Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-11-23
CHAPTER V.

After supper that night the three
gentlemen remained at the table after
the ladies had left, to smoke and drink
their wine. The windows of the big din
ing-hall opened like door onto the
veranda, and Capt. Wrinkle, faultlessly
attired in Tuxedo coat, low waistcoat
and snowy shirt and necktie, watched
the three ladies furtively as they, arm
in arm, promenaded back and forth in
the light of the big kerosene lamp on
a post where the carriages stopped. It
was not the colonel's habit to dress for
the evening meal, especially in the hot
season.. so he still wore his cool suit of
brown linen, and, in this. respect, Mr..
Hardy was glad to keep him company,
as he had really come to the country for
an easy, unceremonious outing. The
colonel liked nothing better than good
listeners, and, as he slipped his wine
and smoked, his pink complexion fair
ly shone while he discoursed on favor
tie topic of his-the beauty and many
virtues of the only lady guest in his
house, Mrs. Lancaster, a snowy-haired
widow not far from the colonel's age.
II am glad she came to-day he said.
"She is hard to get at; she travels so ex-
tensively, and am sure we never would
have her now if it were not for Evelyn;
they love each other like mother and
daughter. Why, I'll bet Mrs. Lancaster
doesn't stay in her Charleston home
one winter in five; does she, Hardy?"
mo, I think she likes Italy," said the
gentleman appealed to. 81 think
should have had the pleasure of meet
| ing her before this if she were often at
hor 1,,,t oh 1iff1o in
Charleston and has few intimate
| friends. L should say she was by ali
odds the most exclusive woman in the
city,
'Iam pretty sure,'' remarked the colo
mel, tentatively, "that she is very well
to do-that is, judge so by the life
she leads; it is one of expensive luxury
from beginning to end"
81 happen to know that she is decid-
edly rich,' replied Hardy. cit seems
that her husband, who was killed in the
war, owned extensive lands in the south
upon which phosphate beds have since
been discovered"
| "Her husband was not killed while
actually in service explained Has
brooke, land his death was a most
tragic one" The colonel looked round
the room and seeing James, the black
butler, standing behind his chair, hold
ing a napkin and corkscrew, he said:
Il shall ring when want you,
James,
When the negro had bowed himself
from the room, Col. Hasbrooke contin-
| ued. Yes Mrs. Lancaster's life has
been a sad one; she has revealed the
great grief of her lite to very few, and
then only to her most intimate friends.
She had been married to Lancaster only
about, two years when the first shot
| from Fort Sumter set his blood on
fire. He was one of the first in South
Carolina to offer his services, and as he
had had some military training and was
| highly educated he was made captain
| of company. He made good record
but was taken ill when his regiment
was stationed at little town in the
mountains of East Tennessee and was
ordered home on furlough. AS it was
in the month of August, Mrs. Lancaster
thought that the climate of Charles
ton would not be so good for him as that
of Tennessee. SO she telegraphed him to
wait and she would join him. She met
him with her only child, a baby in
arms, and they started through the
mountains to a retreat that had been
recommended to them as highly suit
able resting place. But on that journey
they met with the catastrophe which
blighted her whole life. The noun
tains in that section, like the noun
tains here. were infested with bandits
who lived upon plundering stragglers,
no matter of what politics. And it was
a gang of these reckless rufians into
which they ran. They were in a spring
wagon driven by a negro, who had all
along shown himself to be an arrant
coward. The first notification of dan
ser was the sudden appearance from
the bushes of half dozen armed men,
who demanded that the party alight
that the vehicle might be searched
Evidently Capt. Lancaster, who hap
pened to be holding the child in his
arms, thought that immediate obedi-
} ence was best. so he got out, telling the