Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-30


| self from the newspaper which he, too, was
anxiously perusing, and said with peculiar
| smile: well no; she Was to return today,
but IL you're wanting TO keep her rooms
should say there wouidnt be any trouble
about It, as she'll hardly be coming back
here now. She's rather high and mighty in
style, know, and determined sort OF crit
| ter, but l reckon she end her daughter
wouldn't care much to be waltzing round in
| public after what has. happened"
IL don't understand syou." said Demorest
| impatently. What has happened?"
Haven't you heard the news?" said the
| manager in surprise ITS in all the Sacra-
mento papers. Van Looais a defaulter-has
hypothecated everything he had and ske-
| daddle1" u,t
Barker started He was not thinking Of
the loss OF his wife's money-only Of her
/ disappointment and modification over It,
| Poor girl! Perhaps she was also worrying
over his resentment, as II she did not know
| him! He would go to her at once at Boom
| Vile. Then he remembered that she was
| coming with Mrs. Horncastle. and might be
already on her way here by rail or coach, and
| he would miss her. Demorest in the mean.
time had seized a paper and was intently
| reading it.
There's bad news. too, for your friend
| your old partner" said the manager, half
sympathetically. half interrogatively. There
| has been drop out in everything the bank
| is carrying and everybody Is unloading. Two
firms failed in Frisco yesterday that were
| carrying things for the bank and have thrown
| everything back on it. There was an awful
panic last night and they say none of the
| big speculators knows where he stands.
| Three Of our best customers In the hotel
| rushed off to the bay this morning, but
Stacy himself started before daylight and got
| the through night express to stop for him on
tho Divide on signal. Shall send any tel
| egrams that may come to your room?"
Demorest knew that the manager sus-
| pected him of being interested in the bank
| and understood the purport of the question.
| He answered with calm surprise that he was
| expecting no kilograms, and added: But If
| Mrs. Van Loo returns / beg you to at once
| let me KNOW" and, taking Barker's arm,
went in to breakfast. Seated by themselves,
| Demorest looked at his companion. I'm
afraid, Barker boy, that this thing is more
| serious to Jim than we expected last night,
| or than he cared to tell us. And you, old
man, fear are hurt a little at Van Loo's
flight. He had some money of your wife's,
hadn't he?"
Barker who knew that the bulk of Dem
| orest's fortune was in Stacy's hands, was
touched at this proof of his unselfish thought
and answered with equal unselfishness that
he was concerned only by the fear of Mrs.
Barker's disappointment. "Why, Lord!
| Phil whether she's lost or saved her money
it's nothing to me. | gave it to her to do
what she liked with 1t, but I'm afraid she'll
be worrying over what i think of 1t, as IL
she did not know me! And I'm half a
mind, if it were not for missing her, to go
over to Boomville, where she's stopping"
~ thought you said she in San Fran
| cisco?" said Demorest abstractedly.
Barker colored. Yes he answered
j quickly "But I've heard since that she
| stopped at Boomville on the way"
Then don't let me Eeep you here re-
| turned Demorest. For If Jim telegraphs to
| me | shall start for San Francisco at or ce
and rather think he will did not like to
say SO before those eparIic-mongers outside
| who are stampeding everything; so run
along, Barker boy, and ease your mind about
tho wife. We may have other things to
| think about soon.'
| Thus adjured, Barkeg rose from his half
finished breakfast and skipped away. Yet he
was not quite certain What to do. His wife
| must have heard the news at Boomville
as quickly as he had, and, III SO, would
| be on her way with Mrs. Horncastle; or
| she might be waitinstfor him, knowing, too,
that he had heard the news, in fear and
| trembling For it wass Barker's custom to
endow all those he cared for with his own
| sensitiveness, and 1t waA, not like him to
| reflect that the woman who had so reck-
| lossly speculated against his opinion would
scarcely fear his reproaches sin her defeat Z
| In the fullness of his heart he telegraphed
to her. in case she had not yet left Boom
Vile: "All right. Haye-heard news. Un-
derstand perfectly. Don't worry. Come to
me-" Then he left the hotel by the stable
had congregated on the veranda and made
his way to little wooded crest which he
knew commanded view OF the two roads
from Boomville. Here he determined to
wait and intercept her before she reached
the hotel He knew that many Of the guests
were aware of his wife's speculations with
Van Loo, and that he was her broker He
wished to spare her running the gauntlet
of their curious stares and comments az
she drove up alone. AS he was climbing
the slope the coach from sacramento
dashed past him on the road below, but he
knew that 1t had changed horses at Boom
Vile at o'clock, and that his tired wife
would not have avaled herself OF 1t at that
hour, particularly as she could not nave
yet received the fateful news. He threw
himself under large pine and watched
the stage coach disappear as II swept
around into the courtyard of the hotel
Barker sat there for some moments with
his eyes bent upon the two forKa OF the reu
| road that diverged below him, but whlch
appeared to become whittier and more daz-
zling as he searched their distance Ihere
| was nothing to be seen except an occasional
Duff of dust which eventually revealed
horseman long trailing cioud out ol
which a solitary mule, one OF pack Tram
| of six or eight, would momentarly emerge
and be lost again. Then he suddenly heard
his name called and looking up saw Mrs
| Horncastle. who had halted few PAGES
| from him between two columns OF the long
drawn aisle OF pines.
In that mysterious half light she seemed
such a beautiful and goddess-like figure that
his consciousness at first was unable 10
grasp anything else. She was always won
| derfnlly well dressed. but the warmth and
seclusion of this mountain morning haa en-
| abled her to wear light gown OF some dell
| cate fabric which set off the grace OF her
| figure, and even pardoned the rural coquetry
| OF a silken sash around her still
| slender waist. An open white para
| sol thrown over her shoulder MADE
| nimbus for her charming head and
! the thick coils OF hair under her lace edged
| hat He had never seen her look so beauti-
| full before And that thought was SO plain
| in bis frank face and eyes as he sprang TO
| his feet that 1t brought slight rise OF color
| to her own cheek.
"I saw you climbing up here as passed
| in the coach few minutes ago. she SAID
| with smile, "and as soon as had shaken
! the dust off / followed you.
"Wheres Kitty?' he stammered
| The color faded from her face as 1t had
come, and shade of something like reproach
crept into her dark eye, And whatever 1t
had been her purpoks 10 say, or however
carefully she might haHA prepared herself
for this interview. ste Mas evidently taken
aback by the suddeh adifsctness of the in
qury. Barker saw tht as quickly and as
quickly referred it to fS own rudeness. His
1 - -. 10 faa ha