Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-09-22

turn, he was no match for nerve and
pluck when they sprang from unfore-
seen sources. Thus far he had known
only the soft and indolent side of Alon-
20, laughing with irony either patent or
furtive, when people declared the young
man solid below all his ightness, or
intellectual, notwithstanding his friv-
'olities. Abruptly Hector found himself
with being of whom GER
tain rrfnors had reached him, but
whose actual existence he had till now
discredited. Alonzo returned his stare
for several seconds and then stopped
down and kissed Kitty on the forehead,
to him in blended sympathy and fear.
Excuse me-" he said, in a voice
greatly moderated. ST should not have
spoken as / did-that Is, not before
you. III see you or write you soon.
Trust me, and good-by."
Once out in the keen cold of the lamp
lit avenue he asked himself if he had
not really been right In rebulzing, with
whatever heat, the impertinence Of a
man who of all others might with best
taste have bridled his tongue. The
mental answer to this question was a
vehement eyes" He had dismissed his
carriage at the Van Santvoord's door,
expecting to dine with his sister.
SWELL" he meditated, lone dimes, If
one can, in spite Of all conceivable
troubles except it be a calamity to ones
peptics- Gramercey park was good
distance away. He did not feel like ap-
pearing at any of his clubs, and so he
presently decided on the quiet restaur-
ant of a modest uptown hotel. Here
his appetite certainly proved slender,
so busted were brain and heart with
these late volcanic tidings, and with
the lurid threat of to-morrow's fresh
developments. But all the while he
kept silently whispering to his unpala-
table soup, his unengaging outlet, that
a heaven of tenderness, of compassion,
of sacred fellowship waited him from
Kathleen, when she should have learned
just how greatly he stood in need of
them all.
but her mother, her mother" a
voice within him seemed to urge.
''Oh," hesnade mental answer to the
voice, ''why should not so radiant a
rose have big, sharp thorn? Let us
allow that the mother Is to be mon
strously troublesome. That will only
deepen the blessings of Kathleen's con-
stancy!''
CHAPTER III.
My DEAR" said Mrs. Kennaird to her
daughter, as they were being driven up
town together after quitting Gramercey
park. 'I do hope Alonzo will not
be late at dinner again to-day. People
with great establishments need not
mind delays of this kind, but we, in our
detestable little Fifty-third street fla
are quite destroyed by them"
'sAlonzo isn't going to dine with us
to-day. mamma" said Kathleen.
"No? And pray, why not?"
Kathleen gave the reason, and her
mother greeted it with little scream.
>sMercyl Suicide? And partner In
the clearinghouse? I wonder what
could have been the cause. He didn't
tell you? No? Perhaps it hasn't trans
pired yet. It couldn't have been mon
ey-oh, surely notl Their firm is al
most Ike the Bank Of England itself
AS you know, dear, i made lots of In
quiries when your engagement became
probable. But one does 30 dislike to
hear these wretched things. / declare,
khis has quite shaken me up. Chiches-
Sex, m-yes; no one ever heard Of him at
oaaoe& Possdbly he was out Of his mind