Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-03-03
CHAPTER I.-CoNr1NUED.

Upon the morrow l duly presented
myself at the Gerard mansion. l pos
sessed suit of 6ress-clothes, in which
arrayed myself with lively satisfac-
ton. L hadn't tied white cravat for
over year, and my hand had lost
something of its cunning; but I felt
at home in my sables and-I will not
say a gentleman, for every son of the
Golden West is a gentleman. but-a
gentilhomme
My patron greeted me with a keen
glance. He wore, what he had worn
the day before. a plain business suit;
and he received me in the library.
"Cocktail?" he asked, abruptly.
l bowed; and the butler brought the
drinks.
ITO your very good health" said
Gerard, with his queer stare.
AT your service, SIR
81 hope SO" he replied, with an odd
chuckle. you've a fine appetite, eh =?
That's right. And I'm going to give
you a dinner worthy of it. Yes, yes;
a dinner fit for prince
He led the way to his dining room,
and we sat down tete-a-tete. Mr..
Gerard piled me with questions, and his
servants with meat and drink.
''Know many people on this coast? ''
he asked, as he gulped down his soup,
a wonderful PURGE of chicken, with as
paragus points in it.
Not soul, except George Poindex-
ter
''Ahem!" He frowned. 1.-THE less
you see of him the better. 1 presume
he was at Yale with you. just so. A
fool! Leave fools alone. I'm afraid of
fools. Knaves l can handle"
He gobbled up his fish. and he tried a
new taclG
I You amt engaged to be married ?"
he blurted out. NO? Glad to hear
it. And you said you were an orphan
h?''
81 don't think so. but I am an or
phan.''
Good! / mean"-he blinked and
grinned at his slip-''I mean, my boy,
that for the game ahead it's better for
you to be-er-free."
You spoke yesterday of slavery"
"Ha, ha! so did, so did. Well, well,
we're all slaves, amt we? I'm slave
to my millions; you ought to be a slave
to your appetite and-er-the ext
gencies of youth You were brought
UP in luxury? Your father was n rich
man?''
YES"
II know all about that. How does
this Chateau Yquem suit your palate 2"
| became enthusiastic immediately.
Ny fathers cellars in Philadelphia were
famous, but he had never owned such
wine as this. and l said so. He seemed
pleased.
''I'll give you bottle of LATTE after
dinner" he said, solemnly, (which you
will appreciate. I'm glad you know the
difference between good wine and bad
between dining, as we are dining, and
mere eating. You like pictures, Ell ?"
That one belonged to u.s." I said,
CHANGING gloomily at fine Constable.
I'll let you have it-when you want
it-at the price gave for it, He named
a considerable sum. You would like
he peered at me from behind his glass
Ito buy back the old acres?"
YES" 1 replied. with energy, st
would"
Things are coming your way, my
boy. Lucky, now, wasn't it, that you
read that little .ad'? How long, at, say,
thirty dollars a month, would it take
to buy that picture, or dozen cases
of wine even? Eth? eh?''
Fifty minutes later the dinner (as he
said, a dinner fit for princel came to
an end, and we returned to the library.
where coffee was served in some won
derfui Belleek china cups. Then my host
unlocked a grotesquely carved Chinese
cabinet and produced some curious ci-
CARS, cigars never seen in the market,
long and thin. with outside leaves of
velvety fineness. and fragrance which
fingers still in my memory. These
we lighted. and Gerard. sitting near me
with his back to the lamp, sighed softly
L confess that / was nervous. The
elaborate dinner, the rare wines, the
talk. turning as it had upon the glory
and desirability of things material, had
stirred my senses. but aroused my sus-
picions. Why. L asked myself, why
this parade of wealth, this worship Oh
the Golden Calf? Gerard, watching me
with his shrewd blinking eyes. inter
pretei my thoughts.