Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-10-06

that ne mad ever heard leave ms 1f1cnO'k
lips.
81 do mean it." averred A1onzo. "You
know just what trouble has come to
me-"
'sYes. It's too bad. It's really horrid,
| you know"
GIVE lost my fortune, Philip. I'm a
poor man"
eyes. I'm awfully sorry for you"
Thanks, for your sympathy"
Lexington began to curl his full.
dark mustache by slipping thumb
under one of it's ending curves and a
forefnger precisely above the thumb.
Then, while completing q little airy
twist Of the grasped hairs, he replied:
'Look here, my boy, you're devilish
sensitive, should say"
Fright, Philip. am sensitive.
Haven't reason to be? Now is the
time that what friends I have should
stand by me. I never thought
had many real friends; hardly be
ieved, for that matter, that had any
at all. But I did count on you. And
this thing I've asked you to do is such
small thing"
Philip Lexington rose now, with a
weary sneer on his fine, chiseled face:
mockingly. What, pray? I go and
because you had lots of money, whether
she will have you now that you've lost
nearly everything? Can't you see be-
forehand what her answer will be? If
you've fancied there was anything
queer in her department the last time
you met her, can't you"
''Stop there" said Alonzo. He had
risen, too, and though he preserved
much composure an abrupt wave Of his
hand bespoke excitement. ''I-I deny
that Kathleen Kennaird ever engaged
herself to me because, as you put it, I
had lots of money"
''Then you're wrong" said Lexing-
ton, gazing down at his well vanished
boots You're with another twirl of
the mustache tip) dead wrong, assure
YOU
Alonzo gnawed his lips. 'tPhil," he
cried, ''what are you saying?''
'Only the truth!''
''The TRUTH
eyes, yes"
''But you must be mad to state that
Kathleen no, no, no, PHILIP
Alonzo had caught his friend by
either shoulder and was plunging a
penetrating look into his eyes. The
latter, with a GOODNESS unexpected yet
distinct, answered, while Alonzo with
drew from him:
''Its so odd. You ought to know life.
You're old enough
"Philip! Philip broke from Alonzo.
sim SO sorry asked you to go to her.
But you're my friend still? It isn't my
lost money that you're thinking of?
No, no, Phil, not you; not you"
Don't be tiresome."
Lexington might have said volumes
and yet not have expressed a more pun
gent little series Of words than those
three.
''I'1 try not to be tiresome," came
Alonzo's answer, as if between shut
teeth. cts quite clear to me, Philip,
that my request bores you"
"Wel1," returned Philip, doggedly,
after a slight silence, SIT does.''
SIT wouldn't have done so a short
time ago.
81 don't understand
''Don't you? do
"You seem angry at me-" muttered
Philip; ''and for no reason
For no reason?''
"None that can see. A short while
ago? You mean, then"
ooh! mean what / mean, Philip.
There's hardly any favor that you'd
have refused me a short time ago. Now
you find me of no Importance. I've lost
my money, and I'm not worth cultivat-
ing"
Lexington flushed hot1y and tossed
his head. 'Isn't that rather uncivil of
you?" he frowned.
eyes, if you choose. But the uncivil-
ity Of raw truth has sometimes a GER
tain refreshing refinement"
81 don't grasp your paradoxes. You
always excelled in them, however
Alonzo had grown very pale. "Let it
all rest there, then, Philip" he said.
you've disappointed me horribly.
Good by" and he turned on his heel
with a dismissal at once quiet and i'm
perious.
Lexington walked to door and
seized its knob. ooh! just as you
please" he said, sullenly. 'sYou keep
up your pride, but I'm afraid it won't
serve you as well as you think. With
regard to the money I owe you, since
we've both been mentioning money So
so broadly, I'll do my best
But here Alonzo shot out these ring
ing words:
81 don't want dime from you, and
I'll be only too glad if you'll consider
that debt Cancelled, so to speak, by the
cessation of our acquaintance.,''
Across another threshold Alonzo
swiftly quilted the room. No sooner
was he alone, however, than he re-
preached himself for undue severity.
And yet he did not regret having broken
with this man. It was mercilessly
patent to him that Lexington had been
the most time-serving Of friends. A
kind of clairvoyance had told him this,
by flashes at once intuitive and acute.
Hundreds Of other men, placed like him
self. might have meant as much as he
and said great deal less. But A1onzo
had rarely dealt in self-restraints.
Those who liked him best liked him be-
cause of such candors; those who liked
him least did so because his free speech,
his wearing the heart on the sleeve, re-
PEELED them from the point of view of
taste, if from none other. And these
latter critics would have been just the
ones to denounce his openness with
Lexington as vulgar, however much
they disapproved the conduct of Lexing-
ton himself. They were already sup
piled with mauy instances Of his r,ye-