Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-01-17
CHAPTER IV.-CoNTINUED.
1893. by j. B. Lippin6ott Co.


''Where was it taken? he aslzed,''
rather abruptly, feeling that he must
say something.
''Mr Thornton says an itinerant
artist drove out from town and met
them at the first camp and took quite
"a number and some groups. He had
two of them taken just like this, to
send home, and dropped the odd one in
here, saying it was a philopona and
bribe."
''Bribe? For what?" demanded Nor
gan. why should he bride my little
.gir1?"
''Oh, there was no need" she laughed,
blithely. "He-they all, he said,
wanted something your Connie was
only too glad to get and give. Now
you must read it and see for yourself,
papa"
But he would not. He was ashamed of
the fear that for moment had possessed
him, that she had consented to a corre-
spondence with Thornton without ask
ing her fathers cOunsel-she, his little
Connie, his first-born. True, she was
older at fifteen than many tOwn-bred
girls at twenty, for her childhood had
been nipped in the bud, and since those
slender shoulders had borne the care
and burden of woman for two long
years, was it to be forbidden her to
know aught of woman's glory? Only,
had he been blind all the time? Day
after day had Thornton been their Wis
itor, yet never in all that time had the
father seen or suspected in the young
officer any more interest in Constance
than he displayed in Lot or Billy.
True, she was almost always a silent
hi ALL
absorbed listener to their talk, rarely
leaving them except to go into the
other room to moderate the clamor of
the youngsters, who, being burly and
aggressive, were too often involved in
"A game of give and take in which they
were fairly matched. But Thornton S
manner to her, which was at first sim
ply kindly and jovia1, as it was to the
other children, had certainly changed
to greater Difference as the winter wore
son. Little by little he saw how her IA
Their leaned upon the girl, how thought
full, how devoted she was. He had
been reared a gentleman. He had a
mother and sister whom he dearly
loved and from earliest boyhood
he had been taught by his sol
der father the lesson of gentleness,
courtesy, and consideration. From
the other officers in the regiment, most
aof whom had known her in pinafores,
her greeting was simply Hello, Conf
or Morning, Connie; how's dad to-
>day?'' Thornton's impulse from the
first when he met this tall slip of a
girl in solemn black was to call her
@'Nfiss Morgan" which made her blush
furiously. Later on, laughed at by
the veteran sub, he had compromised
ON 'sMiss Connie" but not until he had
been daily visitor for several months
had it come to Connie" Morgan
never knew how she had fed to hei
room and nearly cried her eyes out the
morning the battalion marched away
1t was after breakfast that Mrs. Woods
had come for her and, with other la
dies, had driven out to the butte south
of the post, from whose side the Min
Ska could be traced for miles, but tx
whose summit Connie alone had beer
bold and active enough to climb. Al
he saw and realized now was that hi:
darling had been pale and languid
plainly dropping for awhile, and ther
all on a sudden, at the coming of thai
little note, sunshine, gladness, graft
tude, joy, all had beamed from hel
speaking eyes; had dubbed from hel
gir1ish heart in song. He had mourneG
the mothers loss before, but it wa.
as nothing compared with the helpless
yearning that possessed him now. VIII,