Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-11-29
under her long lashes. He notices It.
and laughs copstrainedly.

under her long 1ashes. He notices &c,
and laughs copstrainedly.
ssYou must not mind what say.
feel out of sorts this neutrality-suspicious.
like a criminal running away from JUS
tice."
$50? I fancied that something was
amiss." She speaks quietly, but there
is a taste of sarcasm in her voice.
sWhen you first glanced toward me
you started a though were the sher-
iff you dreaded"
"You are" he blu~ted out, desperate
w. The conductor stops at their seat
and he hands him the tickets. After
they are punched a nd returned he con-
tinues, in low voice: 81 have felt like
a criminal all the morning. but it
seemed the only way. You know why
1 am leaving?"
"No.' A delicate flush is stealing
into her face, but she looks at him
inquiringly.
"You are very rich, and am very
poor"
els that alp" The flush deepens. but
the look of uncertainty vanishes from
the brown eyes. They look straight
into his now. 'Is that all?" she re-
peats "What a coward"
"Besides, 1 think there is mistake"
she continues, hurriedly. "I am not so
very rich. The Miss Stanton who is
reputed to be enormously wealthy is
the one at the Imperial. And, on the
other hand, it does not seem to me
that an artist who receives a thousand
dollars apiece for his pictures is de-
serving of much sympathy on account
of poverty"
"Such sales are very rare. But how
did you know? never told"
'No; but your Uncle Henry paid that
for the Trout Brook and Sunrise
through his agent in Paris"
''Unc1e Henry-who?"
"Your Aunt Helen's husband. Didn't
you know his name?'
| He shakes his head and leans toward
| her with sudden understanding COM
| ing into his eyes. But at this moment
there is slowing of the train and
| stentorian voice called out "Wake.
| field!" Under cover of the confusion
! he touches her hand.
"And you are-Cousin Clara?" with
eager inquiry in his voice.
| eyes, by courtesy. Mr.. Willard was
| 3
came I grew to regard her family al.
most as my own. She often spoke Of
you, and wanted me to call her Aunt
Helen and you cousin Robert. She was
very good to me-"
| "And you have known me all these
weeks and didn't speak? Strange that
| I should have been such an ardent
hunter of Claras and not even learn
| TJi6 ,t ~,
my address?''
"By the merest accident. You had
tchanged places so often that we lost
all trace of you. Even the dealer in
Paris could give NO information. When
I started for Narragansett Pier you
and your bequest had about slipped
from my thoughts. You can judge of
my surprise when I picked up piece
j OF pasteboard from the car seat and
found it was your address. I could
only ina CINE at the time that some ac-
quaintance of yours had thrown it
away. Now, 1 think that you dropped
it when you raised the car window"
"And you wrote to me as soon as you
reached the hotel. It is very curious
all of it. But why didn't you explain
things after you met me?"
| udu CAPIoIA' AdO
met several Mr.. Leightons before, and
did not connect you in any way with
Cousin Robert. I never thought of him
as being in this country. 1t was only
when you began to talk about Paris
the other day that I suspected you1
identity; but I was not sure until you
brought me that little picture yester
day with the initials the same as those
on the two Mr.. Willard had bought.
did not speak then because-becaus'
I was waiting for you to discover me.
His hand is inclosing hers now, ant
!. there is a rapt, eXultant look on hi
face. The train rumbles across
bridge and around curve between twa
yellow banks. She is looking from tn,
window, with a Pickering, tremulou
seeking the brown. eyes his own gaz
goes to the window and wanders gu
across the fields. Long rows of house
t glide out from among the trees in TIL
distance; two or three pretty cottage
= appear on the green slope; then
freight house and platform shut GU
: the view, and the train comes to
+. sloy stop.
a 1t is only when they glide away fror
5 the station that the brown eyes com
f back to his.
= "And sc, you are going away?" sh
f asks, softly.
"Only as far as Providence. will re
n turn tonight"
II - = 81 &c - z25EyN