The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-05-25


IL shall stop IL you don't go on with
the game" declared the gentle old
lady, a smile crossing her sweet, sad
face; "and furthermore, l shall not
sing unless you all talk over your
game"
TO this the jovial host agreed un.
der protest. and the whist-players took
their places. Evelyn sat at the end
of the piano near enough to touch the
elbow of the singer. There was in
finite pathos in Mrs. Lancaster's voice
as she sang;
"Dey amt no use fer TO fret an pine.
Steady on de way. believers.
It's de same ole worl' wen de sun don't
shine,
Steady on de way. believers"
The colonel was dealing the cards.
but he made a mistake in the count.
and with low laugh he threw the
cards down. 81 must wait till that one
is over. anyway" he whispered. THAT
blamed thing always gets the best of
me-"
IT'S de same OF worr In de sun an de
rain
Same on de hilltop an same on de plain,
prayin'-
Steady on de way. believers.
"Dey's a great big blossom on de water
melon vine,
Steady on de way believers;
Fur peace come long wen you done wild
pain,
So keep up yo' shoutin' an keep on 70
prayin',
Steady on de way, believers"
There was just the faintest culver IN
Mrs. Lancaster's voice. which Evelyn
alone noticed, and a hint of moisture
in her eyes as the melody died in the
still room. She turned towards the
card players, who, with the exception
of the dapper captain, seemed deep
ly moved by her song.
81 knew l would stop your game"
she laughed, you are too polite to
enjoy life. Come, Evelyn, let's take
another stroll"
The view from the veranda was
| beautiful, and as the two walked back
and forth across the wide floor arm in
arm they enjoyed it silently. The moon
had risen and hung like a great globe
of yellow light just beneath a float
ing canopy of filmy clouds. Two
| rows of wind-moved elms stretched
out past the great iron-wrought gates
and between CLEANED the white ebert
drive. On sloping lawn to the left
! lay luNuriant parterres of flowers di-
versified by well-kept walks, and
smooth plots of grass. Near the cen
ter stood a fountain, its sprays CLEAN
ing like rain in an April shower
against the dark background of mag
nolia trees. The air which famed
their faces was laden with the per
they had walked several minutes in
silence they paused at the window
from which they had reached the YER
anda, and looked in on the players
Mr.. Hardy was dealing the cards anG
Capt. Wrinkle was relating some sort
If experience of his own which
seemed TO have reused the interest Of
his host.
"Of course" the captain was saying
'the fellows challenge was great sur
prise to me. ! confess that did driv,
against him out of pure devilment, fol-
| had heard what an egotistical. pre-
sumptive ass he was, an / wanted tC
pay him back for throwing my tiI
IN the river as il he were the prince
of Wales, but heaven knows, / didn't
think I'd get a bloody duel on my
hands. As you know, colonel, there
was nothing for me TO do but to
to make him see the absurdity of tn,
thing"
81 suppose not" returned the colonel
in noncommittal tone. Whatever
may have been his secret opinion o
Wrinkles valor he knew his duty a,
host too well to impugn it, or to rende
his guest uncomfortable by sharp crit
icism. And what did you say to him p
he ended.
"Why, | told him, of course, that hi
challenge was proof of downright
cowardice; that he knew well enough
that man in my position could no
fight a man in his. That settled him
lie retired like whipped cur"
And you did not explain or apollo
gize?" slipped almost unconscious!
from the lips of the colonel.
Not |, assure you; ha ha! Apollo
gize to him! That would have ruined
him forever"
Evelyn grasped the hand of Mrs
Lancaster, nervously, and drew he
across the room TO the players.
"Your story, Capt. Wrinkle" she said
her eyes flashing, reminds me yer!
much of a piece of fiction have reat
somewhere. The circumstances wer
identicnlly the same except that the of
ficer in the story allowed the hero Il
humiliate him by cutting off the but
tons and shoulder-straps from his uni
form. ] am so glad your experience die
not end that way. The truth is you
case was far more agreeable than tn
fiction in the other"
Capt. Wrinkle paled and interlace'
his fingers tightly on the smooth top o
the mahogany table. For one secon'
he glared like condemned man at tn
speaker and then the fierce stare of he