The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-06-09
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lie wanted 10 comfort JOHH. 1Hey oil
did, in fact. The bond of brotherly af-
lection was very strong among the Lor-
inner boys Johns face was not that OF
| a happy groom. 1t wore an unfamiliar
look of anxiety-somewhat as if, hav-
ing consciously wandered very near the
edge of precipice, he was calculating
the chances of plunging over. Lorimer
turned his eyes from Johns flushed face
to the dusty pampas plumes which Dick
had criticised so severely. He smiled
at the undue Importance the boy had
given them. The mantel vases might
have been ornamcnted with sides OF
bacon for all the notice they had ex-
cited. Everybody had been stiff, un-
natural, uncomfortable.
"Your wife is beautiful woman,
john" Lorimer said, soothingly.
John answered almost combatively:
| eyes, Nora is handsome. And she is a
sweet. good woman. A better one does
not live
ANY family?''
"Yes-no. That is, nobody but Nj
nette and Ninette's mother"
| "Ninctte's mother is alive, them"
'No-ycs. Devil take it, boys, never
was in such Il snarl before. What be-
tween supreme dislike to appear SC
| mysterious here among you all at home,
and my desire to respect Morals wishes,
| am acting like an imbecile. l don't
know what to say or to leave unsaid. ~
"Be loyal to her, John. Never mind
about u.s."
John turned grateful look in Lori.
mer's direction: THANK you, Lorrie.
You are right. 1t is easy enough not to
mind about you fellows; but how about
mother?''
| Lorlmer shrugged his broad Shout.
ders and looked powerless. Dick grunt-
ed obviously. Rafe laughed nervously.
The harassed look came back into
Johns face; evidently none of them
was prepared to help him over tina,
difficulty. Lorimcr offered some lad.
vice:
1T is we'll to. leave some things to
chance and to Providence. The boys and
will gratefully accept any crumbs OF
information You choose to fling us. but
where mother is concerned would ad
wise You to confide in her as far as posi-
BILE" His mellow voice rose irritably
"fou were ridiculously young to think
about marrying at all, Johnnie. Only
twenty-five last month";
Il have been in love with Nora fol-
two years. She boarded at the same
house with me. She supported herself
rs stenographer and typewriter.
Good old family, but everything gone.
Old story. Ruined by the war. She
refused me three separate times. Then
all of sudden she asked me one day il
her ! was. she said she would marry me
that day two weeks. And she did.
That is all there is to tell you, boys.
And if she fails to win mothers heart
t will be the first failure for her 10 re.
ord in that line. Everybody grows
'ond OF Nora. Oh, say, haven't you
anything to tell me about Dennis? Been
seen? Been heard from?"
Neither seen nor heard from"
And Ida Fairbanks?''
Things are about as usual over there
] suppose" Loriner was spokesman
'sfc wearing her life away uhcom.
plainingly for selfish old sybarite
whose Injuries are supplied out of he,
earnings"
"Earnings!'
Blown bread and flower peddler."
ida FairbanLs?a
Ida Fairbanks,
Great heavens. She is a fool"
II fancy that the majority of women
are when it comes to question of put
4 ting their own comfort before that OF
'ome man brute who has n natural O,
an acquired Claim upon them"
Lorrie's sage conclusion seemed to Sc,
them all a-thinking. Silence fell or
thc little group. John sighed heavily
lis pipe lay along the arm of his chat,
quito dead. As he leaned over to knock
he gray ashes ont against the tall brass
iredogs, he was wondering how ''poo,
little Nora was making it" with his
austere mother. He was painfully
alive to the possibility of his bridaI
chamber being turned into a chambe,
If the inquisition that evening.
| But there. was no inquisition in prog
ress upstairs The mistress of White
lifts was somewhat frigidly, but with
,ntire courtesy, making her daughter
n-law ut home among her strange sur
coundingS.
There were peculiarities about the
,ock on the big bureau drawers to b.
,xplained: the location of the liner
losct where an inexhaustible supply
# fresh towels was always to be found
o be indicated: the meaning of tn,
rarious bells which would ring in tn,
morning was to be made clear. The,
;he must examine with her own hands
20 see if enough covering had been pu
IN the bed. Nothing was ever left K
chance by The mistress of White Cliffs
But all the while she was movins
about in that slow and stately fashion
II hers, giving her domestic lnforma
lion in soft, even voice, she was in
wardly bordering some strange word
that had fallen from the French bonne'
lips just as she, Mrs. Lorimer, followe,
by Johns wife, had entered the room
From the small adjoining bedroom
which had hastily been prepared 20
the unexpected Ninette came the WON
ans angry voice. The door was open
They could sec the child lying asleer
one dimflesl hand supporting her ruuna
pink cheek, snd they could - u