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

women crowded about her with cries Of
graduation and welcome. Amid the
genial clamor Kathleen Kennaird took
the chance of saying to her lover:
''You have been doing another wild
thing
"What do you mean9" he queried, with
infantile innocence.
'tOh, last night at the Gramercey
club. You'll not deny, surely, that you
blackened your face and went in at des-
sert to the large dinner Harry Madison
was giving, as negro banjo player,
and that nobody found you out until
wisp Of your light hair happened to
show under your wig
''That's really deHcioust'' Alonzo said.
s'My face was no more blackened than
yours Is now-and Heaven knows there
are roses and lilies enough therel I'd
promised to be at the dinner, and
reached the Gramercey shamefully late
So sent from the club for my banjo
(which, by the way, detest as an In
strument and play horribly merely for
the purpose
ing way as he paused. "For the pur-
pose Of doing something horribly odd"
she said. Confess it You may as
WELL
''But the blackening Of the face is all
nonsense. Johnny Chadwick got me
black mask from one of the walters. I
dare say it had been worn at some serv-
ants mask ball, and happened to be
| lying about somewhere in the club. I
put 1t on after sending for the banjo.
1t was all Johnny's idea-not the banjo,
but the mask. I merely wanted to go
, In to the dinner with little music, as
I'd got there so scandalously late Every
| thing else that you've heard is the sheer
/ est rubbish
| Kathleen laid a slim, gloved hand on
his arm. "Wen, wel,'' she faltered,
ALLOW that you were mahgned that
time, Alonzo. But your taking off
| your coat few minutes before
mamma and appeared Oh, 1
heard of it; never mind who told
me. And these dreadful escapades of
yours get into the newspapers They
must stop-out Of respect to me, Alonzo,
they should stopt You cheaper yourself
by indulging in themi No one likes you
the better for them, and things are said
behind your back which you don't rea-
LIE, because You trust your friends so
implicitly
II don't trust many friends, Kath-
| leen," came the low-voiced answer.
But l trust you, and you're the only
real friend have in the world. Now,
believe me, there shall be a reforma-
ton From this moment promise one.
when you marry me next April you
shall marry a man who hasn't kicked I'D
his heels for weeks
The music burst forth again as Alonzo
finished speaking. When the jewellers
were invited to reenter the two front
drawing-rooms, chairs had been ar
ranged for a cotiIlon- Philip Lexing-
ton led the dance with Mrs Van SAINT
voord, at Alonzo's request. Through
the first figures the participants Inn
agined that it was only an impromptu
dance. But suddenly they were called
upon to take it more seriously, since be-
fore the first figure ended bouquets OF
the rarest flowers had begun to circu-
late, and by six O'Clock, when the final
strains OF the music were sounding.
jeweled fans had been lavished on the
ladies for favors and the gentlemen had
received cats eye scarf-pins set round
with tiny pearls
It had all been a sumptuous and
yet charmingiy tasteful tribute to
the sweetheart Of the host. People
pressed Alonzo's hand in their ardent