friends was as good as
patent of gentility.
Yet, of all Miss Balderstone's young
ladies none were so envied as Miss
Kate Grahamc, the adopted daughter
and reputed heiress of Sir Harry Gi5a~
hamc, who, notwithstanding the fact
that dozen years ago he succeeded Ito
the baronetcy and rent roll of twenty
thousand pounds year, continues to
serve her majesty in India, where he
has covered himself with glory. OF
course he is young yet and it is on the
cards that he might marry, but those
who know him best are assured that he
never will.
And about thisaadopted daughter there
are some curious stories, more or less
believed in according to the disposition
of the tattler, but the one which per-
haps maintains the fewest adherents is
that this beautiful girl was rescued by
Sir Harry, when he was plaiE Cornet
Grahcme and oshe was little baby,
from the clutches of some wicked
Nawaub in India.
Anyhow she is there-a palpable, and
to some people, a disagreeable fact, for
Harry Grahame's eldest sister had mar
ricd Lord Scarborough, by no means
rich fora noblcman. and had host of
small ''hOnOra bles" to provide for, while
his second sister, UOnoria, lived in sin
gle blessedness in SIP H@rry's town
house, the chaperone of his young ward,
whom she hated with all the virulence
of fve-and-twenty years of unappreciat-
ed wOmanood. For the worst of it
was that not one-fourth of the bache-
lor eccentric baronet'S estates were
entailed, and it was quite in his power
to rob his natural heirs of the bulk of
his fortune and leave it to this waif;
nay, he had even gone so far as to noti-
fy his relatives of his intention to do So
Meanwhile, of course, the young lady
was a person of consideration. Miss
Honoria lavished ugon her those super
huous affections which a cold worlG
had never rightly estimated, and Lady
Scarborough, having a red-headed
knock-kneed oson, two years Hates
junior, dreamed of the possibility OF
keeping the fortune in the family after
all; SO her words to the orphan CIR
were always sweeter than honey.
1t was Kate Grahame's last half-yeal
at school. In another week she would
begin to take her place in the gay
world. and even now Miss Balderstone'.
young ladies were discussing the dres:
she would wear when the countess O
Scarborough presented her to the
queen. In addition to all these smile!
of fortune, o Kate Grahame possessed
great personal beauty and disposition
so swee. that she was the idol of thu
Balderstone household, from the gentl'
schoolmistress herself down to the DO,
in buttons, who worshipcd the youn,
lady from affair as some being ever
more glorious than the radiant fairie
he had seen in the pantomine from tn.
gallery at Drury Lane theater.
The mornings task was over, and thu
girls were preparing for their usua
promenade in the park, when q groom
wearing the Scarborough liver,
dashed up to the door and handed tn
neat maidservant q letter for Mis-
Balderstone which he asserted requires