Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-12-13

drowsily lie glanced ~ the clock OF
his mantelpiece. and saw that II wa
nearly ten, and closed his eyes agar
with q comfortable sigh. But Just q
he did NO he heard o loud knock at tn,
street door below, followed q momen
later by the murmur OF hurried voices
then sound Of quick footsteps on tn,
stairs and somebody rapping sharply
on the door.
"Yes?" he shouted.
"Bobl Bob!"
THAT you, All? Come in"
The door was pushed open, and
Maiden came hurrying In, with .
white, scared face and Mortified lool
in his eyes.
"Oh, Bob!" he exclaimed, breathless
ly. II have news for you. Bad news.
Terrible news"
"Eh? What Is it?" demanded Bob,
sitting up in bed.
"Why-why," stammered Maiden,
when ] reached the studio this morn
Ing, the very first thing l saw as
went In was your Hero"
"Yes?"
"SInashed-smashed into atomsi'
Bob gave along, low whistle.
"Well,' he said, speaking slowly and
thoughtfully, perhaps, after all, It's
the very best thing that could have
happened to It,"
"Whatw shouted Maiden, ARE you
dreaming? Are you msd?"
mo. dare say I've been dream.
ing" said Bob, quietly. "What | mean
Is this-this accident puts us on our
old footing again. The breaking Of
the Hero as it were, restores what
was broken, or beginning to break, Of
our old friendship. I'd rather tho
Hero broke than our friendship, All"
Maiden looked at him earnestly for
moment
Look here, Bob" he said, hoarsely,
~ know what is in your thoughts
You think Ibid it, and you are making
excuses for me-"
mo, no, ALT"
'But you are. You know how jeal-
Gus and mean was last night-what
brute was-a selfish, unmsnly
brute. And You think l did II. 1t IL
only natural that you should. But, on
my word OF honor, | did not do i'll
did not do III" cried Maiden, eagerly,
and with tears in his eyes.
II know you didn't do it" said Bob,
positively.
"llow can you know? Who should
yon suspect but me, after all | said last
night? I-who should have been the
very first to have congratulated you, !
to be glad with you and proud Of YOU
to meet You with nothing but miaer-
able envy and unfriendly, selfish re-
grets. Oh, Bob, lay awake last night
about 1t; | couldn't sleep. I
was so ashamed Of myself. believe
ne, old fellow, all my envy was only
passing feeling, springlng out of my
bad luck. | didn't really in my heart
eel what l said. 1t was only that
'our good luck, by contrast made me
more fully aware OF my own bad
uck--"
II knew it! | felt sure Of III" cried
Sob.
"And got up this morning, only
'nxious to apologize for my miserable
and assure you how truly
lad was that you had made lucky
lit at last; and here when get to
he studio-the first thing see is the
Hero shattered to fragments" said
lalden. And yet you don't seem to
eel it half so much as | do"
SWELL, said Bob, ut is q relief 10
le to think that there is no longer
to separate lis, to make me
90 proud to be your friend, or to hui :
iiliate you
"Ah! you haven't forgotten my
'ords!' cried Maiden. "You think
roke 1t; but didn't. And | shall
ever rest until have found out the
illain who did it, SO that | may re- .
love from your mind every shadow Of
lspicion against me"
"My dear fellow, | know you did not I
o it, And | think | know the villain r
ho did," said Bob, shrewdly.
"You do? Who did it? shall never
,el comfortable till find out.'
Don't say any more about It |
now perfectly who did it" =
GLOW do you know? Who was 1t?
on won't tell me? No; because you
link | am the man, though you won't
Sn it!'
Nothing Of the sort, tell you
now who did IL" cried Bob, 1.-The
ct is, MS | walked home last night <
II the injustice Of what you had been \
ying, and what brute was to take
pride in what SO Inundated you. .
fter all these years our old friend
lip was breaking up, and all through
e, as you may say, Hadn't you ind
been happy together all our lives?
lould ever be SO happy In aay cir
instances without your friendship?
18th the knowledge, too, that | had
you ard cstran~cd you
om mel Wen, that's how ! thought
all over as came hoWe, and
couldn't stand it. was pain.
Z You and myself, too. Success
isn't worth such Il price | felt it so
'ongly that suddenly made up my
nd toto show you that ! wasn't
ch n selfish, cold hearted, ambitious 4
etch as seemed. turned and
mt straight back to the studio,
d."
What You don't mean to say"
Yes. do" said Bob, checrfully II
! upon the Hero with couple of
miners and smotc him hip and thigh,
d smashed him up myself" Fargo
gus.
strip sand On.ce Work.
FRRy, Ok, Dee. Il. The land offices
the Cherokee strip, from all ac-
nts, have surpassed the work of
in Oklahoma. The land office at