Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-18

another offer. but he thought yours the best.
SO don't be silly"
By this time they had reached their rooms.
Barker, apparently dismissing the subject
from his mind with characteristic buoyancy,
turned into the bedroom and walked smil-
ingly toward a small crib which stood in the
corner. why, he's gone!" he said, in some
dismay.
Well said Mrs. Barker, a little impa-
tiently, you didn't expect me to take him
into the public parlor, where / was seeing
visitors, did you? l sent him out with the
nurse into the lower hall to play with the
other children"
A shade momentarily passed over Barker's
face. He always looked forward to meeting
the child when he came back. He had a be-
lief, based on no grounds whatever, that the
little creature understood him. And he had
a fathers doubt OF the wholesOmeness of
other peoples children who were born into
the world indiscriminately and under the
exceptional conditions of his own. 'Ill go
and fetch him." he said.
"You haven't told me anything about your
interview; what you did and what your good
friend Stacy said" said Mrs. Barker, drop
ping languidly into a chair. And really If
you are simply running away again after
that child, l might just as well have asked
Captain Heath to stay longer"
oh, as to Stacy" said Barker, dropping
beside her and taking her hand, well, dear,
no was awfully busy, you know, and shut up
in the innermost office like the agate in one
of the Japanese nests of boxes. But" he
continued, Frightening up, "just the same
dear old Jim Stacy of Heavy Tree Hill, when
I first knew you. Lord! dear, how it all
came back to me! That day | proposed to
you in the belief that | was unexpectedly rich
and even bought a claim for the boys on the
strength of it, and how / came back to them
TO find that they had made a big strike on
the very claim. Lord! | remember how |
was so afraid to tell them about you-and
how they guessed it-that dear old Stacy
one OF the first
yes" said Mrs. Barker, 'and | hope your
friend Stacy remembered that but for me,
when you found out that you were not rich,
you'd have given up the claim, and that /
really deceived my own father to make you
keep it. I've often worried over that,
George" she said pensively, turning a dia-
mond bracelet around her pretty wrist, "al-
though | never said anything about It,"
but Kitty, darling" said Barker, grasp
ing his wifc's hand, II gave my note for H.;
you know you said that was bargain enough,
and | had better wait until the note was
due, and until | found ] couldn't pay, before
| gave up the claim. 1t was very clever Of
you, and the boys all said so, too. But you
never deceived your father, dear" he said,
looking at her ~gravely, "for | should have
told him everything"
"Of course, If you look at it in that way
said his wife, languidly. ITS nothing, only
| think 1t ought to be remembered when
people go about saying papa ruined you with
his hotel schemes"
"Who dsres say that?" said Barker, indig-
nantly.
well, If they don't say It, they look It,"
said Mrs. Barker, with a toss of her pretty
head. "and l believe that's at the bottom of
Stacy's refusal"
But he never said a word, Kitty" said
Barker. flushing,
There. don't excite yourself, George" said
Mrs. Barker, resignedly, but go for the
baby. / know you're dying to go, and !
suppose it's time Norah brought it up
stairs"
At any other time Barker would have lin
gered with explanations, but just then a
deeper sense than usual Of some misunder-
standing made him anxious to shorten this
domestic colloquy. He rose. pressed his
wife's hand and went out. But yet he was
not entirely satisfied with himself for leay-
ing her. Il suppose 1t ISN'T right my going
OF as soon as / come in" he murmured re-
prcachfully to himself, but | think she
warts the baby back as much as /; only,
woman like. she didn't care TO let me know
it."
He reached the lower hall, which he knew
was a iavorite promenade for the nurses,
who were gathered at the further end, where
a large window looked upon Montgomery
street. But Norah, the Irish nurse, was not
among them he passed through several cor
ridors in his search, but in vain. At last
worried and a little anxious, he turned to
regain his rooms through the long allocn
where lie had found his wife previously. It
was deserted now; the last caller had left
even ~fr.volity had its prescribed limits. He
was consequently starled by a gentle muir