Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-01-19


"HAvE A LITTLE MORE PATIENCE,
DAUGHTER"
lowed and Swallowed by suitors Of oil
sorts and conditions and OF being made
love TO by old men and smooth-faccd
youths. you would say go, ut once.
and let Mr.. Wilcox follow u.s."
"No, my child. II would never do to
60 until We hear from them. There is
no alternative but TO wait"
Every we'll, just as you say. mamma:
but am very anxious for n change
The last speaker was Armida Dclaro
Eleven years had elapsed since she lof,
the vineyards and blue skies OF the Ps'
cific slope and now she was grown into
ono OF the most perfect Of Gods Great
ures-a beautiful woman. The rich
Southern blood which she had inherited
from her parents tinged her cheeks
with q subdued flush Of perfect health.
She was tall, graceful girl, and a per-
feet type Of Southern beauty; though q
decided brunette she was not so dark as
to DO distinguished for it With her
beauty she seemed to have inherited
also the sweet disposition Of her mother,
together with the frank open.hearted-
ness Of her father.
Mother and daughter wore sitting In
q private parlor forming one Of their
suite OF rooms at the West End Hotel,
Long Branch, where they had been
spending the summer. 1t was only dur
ing the last two years that Mrs. Delaro
had enjoyed much Of her daughters So
cicty, for they had necessarily been
thrown very much apart owing to the
mothers set determination to PERSONAL
~ assist in the search for her husband
mu:lcrcr.
This employment which had kept
her travelling all the time, combined
with tho fact that Armida had been at
tending school at convent near to
Paris gave them very little opportunity
Of being together.
Mrs. Delaro really showed very little
sign of the struggles she had undergone
in her features, though close observer
might have noticed a settled and de-
tcrmined expression which told with
out the aid OF words that she was o
woman living with purpose.
And indeed her purpose was stern rs
ever. for rs she sat on this bright Sep
TENDER morning talking to her daugh-
tor. her thoughts wore far away with
her two staunch friends, Joel Wilcox
and Percy Lowell, who had left her two
weeks before to follow up clew at New
o leans They had only written twice
since their departure. and even then
had given no particulars, so that she
was anxious and longcd to know
whether or not they were meeting with
success
Often and often had she waited like
this before, but her interest had never
tagged, nor her desire for vengeance
become less keen When In CONVERSE
ton with her two loyal friends she al
ways spoke hopeful; Of the ultimate
success OF her life work and had fire.
qucntly intimated that she fully ex-
pected to see Leon Velasquez face to
face before death should call her to meet
her husband.
or one thing she had been scrupu-
lousy careful, and that was to have no
word regarding her husbands cruel
death uttered in tho hearing OF her
daughter. Still, Armida knew OF the
manner in which her father had come to
his sad end.
But to the girl the tragic affair had
never been so real and terrible rs to her
mother, and in recent years, rs the mat
ter was never referred to in her pres
ence. the whole story, which SO much
affected her entire life, was buried in
the oblivion Of shadowy youthful MEM
cries.
The conversation at the opening Of
this chapter might lead one to imagine
that Armida was OF q rather peevish
temperament, but such was not the case.
She had just cause to complain, and was
literally bored to death. She had been
sought after by every unmarried wearer
OF pintaloons and suspcnders during
her stay at the Branch. Races ono day,
n garden party the next, thon ball.
followed By yachting excursions and .
hul lrcd other inventions for killing
time.
At all such society events, her pres
ence was looked upon as positive
necessity. until at last the poor girl
was almost tired out. No wonder then
that sho was anxious to get away from
1: all anc seek that rest in Now York
which was absolutely impossible at q
place like Long Branch.
just as tho concluding words fell from
Armida's lips, there was knock on the
door, which was answered by the maid,
who took . card from the bell-boy and
handed 1t to hor young mistress.
Armida glanced at 1t languidly and
then turning TO her mother with pite-
Gus gag, on her sweet face said:
Another infiiction."
"Who Is here now, my dear?'
''That horrid. vulgar Mr.. Blodgsr,
who Is SO fond Of saying: Ladies', Mr..
stephen Blodger at your sorvico.'"
Here Armida rose from her reclining
posture and gave an imitation Of that
gentleman's unique style Of introducing
himself; then turning to her maid she
said:
''Tell the boy to show him up"
As the boy went away, something
like gurRling titter sounded as II COM
ing from that progressive youth. In
less than a minute the caller was at the
parlor door. which shovel that he must
have waited either outside. or very
near the elevator. for he certainly did
not have time 70 come from tho ofilce
The visitor was man weighing some-
thing In the neighborhood Of two hun
dred pounds. and had face - round
and as red a. the setting sun on .
wintsr's day. Step By step he had
risen from the lowest rankA until be