Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-27


She left two nights ago-that is one
reason I am here"
But Merriam burst in upon her wall
ing, half incoherent words. I'm Gods
name what do you mean? You or 1
must be mad. Here, Hop. quick!
Where are my clothes? Fetch them at
once; then go for Capt. Grafton
"I'm not mad" she answered. Read
thistle letter she left for you," and
The wretched woman tossed upon the
/. bed the note she .hadtaken from among
the others on the manteI, and, shouting
for light. Merriam tore open the en-
velope, while the Chinaman. nerveless
open the shutters.
In the next minute Randy had read
the page, with staring, throbbing eyes,
then fairly ordered her from the room
and dazed, yet terrified at the effect of
her announcement, she crept into F1ors
ence's room and threw herself into a
chair, moaning and rocking to and fro
Like a mailman Merriam was up and
tearing about, issuing rapid orders to
the servant, his iaWeness all forgotten,
and Hop. awed and dismayed, dared dis
obey him in nothing. Quickly he
dressed his master, pulling on light rid
Jag breeches and leggings instead of
the cavalry scouting rig. and carefully
drawing a hunting shirt over the
crippled arm that in its sling and ban
dages.was now bound close tothe, body.
1t seemed to take no time at all to get
Rim dressed, yet Merriam fumed and
ragged. and then jimped forth into the
hall. bidding Hop go saddle Brown
Dick at once.
At sound of his hating footsteps in
the hall, she had once more reused her
self to action, her own weight of care
and trouble urging her on. Randy"
she cried, "for Gods sake answer me!
Are yop sure-are you sure-was there
no other statement? no other paper?
Did he persist to the last that his moth
Or gas alive?''
'Mrs. McLane," was the answer,
you forced meeto tell you the truth.
cid all could to keep it-and to keep
hyselr from you. but you would have
It."
'Oh. Randy, Randyi" she cried
you are heartlessi You are brutal,
visdictive! You are Furnishing me be-
cause I so cruelty wronged you. But
what did I ever do to you compared
with what you have done to me? Oh,
why, if SOU ever loved me, why could
you not have destroyed that lying pa
per that is to rob me of my name, my
rights rob me of everything?"
"Eush!" he answered, leaning hcav-
lily against the balustrade. II rode
night and day. We sent the swiftest
courier we had-to save your honor-to
stop that marriage"
"But you didn't stop it! You were
too 1ote!" she cried. ''And when you
saw. it was too late, instead of burning
those papers or giving them to me
you held them that you might triumph
OYER my ruin. Then when you knew 1
was coming to beg for them, you were
coward, Randy-you sent them all to
Ned Parry, that my own sister might
gloat over my downfall"
Mrs. McLane," he interrupted, this
is all unjust, all untrue. Ask Mr.. Parry
when he comes, as come he proba bly,
will. But this ends our meetings. God
forbid that 1 should ever see you alone
again! 1t has driven from me my wife
the wife l love and love- devotedly-
do you hear?-and I'm going now to
find her."
GNU thCh liz oIOAC oul 10 INT
stable ne staggered; love, pity, devo-
tiotP urging him on and triumphing over
tbeSstill numbing effect of the deaden-
ing drug whose languorous spell he
had never known before; and Brown
Dick whinnied his welcome and impa-
tience, and Hop Ling whimpered his
"pfdgin" protests, even as he was
''cinching" on Merriam's field saddle
with its well-stocked pouches. Randy
fiercely ordered silence, babe the Chi
| naman give him hand, and then, with
blurred eyes and senses, with ears still
drowsily ringing, he slowly climbed
into saddle, hardly missing the Gus
tomary grip of the left hand in the
name. Then out he rode into the sun
shine, Brown Dick bounding with
eagerness to search for and rejoin his
stable mate; and then with every stride
has he tore away over the mesa Randy
felt the cobwebs brushing from his
brain, and hope and determination
squirting him on. you have broken
your word and gone to your old love, !"
was the stern message Of Florence's
brief letter. II will be no mans fool, no
faithless husbands wife. You need not
look fog me nor follow, for will never
come to you again
Another time pride, anger and sense
OF wrong might have held his hand, but
not now. And before that half-crazed,
half-cringing woman could give the
alarm, Randy Merriam was riding fast
and furious to join the pursuit. think
ing only of her suffering and her sor-
row, all ignorant. mercifully. of the
new peril that involved his precious
wife.
1t was vain for DR.. Leavitt to heap i'm
precation on the head of that hapless
Chinaman. Implicit obedience to the