The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-08-26

fresh scowl meant to be deeply august
in its convincing agency. Meanwhile
the object of this eulogium (which went
flowing on, to the mingled surprise and
amusement of its hearer) had reached
the drawing rooms on the higher floor
and had paused there, surveying their
quiet splendors. They were three
rooms in all, the first and second spa
cious, the third little smaller, being in
fact dining-room, but lalFe enough
for good sized throng to feast in, as
many good sized throng had done.
Their curtains had been drawn; the
clusters of side lights had been lit.
| There was no profession OF ornament.
You had a sense of heavy falling tapes
tries, Of occasional pictures, each IN
itself a gen-like masterpiece: of
cushions piled in alcoves: of Just few
white glimmering bits of sculpture; of
an exquisite little antique head here
and bit of choice japanese enamel
ing there. But no huddlsd masses
offended the eye, which roved easily
from one point Of elegance to the next,
finding nothing inferior, nothing with
the faintest tarnish of cheapness.
Alonzo had just stopped to bury his
nose in a huge basket Of fresh violets,
! when a voice from near slcove called
| to him:
''For Heavens sake. so and dress"
Alonzo gave q sharp start. Good
gracious, Phil, is that you?7
Yes" replied Philip Lexington. re-
ARRANGING a cushion to suit his shoul-
der-blades. q found you ont, drifted
upstairs, got hold OF this revolving
! French book and have wailOvcd IN its
! corruption ever since. ! really should
think. Lonz." he continued, with IN
autocratic little pull at one end of tho
dark mustache which 50 well became
! his olive and oval face, that in your
French reading you might draw the
/ line somewhere
Il draw it at Just such aborina-
| tons" returned Alcnzo. True, the
| leaves OF that horror were cut, but
| they've only been skinned, AID not all
/ OF them, either
Rising on the great deep couch OF
tufted silk, Lexington drew out his
watch. We'll more shame for me.
I've actually spent half IN hour with it.
And, my dear boy. you'll forgive me for
making myself so terribly at home in
your absence. won't You, now?'
That's what you're always saving"
laughed his host. and you're always
forgiven. and there's never anything to
forgive" Here Alonzo threw himself
into chair. by the way. You're to be
my best man, next April, il you will
VIII you?"
LeSington's dark face flushed 4 lit
tie. "Hil l? Thanks immensely.
Lonz. II thought you'd asl. Winthrop
Delcv2n."
Did you? Well, you see havea't, so
you accePt?~
Accept! Is there . man you know
TINT wouldn't be delighted?"
oh. don't put it that way"
But do put it that way" persisted
Lexington. lie left the alcove and
dropped into the great satin easy-chair
near Alonzo, wheeling it still nearer.
Ee was Of good family, good position,
but he had tho reputation OF being a
snob who only courted the rich and So
cially powerful. He Possessed very
small income and was a notorious idler.
Alonzo had made him several large
loans during the past few years, and
not dime had yet been returned. So
ciety however. had no shred of proof
that this was true. But it criticized the
intimacy and drew its own rather cyni-
cal deductions.
81 often tell myself. old fellow" Lex
ington went on. that you're the nest
modest can in creation. Who You are
quite escapes yoI. and IS for what you
are, an artist of splendid talc1ts-you
never seem t. give IL a thought
WHO l amp" came tfc airy reply.
ooh. IN the name Of common sense.
Phil, don't try to CANNON nc BY any
suggestion that I'm anybody from the
patrician point Of view. kitty and I
came of respectable stock. th2t's all,
and you know ii IS well as l 90. When
your ancestors, the Le-1inrtoDs, wee /
swells in New York hundred years /
ago. raino. the Lispen2rtiS, Were pI'oa1- !
bly, carpenters. grccers, perhaps even I.
bricl1-laycrs had 4 lucky father. wLo /.
founded big clearinghouse. ana edit ;
Gated his two children. If there we're /
any real aristocracy in this funny pre-
tentious town, wouldn't have the T.
ghost of Z claim TO call myself pert Of /
it. Tn no more Kniclzerboc.7c- than /
I'm CaTclus Duran or Bc-r2t." /
You're : very powerful artist,
though" insisted Lexington.
''Bosh, ny boy. I've got little tai
ent and a tremendous GnoCrt CT aInbi-
ton. If I'd been born poor and obscure
my present Employment would 10 doubt
have been enc q picturesque stc-v,-
ton"
Lexington hcSvc5 a rcr-oachful little
sigh Then yoa thin2 praise you.-
he began. sadly, ''fo- 70 other reason
than because"
Alonzo jumped Up from his chair and
caught his friends hand between both
his own y don't think anything SO
nasty of your he cried. in the shrill, &c
centric voice he sometimes used. Come
up into the studio end let's look at her
picture 1 gave i few fresh touches
this morning. l suppose they're the
last But I've been saying that idiot
that 1 amp ever since he- final sitting,
which was two weeks ago yesterday"
He shot out of the room at his usual
brisk amble, and Lexington followed
him The studio. 2 great north
arn chamber, blazed with gorgeoUsaess
Through an immense window the light
poured upon yards CT costly tissues and
hundreds of curios. On an easel was
The portrait 20 which Alonzo had Just !
'sferred- He stood staring at it fo- sew j
eral moments with folded arms :