Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-01-28

BY riding b few mica westward one
came suddenly upon L fertile valley;
where grass and trees rbounded. and
where oil nature seemed to smile, and
where by rights the old post should
have been located; but oil that was Id
dian reservation when Sedgwick was
built, and not until long after did the
territorial officials succeed In getting
II Topped of from Los allotment and
thrown open to settlement Along the
bowery shades of the Santa Clara were
now ranches by the dozen, and hun
dred or more Of enterprising settlers,
and between them and the thronging
garrison at Sedgwick was peace and
good will and every kindly relation,
when Randy Merriam came out in the
December of the Columbian year, de-
termined to take his punishment like
a man. He had sworn of cigars and
extravagances Of every kind. For q
time he even declined to subscribe to
the hops, which were charming affairs,
for the band was excellent and the regi-
ment blessed with many lovely and
lovable women. Merriam spends oil
OF his money in stamps" was the COM
ment of the garrison wits, for he wrote
day after day to his distant darling In
the east. That winter Ned Parry ac-
cepted the junior partnership In the
great firm Of Graeme & Rayburn, in
Chicago, and moved thither with his
lovely wife, while Fan remained with
Aunt and Uncle Mellen In Gotham, pin
ing, presumably, for her PARKWAY SOL
der boy, and yet writing much less fire.
quently than he did, for the demands
of society were incessant and auntie
kept her ION the CO."
One day in April there came letter
from the east at sight Of which Randy
Merriam's face was radiant with joy.
II briefly told him that the long litiga-
ton was over and that some $500, all
that was left of the original $4,000, were
at his disposal. Jubilantly, confidently
then, he wrote to Fanny to name the
day, and in course of time there came a
reply, long, self-accusing, penitent,
miserable, but all-sufficient- The day
was named. and so was the map-Mr.
John Harold McLane, Of New York, q
wealthy widower Of IS.
The wedding of Miss Hayward and
Mr.. McLane followed so speedily the an
nouncement OF the engagement that
elderly club men, long years the chums
of the groom, barely had time to con-
coct suitable forms Of compliment and
congratu.ation. The reception which
followed the ceremony. however, was
on such n scale Of magnificence as to
leave little room for doubt that the Mel
lens had long been preparing for the
event. The business relations existing
for decade between Uncle Mellen and
John McLane were we'll understood.
Indeed the match was declared to be OF
Uncle Mellen's making, and the whole
transaction was openly referred to by
younger club men us most Mellenchol-
~ affair. Charlotte Parry went on from
Chicago to attend 1t, but Ned, her de-
voted lord, pleading very pressing pro-
fessional engagements, positively re-
fused to go. He wrote letter to Uncle
Mellen o bout that time, however, which
gave other reasons for his non-attend-
ance, and to which the recipient, after
several attempts, found it impossible to
reply. Mrs. Parry fastened back to
Chicago Immediately after the recep-
ton, and from that day neither she nor
her husband set foot within the Mellens'
doors. Aunt Charlotte declared the
conduct OF her niece most undutiful.
ungrateful, unaccountable, but her hus-
band said nothing.
The bride was vision OF girlish beau
~, that bright June wedding day. and