Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-04-16

you can marry him. You have let 1t
run on so long already that he has
gone to the expense of getting new
suit OF clothes"
Yes, but he hasn't any more clothes
now than he needs"
Nell sighed and Polly looked dream
lily out into the garden. Your coming
and your stay has been romance to
me, Polly, and row it must end She
sat with her elbow on table and med
itatiVely and deity was touching her
hair. The sunlight. streaming through
the high window, fell upon her, llu-
mined her, and the sad glow OF wish
dream was in her eyes Out in the
road, lodging about, stalked young
man. smitten clown, dying to catch n
glimpse of her. Yes, your coming
was so strange romance, bringing to
me mind that could admire. and
now the music must end in dry
crackle."
Polly went to her, leaned over her,
kissed her Your romance may not
end" she said. But suppose that I
been brought by circus woman"
You a circus woman? 1 didn't know
that they were SO noble and brave"
woman, but suppose I were one; and
suppose those three men came to per-
suade me to go back into the ring"
'>Oh, you are clearing up one mys-
terry. Coon and you may clear up an
other"
''But is there any other mystery to
clear up?"
'-Oh, not exactly a mystery, but how
nv TO- IN hot
should not marry hiIn?"
'-Oh, probably he will laugh ct the
idea tomorrow"
But why should he when his mind
is now so set upon it? Do you think that
he will decline to marry you because
You have been a circus woman"
mo, not particularly"
"Oh. you are becoming mysterious
again, Polly. Why don't you be abso-
lutely frank with me?''
Il will be, but not until after twelve
o'clock to-day
There you go again. leading me out
into deeper and darker water, but /
suppose must accept your terms. Who
is that out there that keeps gazing in
here?"
''Some fellow desperately gone on
L
DOWN."
Goodness, no; he is doing no par
ticular harm. But wish he would go
away"
You don't like admirers, do yous"
The right sort of admirers. yes; but
to be admired by ignorance is cheap
victory"
In Polly'seyes was the light of strong
You surprise me nearly every day"
she said. 81 did not expect to find SO
bright creature in this dingy place"
oh" Nell laughed, you think 1 am
bright just because the place is dingy-
It doesn't take much of butterfly to
look pretty when it settles in the mud"
Polly was silent, mcditative; and
when she spoke again there was in her
voice a new tone, a tre1nulous sadness
81 am one of the shrewd children of the
world" she said, land you are
clover-scented child of the meadow,
but, simple as you are, yours is q wis
dom that could never reach There's
that idle fellow leaning on the fence.
Shall drive him away?"
IT wish you would tell him that he IS
annoying me. No, it might hurt his
feelings"
This made Polly laugh so loudly that
the fellow, thinking that the women
We're making fun of him, strobe away
Zone to contemplate your tenderness"
said the woman of the world, would
scarcely think that you had ever turned
loose a double-barrel shotgun amid a
lot of men,
''Oh, 1 did that for you. and If had
thought that the fellow out there was
annoying you, I should have driven him
away long ago"
My dear, might take that as a re-
buke," Polly replied, ''but 1 won't"
she quickly added.
Nell got up, brushing the sunbcams
out of her eyes, and walked about the
room II feel SO strange to-day" she
said. Something must surely be
going to happen I wish that editor
would come over here and beg you to
take his paper for another year.
Perhaps he couldn't induce me to
take it."
''Oh, but you are not thinking of
going with the circus again, are you?"
''You shall soon see what intend to
do
sBut don't do anything to separate
us" Polly had begun to read a news
paper. Did you hear what L said?
Now what can be in that paper to in
terest you so?'