Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-09-01

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 la-Se 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 sense of heavy falling tapes
tries, Of occasional pictures, each IN
| itself a geulike masterpiece; OF
cushions piled in alcoves; of just a Dew
white glimmering bits of sculptures: OF
an exquisite little antique head here
and bit of choice japanese enamel
| ing there. But no huddled 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 huge basket Of fresh violets,
when voice from near alcove called
| to him:
ssFor Heavens sake, go and dress
!
gracious, Phil, Is that your"
"Yes," replied Philip Lexington, re-
arranging a cushion to suit his Shout
der-blades. sI found you out. drifted
upstairs, got hold Of this revolving
French book and have wallowed in Its
corruption ever since. really should
think, Lonz," he continued, with en-
autocratic little pull at one end of the
dark mustache which so well became
his olive and oval face, chat in your
French reading you might draw the
line somewhere"
ST draw it at just such abonina-
TONS" returned Alonzo. ''True, the
| leaves Of that horror were cut, but
! they've only been skinned, and not all
of them, either"
| Rising on the great deep couch Of
| tufted silk, Lexington drew out his
watch. 'SWel1, more shame for me.
I've actually spent half an hour with it.
And, my dear boy, you'll forgiveome for
making myself SO terribly at home in
| your absence, won't you, now?".
''That's what you're always saying"
laughed his host, land 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
| Will your
Lexington's dark face flushed a lit
tie. ''Win I? Thanks immensely,
Lonz. IL thought you'd ask Winthrop
| Delevan."
ibid you? Well, you see haven't, SO
| you accept?"
Accept Is there man you know
that wouldn't be delighted?"
''Oh, don't put it that way"
! ''But do put it that way persisted
| Lexington. He left the alcove and
| dropped into the great satin easy-chair
near Alonzo, wheeling it still nearer.
He was of good family, good position,
but he had the 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.
ST often tell myself, old fellow Lex
ington went on, ''that you're the most
modest man In creation. Who you are
y y
are, an artist of splendid talents-you
never seem to give 1t thought"
''Who / amp" came the airy reply.
"Oh, In the name of common sense,
Phil, don't try to CANNON me by any
suggestion that Pm anybody from the
patrician point Of view. Kitty and
came of respectable stock, that's all,
and you know it as well as do. When
your ancestors, the Lexingtons, were
swells in New York a hundred years
ago, mine, the Lispenards, were proba-
; bly, carpenters, grocers, perhaps even
}, brick-layers. had lucky father, who
founded a big clearinghouse, and ed1-
:, Gated his two children. If there We're
: any real aristocracy in this funny pre-
: tentious town, 1 wouldn't have the
: ghost of a claim to call myself part Oh
: it. Pm no more Knickerbocker than
; I'm Carolus Duran or Bonnat-"
you're a very powerful artist,
though insisted Lexington.
"Bosh, my boyl I've got little tai
ent and tremendous amount of ambi-
+ ton. If I'd been born poor and obscure
t my present employment would no doubt
have been one of picturesque starva-
, ton"
Lexington heaved a reproachfu1 ltstle
: sign linen you think praise you,
/ he began, sadly, flor no other reason
than because"
4 Alonzo jumped up from his chair and
caught his friends hand between both
his own. ST don't think anything sc
l nasty of you'll" he cried, in the shrill, &c
4 centric voice he sometimes used. Come
/ up into the studio and let's look at he,
picture. I gave it q few fresh touches
y this morning. suppose they're the
: last But I've been saying that (idio.
4 that am!) ever since her final sitting
which was two weeks ago yesterday"
. He shot out of the room at his usl,a,
o brisk amble,, and Lexington followed
q him The studio, great north
; ern chamber, blazed with gorgcousness
+ Through an immense window the Ugh,
e poured upon yards OF costly tissues and
5 hundreds of curios. On an easel was
g the portrait to which Alonzo had JUS
y referred He stood staring at it for soy
;. eral moments with folded arms
y Dear old Eric Thaxter," he said
b you always told me the truth; yor
e swore could paint only one good pic
o ture every five years-and believe you
a you were right Was there ever such {
k slow coach2E
7 eric Thaxter?s rputte1,ed I,esxfnrtou