Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-02-24

The address of the letter he was car
rying over his heart took him far up
town. When he succeeded in master
ing the intricaeies of the bells in the
apartment he found door was opened
by pert little maid. who stared SUI
percillously at his height and breadth.
his eS3thes and his sombrero-
No" she drawled, Miss Cameron
is not in: she is driving in the park
"Can | see her this evenings" he de-
nanded imperiousiy.
j why, no. she said, with astonished
her in the evening""
When can see her." he felt himself
going hot and cold by turns.
You might possibly see her al noon
o-morrow" snapped the maid. She's
never up before noon" Then she shut
! the door with a decided bang.
| Tom strobe away, hurt, angry. suspi-
cious. What did it mean? Art, car
Iriage, living in luxury Never up be-
fore noon. Suddenly he stopped and
cursed himself for a mean, pitiful cur
that he should suspect her OF anything
that was not good and pure and wom-
AMY. To-morrow-to-m morrow at noon.
| he would see her. Everything would
be explained, and on his knees he
would beg her to forgive him for his
unworthy suspicious.
As he entered his hotel he ran into
man from Denver whom he knew.
They shook hands and adjourned TO the
bar. Tom was honestly glad TO see
him. To tell the truth, the ranchman
was lonely and bit homesiek.
Got the dumpse" laughed tine man
from Denver. oh. brace up. Go to
the theater and amuse yourself. Let'a
see. Go TO the Gotham. There's .
great show there Out of sight. Say,
but there's girl there that's a beauty.
The town has gone wild over her. She
| is on only for a few moments. but she
leaves an impression I'll see you to-
morrow about noon. d-night-in
- of a hurry and he was gone be-
| fore Tom could tell him that to-mor-
| row at noon he had an engagement.
The theater was crowded. The stage
| was peopled by hosts of pretty girls
| with brazen smiles and alluring eyes.
There was plenty of fun and music
and dancing and laughter.
| But Tom was not interested. Perhaps
his lonely life had not fitted him to en-
| JOY such a shaking of folly bells. Per-
| haps the heart that had always rever-
enced womanhood despised the dubious
jest, the offensive innuendoes. He won-
dered as he looked about how nice
women could bear to listen to such
stuff.
| At times he lost sight of the stage.
Il In hfcv md
it throbbed through the melody OF the
orchestra, it resounded in the strains OF
song. The violins breathed and whis-
pered and sobbed the refrain over and
over, Tomorrow tomorrow al
noon"
At last the stage was darkened. He
heard some people next him talking
about the beautiful woman who was te
pose as a statue. lie leaned forward
The curtains parted. On a pedesta
| stood a woman with masses OF cluster
ing hair falling over her white shoul
ders. Her superb form stood out lik'
| Marble against the somber background
What was it the men were calling
ues as The carriages rolled up TO tn
stu. the shes.o-mOrrUw. nvoas
of course And what did all thos
blazing letters read in the glitterini
signs along the crowded thoroughfare
I"To-morrow at noon-tO-morrow a
NOON"
He went to his room. He laughed al
he flung himself upon his bed. ITO
Imorrow-to-m at noon"
The man from Denver knocked on hi!
door and ratified and shook it. WAX,
Iup Weir" he shouted, wake up. It!
Darling of Denver. Come. you laz,
Ibeggar, / want you 10 go to luncheon
with me.
| There was no answer.
Wake up, Weir" he called again
banging the door with his fist.
But no answer returned from the ST.
Ilent room, where the brawny form lay
stretched upon the bed and where the
blood was slowly triekling down from
the white forehead in which the ranch
mans sure bullet was buried.