Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-02-25
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
The manner In which Mrs. Frances
McLane secured her invitation to visit
the Graftons reflects credit on her gen.
eralship II not on her general char
acter. She was deep In widows weeds
and woe the lovely summer of % 10
long as she remained In the neighbor-
hood Of the mausoleum Of the dear
departed, and Mrs. Grafton twice or
thrice ran down from the Point TO
pour out sympathy and consolation. but
dear Fanny had sustained too severe q
shock. This dreadful, this mysterious.
this murderous assault upon MIR. Nc
Lane had unncrved her completely, said
Mrs. Grafton, on her return to her liege,
and she does not seem to rally at all.
Later, as we have seen, Charlotte took
her sister west, and later still the
Graftons, en- route to Sedgwick at last,
stopped five days in Chicago on their
way, and Fanny WINS ut the station to
meet them on their arrival. and insist
ed then, as she had before by letter.
upon their being her guests at her own
APARTMENTS at the Clarendon. She had
q lovely little room all ready for them.
Now Grafton was provident man. an
economical man. and five days hotel
bills made certainly q big hole in
months pay. Something even then
whispered to him that this extrava-
gance were better than that to which
acceptance of the widows invitation
would lead. But he banished the
thought as unworthy and uncharitable.
Fanny welcomed them with infinite
tact and taste-made them feel that
their coming was blessing to her, so
sad and lonely was her life now that II
WINS no longer blessed by the compan'
icnship and devotion Of the incompar-
able husband whom she had lost. She
could not accompany them to the opera
or to concerts and theaters. but she
Ind the best seats secured, and Ned
and Charlotte were properly attentive;
and when 1t was time for the Graftons
T., move on the ladies actually parted
with tears, Fanny looking so white, so
pathetic, so fragile, and protesting that
Mrs. Grafton was the one friend to
whom her heart chung in its bereave-
ment and desolation. A hacking lit
tie cough had already set in (this was
late in the fall), and the rigors OF the
Lake Michigan climate seemed telling
severely upon the Gotham-born girl
and urgently did Mrs. Grafton press
her to leave this clustering shore ana
10 come to her in that land where
coughs and bronchial and catarrhal
troubles are unknown, to bask In the
sunshine and drink in the delicious air
CT southern New Mexico; and Fan de-
clared that could she but be with Har'
riet her cough would never worry her.
butt could not bet could not be!
There were important legal matters to
be settled. She must fight her battle
alone. She could not yet go SO far from
that sacred dust.
All the same the Graftons were net
fairly settled at Sedgwick when rams
legal difficulties seemed to have been
settled and her cough grievously aug
mented. The doctors talked Of Bernie
da or San Diego. but the idea OF going TO
Bermuda. among strangers, was q nor
ror, SO she wrote; and as for Coronado
where, less than year agone, she hae
been so happy. so blest?-no! no! itwa,
impossible. Yet Chicago for the rest al
the winter was out Of the question. es'
pecinlly since the arrangement that
had grown up between her and her rel
atiyes in the east. that Ind even to some
extent involved Charlotte, her beloved
sister. Mrs. Grafton could not help
thinking how remarkably Frances had
developed since her school days. Then
she had never impressed anyone as be-
ing capable Of much deep feeling. There
had been a few months, indeed, when
Mrs. Grafton was angry and astonished
ut Frances. but those were just after
she "broke" with Randy Merriam and
married McLane. but Fan had wheedled
her out of this unfavorable mood and
convinced her that she had never really
cared for Mr.. Merriam, who. somehow
failed to inspire her with that feeling
Of respect, even reverence, which she
felt was due the man she married
whereas Mr.. McLane was q gentleman
of such dignity and force OF character
that she seemed powerless in his pres
encc, and his love was the sweetest nat
terry, the most surprising. thrilling JOY
| she had ever known. Not until he came
did she dream what love really meant
and then II was duty, Il was justice, II
was honor that compelled her to release
Mr.. Merriam. Had she married him she
would have gone to the altar with III
on her lips. for she loved another
Grafton said nothing. but seemed to b'
thinking q good deal, and II was plair
that he did not thoroughly approve o.
the tickle Frances. When. however. Mer
riam surprised everybody at the Poin
by his marriage to Floy Tremaine
Grafton concluded II was time to drol
the matter.
All the same he could not suppress hi
surprise when Harriet announced tina
Fanny had actually almost consented
to come to them. ~ thought you knew
disapproved Of that scheme entirely
said he.
"You did. dear. when / first spoke o
II, and so did I. I didn't think II woult
do at oil, but Fan talked so frank!
about Mr.. Merriam and the lovely tim
they'd had together on the Pacific coas
with him and his charming bride
and how he and she had laughed owe
their affair at the Point and agreed tina
Il would have been absurd. and nov
they were such good friends. and she's