Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-06-22
CHAPrER v.-CoNr1NuED.
tleoanasOesa,S s a.sNReaxcx1 eNA

s'That is one of the burdens I have
laid down"
Her face had suddenly grown as white
as the wall behind her, but her soft
musical voice remained perfectly
steady.
sYou havel By heaven, that looks
like str"
He sent a, heavy envelope flying
through the space between them. Ida
looked at it amazedly. It was addressed
to herself She turned it slowly over
and over. The seal was intact She
-ook calmly into her fathers angry
face.
THANK you, SIR"
She got up h~~-;'1v and walked to-
wards the 4
''Whcre scing?' Mr.. Fair
banks as. tall back Of his
chair hid rom each other, and
the exertic:j of turning himself about
was too great.
Il am not going anywhere"
He heard d soft cracking. A bright
blaze sprang up in the open fireplace.
There was smell of burnt paper afoat
in the air. She came back to her seat
quietly.
E'You have burned tips
eyes, SIR
Without reading it?''
@'You know that"
t'But it was love letter"
<'From coward"
s'Why do you call him that?
Imagine hate the Lorimers worse than
you possibly could do, but it would
never occur to me to call any one of
them cowardly."
est 6oac ooo,1r 70 mo do not = 70
Dennis Lorimer-at least, I did not
nevertheless, call him coward
''Why?"
She flung out her hands, with a
gesture of Impotence
bah! What a detestable morning
this has been! Are you not ready for
your game of chess, father?'
mo. Let me hear what is going on
on the place"
She drew book from her pocket and
spread it open before him. Her face
wore its most sullen expression.
t'Why do you not mount your horse
and ride over the place yourself, father,
if you care to know anything about it?'
He made an impatient gesture. ''Shall
have to repeat for your instruction
my solemnly registered VOW, registered
over your mothers coffin, girl?'
Spare me! / know it by heart. I'm
becility!'' She muttered the last word
between her teeth.
Moreover, the time has gone by for
me to cope with the changed conditions
of labor. There is nothing but defeat
and humiliation left for the gentlemen
OF the old regime. Let the freed slaves
work out their own salvation, on the
rental system. 1t is not necessary for
me to come in personal contact with
them. / should never draw a comfort
able breath if l was compelled to be a
daily eyewitness of the ruin that has
sOvertaken Glenburnie. With you it is
different. You have no recollection of
its ante-bellum glories."
Eyes, with me it is different" said
Ida, bitterly; then she forced his wan
dering attention in the direction of the
foreman's weekly report, as set forth in
the book she had placed in his hand.
Eyes, yes. Doubtless it is all perfect
1y correct. What a splendid business
man is thrown away in you, my daugh-
ter! Have we not had enough? The
account is somewhat prolix."
He concealed a yawn behind his large
white silk pocket handkerchief, which
.exhaled a perfume more delicate than
She was relentless. He should hear
her out
81 have not given you yet the num-
Der Of sacks of seeds stored for the
next planting. And Ralston says the
gin ought to be insured. 1 think he is
right"
by all means insure it, them He
was leaning back in his large chair, ca
ressing his handsome side whiskers with
the hand that was ornamented with his
largest solitaire.
''By the way, Ida, what is the condi-
ton of our cellar?"
There is some sherry, claret and Ca
tawba downstairs"
She did not tell him that the flowers
from her garden had been transmitted
into wine for his cellar.
''Send claret up with my dinner, will
you?"
1t was a note of dismissal. He hand
ed her back the book in which she had
compelled him to keep tally while she
read from her own. Perhaps, during
the reading of it, it dawned upon him
that Ida had rather a rough time of it
for q handsome young woman" He gra-
.ciously bestowed upon her an indulgent
smile: Not very lucid, but as clear, I
suppose, as one could expect from
woman and an uneducated foreman.
Pray, my daughter, give more explicit
directions about my mutton. It was
simply mess yesterday"
Ida took the book away from him and
put it back into her own pocket. He
was smiling up into her face like child
who was vaguely conscious of having
merited punishment of some sort, but
stood in no fear of it's immediate inflic-
ton.
what manner of man was this that
she was called upon to honor and to
obey?" 1t was not the first time that
she had asked that question in intense
bitterness of soul. The answer seemed
farther off than ever to-day.
She had purposely tried to goad him
into sense of shame for his indolent
attitude and his unmanly shifting of
the responsibilities that We're his upon
her weak shoulders. She had deliber-
ately and purposely been insolent to
him. To what purpose? They had
gone all around the drearily familiar
circle and drifted back to his mutton
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