Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-07-24
An Illogical Conclusion
BY Florence w. Dinsmore.
GORDON HAYNE had hardly taken
'ftt1tS''k''Sf''s-''s.
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicate)

GORDON HAYNE had hardly taken
II his old seat at the club when
George Hammond came up smiling.
Congratulate you, old mani" he
said.
Thanks! On what?" responded
Hayne from behind his paper. But
the felicitation.
Upon this Hayne looked up. whats
it all about" he said. Perhaps you'll
explain?"
perhaps this will explain Knocked
Hammond. And he read aloud a para
graph from a society journal
1T is intimated. on the best authority.
that the engagement of Miss Doris Ath-
erton and Mr. Gordon Hayne will shortly
be announced"
Haynes teeth set hard, but his face
did not change. That's stupid bust
ness" he said. "Somebody's blunder,
which / shall have 20 contradict"
Contradict" exclaimed Hammond.
why, everyone expected it a month
ago. Then it's not true?"
Not a word of truth in it," an
severed Hayne. And he walked away,
leaving three puzzled faces behind.
Hayne went straight to the editor
of the Social Calendar, with whom he
had some acquaintance. The latter
looked up from his writing with
smile.
"Ah, Mr.. Hayne. Allow me to con-
graduate you!"
THAT is precisely what l have come
about" replied Hayne. 81 want that
notice of my engagement contradict
ed. It's mistake"
"A mistake!" Deering stared at
him. How can that be? 1 had it
from"
From whom" Hayue leaned over
the desk where Deering was pulling
out some papers.
From the lady herself. Yes, here it
is. Written in the third person, but
that's her monogram, you seq"
Hayne glanced at the dainty note,
with its familiar breath of heliotrope
Her monogram, but not her writing"
he said. "This could not possibly have
come from Miss Atherton. There is
some strange mistake, and can speak
for both in requesting an immediate
contradiction"
"Oh, certainly" answered Deering.
Il am very sorry for the contretemps,
but the utmost care is not an absolute
safeguard. you know
Well" said Hayne. "there is moth
ing to be done now except TO contra
dict it next week"
When his visitor had gone, Deerinp
wasted a whole busy minute in irving
10 put together this curious puzzle,
One month before, just such an an
nouncement had seemed imminent
Then came Haynes sudden departure
followed by much speculation as to
whether the match had been broker
off, or simply deferred. Next. his
return. with the logical sequence OF
this notice in the Calendar. And last
the denial, which scattered the pieces
again into hopeless confusion.
Meanwhile Hayne was thinking only
that he was going to see Doris Ather
ton again. With every step his hear
beat quickly against that bit of per
fumed paper in his breast pocket
How it brought back their last meet
ing and their parting quarrel, his mac
jealousy and his VOW never to seel
her again until she herself sent fo
him! And now Well, she certainl,
had not sent for him; of course. sh,
had known nothing of that mysterious
announcement, but he owed it to him
self to tell her that he was equally ig
norant. And he felt an unacknowl
edged thrill of pleasure in the neces
sity of the meeting, painful and EN-
barrassing as it must be.
AS he sat waiting while his card wa
taken up, he looked eagerly aroun,
the room, so filed with reminders o
bygone happiness. There was tn
piano, where they had sung together
the window box over whose blossom
their hands had met, the coy corne
where the first words of love had bee
spoken. But with her entrance, a
they stood together again, face t
face, yet SO far apart, all the bitter
ness of the present swept back upo
him.
There was NO touch of hands, n
lingering of eyes. Haynes bowed Xix
stranger. Miss Atherton, glanced a
him and then at the card she held