Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-10-27
MATED BY MRS. JOCK.
A LOVE STORY. MERELY.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
Copyright. ispi by the Authors Alliance

CHAPTER III.
"Wcll!" cried Mrs. Joca. Then she
went off TO Lumle - rom. Can ]
come IMP" she asked.
'Oh. yes, the nurse replied.
"Nurse. I want tn speak to Mr. Lum'
ley alone" Mrs. Jock said. "WiIl you
leave us?"
Certainly"
Lumley turned his eyes wonderingly
on the rcsolutc little lady, who was just
then looking more rcsolute than ever.
lis anything the matter, Mrs .lockp"
he asked. but not In an alarmed tone ut
all.
Something may be very much the
matter" she replied. gravely Can
you think yet. George"
''Oh, yes. tolerably we'll"
We'll. then. do you think yon ever
asked Mrs Hope TO marry youP"
lie stared at her for u moment Us II
the idea had not won any understand
ing from him II don't think quite
follow YOU" he said. In a perpexed
way
mo? Then I'll make Il clearer You
nre not engaged to Mrs Ilopep"
ITO Mrs llopcT Good God. no am
engaged To- Miss Nugent" he answered.
promptly
$50 thought" hryly We're. howev.
er. apparently thinks otherwise &"
''Of course she does How could she
t..s. 20, t,lptn
situation so ludicrous US my bein2 en-
gagged to Mrs Hope It's absurd on
the very face Of IL e
II know il II. but We're does think NO
And she has zone off To the Fish Ponds
TO get out of the way Of Of your billing
and cooing, imagine" with a wild
laugh
um round to say that when Lumley
with incrcdulous eyes had read the poor
child's letter he. 80 far from being dis
tressed by Il. went Off into the widest
tits of laughter
There's nothing TO laugh at." re.
marked Mrs lock. vcxcdly She herself
hud been laughing almost Historically
but II moment before
NO hut the situation even in sug-
grstion Is 'w funny" he cried. still,
Ia he serious how could she have got
such IN idea"
i imagine Mrs Hope told her So"
oh she couldn't its impossible"
Il don't know Anyway. you are
lutte sure that You are not mixed up In
anything of the kind?''
Quite sure
''!Io von remember what you did the
afternoon that yon had your accident?'
Yes went To see several people.
Mrs Hope among them"
WHY did vuu 70 To see hcr?"
"Rrcuusc She wired me to go and see
her on Important business"
What was it,
Well don't think ought to tell
You that" he said, hesitatingly
oh"
Mrs Jocks tone expressed volumes
I.umlcy went on eagerly. but ! am
perfectly sure OF one thing. that did
not leave her honse in anyway pledged
10 her. in fact. had every in
tention in spite of what had said. in
very bad temper 10 you, Of asking We're
again before very long ! really don't
think Mrs Hope could have given her
to understand that, She must have
mistaken something said since then.
Anyway. shall get up and go down TO
the / .sh Ponds and stop her going
away
Won will do nothing Of the sort,
George" Mrs Jock cried.
''Oh. yes. shall You'll go with me.
won I Won? and dare say Jock will be
good.natured and 60. too. And then
thcrc'll be Lakewood. who Is host in
himself
II won't answer for the conse-
onences." Mrs Jock said. in scared
tone
hut Lumlcy did not mind. lie made
n remark in perfectly quiet and I'M
moved tone such rs made Mrs Jock
feel more assured than anything else
could have done rs to his state OF
health. for he said ID the conse-