Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-02-21

ahmmOnus pl6bulnB bnobnor bp-
pointment, left early. Searle fingered
behind half an hour later.
what do you think of HAmmond?"
he asked, looking down at the girl as
she sat before him in a low chair. her
head thrown back.
II have only seen him once" she
said evasively, Her manner to the
man she was going to marry was cool,
calm, elusive. But, unconscio.sly,
blinded by his own engrossing passion,
Searle invested it with q reflected
fervor.
''0h, Hammond is bound to strike
luck some day. Let me tell you ABOUT
him."
And Searle discoursed for some
minutes, to which Adrienne listened,
languidly.
"Egadl" he cried, with a sudden
laugh, "if he had only start, with
little capital-say $4,000. Something
like the chance one or two fellows 1
know would have if they were aware
of certain inside fact ! could COM
municate to themT'
Searle was rather weak man, and
somewhat indiscreet one. When
Adrienne, with a new show of in
terest, asked what was the inside
fact, he was not proof against the
hattery of her freshly bestowed at
tention.
''Simply the fact that our bank"
Then he stopped short
"Look here" ne laughed uneasily,
81 ought not to be telling you this!
It only shows what confidence have
in you-how worship you! Heaven!
believe better than any girl was
worshiped before"
She laid her cheek against his
shoulder Her caresses at all times
had been few. This one fred his
blood.
Tell me-"
He had still presence Of mind to
ask:
But why do you want to knowP"
"Simply feminine curiosityl If
you don't tell me, l shall know you
don't love me-"
And Searle told her.
II \ \
The following morning, a slight,
girlish figure, with certain majesty,
too, despite its girlishness, was adj
mitted to the small office where Ham
mond was eagerly scanning some
papers.
The lady's face was yelled. When
she asked if she might see him alone
on important business, Hammond,
with family puzzled brow, led the
way to still smaller inner room.
Then she removed her viel.
''Miss Eastlakel''
''Yes; you are surprised, of course.
Yet man such as l take you to be
should be surprised at nothing. AS a
preamble to what 1 came here to say,
however, am going to tell you that,
if you do not know me, know you,
far better than you think possible.
Don't misunderstood me-"
The girl had seated herself. She
spoke in quiet collected, level voice:
II am not in love with you But
from the things Oscar Searle has lei
drop inadvertently about you from
time to time have formed certain
idea of your personality. And that
personality interested me because il
conceded with my own, with my own
temper, with nay mode of thought AS
soon as heard you speak last night
i had seen you before and studied
your face, for Mr.. Searle pointed you
out to me on more than one occasion
Il saw that had not been mistaken
in this view had conceived of the
manner of man You were. Well, this
being so, have come to make a bar
gain. think it quite to your advant-
age. shall state it as briefly as pos
sible. Few words are needed"
She paused and her mag nificent
eyes were fixed upon him with a
piercing keeness in place of theh
customary nonchalance. Hammond
had listened with growing attentive
ness. What sort of a woman was
thisP In appearance, lovely girl,
whom he had regarded as such the
night before, and in no other way.
In speech and manner, at this mo-
ment, definite, trenehant, seeming to
command an inviolable situation
by right of some enormous, inherent,
unsupported force of character.
go on" he said.
She continued to look at him stead
lily, with glance that never wsv-
cred, or flickered, or sank Then she
spoke:
Il can give you information-inside
Notwithstanding the shares
in large bank, which if you have
the daring financial spirit take you
to have, will make your fortune or
launch you on the way to permanent
and colossal success"
Hammond raised his eyebrows.
"Ah!-SesrleP"
Exactly, Searle. He told me-be-
ing infatuated with me, and thinking
a woman could make use of no such
disclosure. He ought not to have
trusted to that, of course: But Mr..
Searle is fool. You thought l loved
himF" She was Struggling her shout
ders II consented to marry him be-
cause his position was, at least, not