People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-02-24

Nina and me, she stopped. but not be-
fore had heard her say: But you are
Virginian; your place is thcrer and had
caught his reply: Perhaps; but moth
ing is doiCg this weather | may go
across, and Then he caught sight of
US and stopped to shake hands with me-"
You're welcome" the girl said. with
a toss Of her head. Il am glad he did
not, with me- | mistrust that man,
Willie. His name and race should make
him southern soldier; yet he stayed
abroad long, and now dawdles about
Washington and Baltimore as a society
man. while his brothers are sleeping in
snow and eating mule flesh"
"Wen, scarcely that bad" the youth
retorted, with smile. "a letter old
Pete brought Carroll from Gilmore
Howard is full of muffin worries and
starvation dances in Richmond Lord!
| nearly forgot! This is for her.; the run
ner said it was for your mother; but l
could not catch her alone" He drew
tiny folded slip from his pocket, glanc-
ing warily out to see if prying eyes
noted its transfer to Miss Bessie's fair
hand and It's quicker disappearance in
her bosom.
81 don't like Fitzhugh's course, my
self" he went on; land l hope your
mothers lecture may wake him up"
Not if his own self-respect sleeps"
the girl retorted, bitterly. she doesn't
look like a bastard in war"
Nor laggard in love, neither, if 1
can judge man," Mckee urged. "a
face like his must have the soul of a
man behind it. Then he's so lately
from Europe"
"Three months" she broke in. Cam
paigns are planned and won in less
time! 1t had been more graceful to
stay abroad than to return only to
lounge about union clubs and toady
Yankee officials"
perhaps he came here tonight on
their account" Mckee answered, with
one of his quizzical lifts of his eye
brows. But wasn't he soft on her
once? 1t seems to me that at Capon,
her first summer out"
A quick, warning gesture cut off his
speech and wheeled him to the light, as
Mrs. Gray approached, leaning on Fitz-
hugh's arm.
The latter's quick eye rested but an
instant on the young man, flashed back
to the girl, and then his face-raised
from the low bow-was as vacuous as
the average beau's when he said:
at is so long since we met, Miss
Bessie, that told your mother, though
leave on the midnight train for Wash
ingtOn, that must stop to feicitate
you on time'sperfected process Of chang
ing the little girl into the woman"
He extended his ungloved hand; and
the girl, putting her own into it with as
much of frost as her sunny nature could
condense, noticed, woman-like, how
brown and firm it was.
"YOu were too good" she answered,
quietly. "And perhaps, in times name,
should thank you for the implied
compliment to him."
Individually, no." the virginian ex-
claimed, courteously. st was but his
bounden duty; and, sometimes little
slow, time ever fulflls that"
"You compliment him again" she re.
piled, more coldly. $50 few do their
'boGnden duty nowadays"
81 have asked Mr.. Fitzhugh to join
our little party to Philadelphia for
Faust, Miss Nina broke in, joining the
group.
81 hope he WILL" Mckee said, cour-
teously, intuitively feeling that the
frost was growing more crisp.
But he tells me-" the Philadelphia
beauty answered, with a pretty pout,
that he is pledged to join large hunt
ing party in western Virginia next
week"
"What will you go to hunt, Fitz
hugh?" Willie Mckee asked, naively.
Another quick glance shot in the ques-
toners eyes, as the Virginian answered,
calmly:
Anything that may be trapped or
killed. But am risklng the Washing
ton express. Good night. You ladies
may possibly conjecture part of my re-
greet in missing the Philadelphia trip"
And the polished traitor strobe through
the room and disappeared, as he turned
at the front door, muttering:
Bah! They cannot suspect IT'S
their very vacuity beats me. But
must find out the hour-and the route"
A group of gilded youth and nickel
plated age had approached the girls.
Mckee glanced at his watch.
Pardon what stupidity of society
calls rudeness, he said; but really it is
compliment; for l fear such distraction
LGNM,E