Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-10-17
WERE SOCIETY PALS.

Men of social standing with time enough on
their hands to participate in social events
were few in Braybridge and Capt. Brough
ton was in great demand by the ladies. But
Capt. Broughton was not socially inclined
when it came to matters of afternoon teas
and such like. He usually went, to be sure,
hut it was as a matter of duty more than
pleasure.
She, Maude Brierley, was the daughter of
the vicar of st. Botolph's, a village three
miles from Braybridge.
They had only known each other for few
months, and, without being actually in love,
were conscious of a feeling of satisfaction
when each caught sight of the other in a
drawing-room, in a ballroom or at meet of
the hounds.
She's here, anyhow, it won't be so
deadly" was more than once the unspoken
observation of Jim Broughton, as he found
himself, perhaps one of three men, handling
tea and coffee at five-o'cloc trumpet wor-
1y," where females most do congregate.
Maude also had. more than once said to
her sister as she drove into Braybridge for
some entertainment or other:
81 hope Capt. Broughton will be there; all
these sort of things seem to go off better
when he is there
But she would have utterly laughed to
scorn the idea that she was in love with
him.
But the man took different view of the
friendship. He began to feel so insuffer
ably bored at any gathering from which
Maude was absent, and she always appeared
to him to be genuinely glad when she met
him, that he quite made up his mind that he
had only to put the important, if rather trite
and ancient question, to find himself the &C.
cepted lover of the incest girl in the neigh
borhood. Yet Jim Broughton not a
conceited MANN fact, the reverse-but he
had, like many men, been always trained up
IL the belief that every girl, more especially
every girl belonging to a large family. was
bent on getting a husband; as to what the
husband might be like, was, he believed, a
matter of secondary Importance to the girl
Hence the mistake he made and his conse-
Quent discontinue.
He found himself one afternoon whilst
hunting, within a mile of ST. Botolph's;
there was no scent, and it had come on to
snow, so, under the circumstances, perhaps
he may be forgiven for turning his horses
head away from hounds at three in the aft
ernoon, particularly when he could see
through the leahess branches, creaking in
the snowstorm, the house which held the
girl he was beginning to feel he could not
do without.
Some more people came to tea, and
Broughton found himself sitting in rather
a far-off corner of the big drawing-room
with Maude. He thought that she looked
a perfect little lady, from the coils of her
pretty hair 1.-THE one beauty the girls few
enemies allowed herr to the point of her
tiny shoe; and, more than that, the thought
came to him that she was a good woman,
and every man, believe, however bad he
may be, deep down in his heart hopes that
the woman he loves may be that.
Presently Broughton bent towards her
and in low voice addressed her as
".Maude;" he had never called her SO before,
and SIZE thought it little forward of him.
Then she understood that Capt. Droughton
Jim Broughton, as he was called by every
hc<3y-Evas asking her to marry him.
But she had never dreamt of marriage
Ne& KIN! Thought chased thought
thSt'ash her brain. Had she encouraged the
rcsr fellow? How nice it was of him!
Would it hurt him much to be refused?
In the pleasant twilight BrougiIton got
lis answer.
why did you ask me that, Capt Brough-
ton?" He heard in her voice new note,
note of pity or of pain. 81 cannot do
what you ask me. Never, I'm afraid. l am
sorry"
'Never mind" said poor Jim Broughton.
One night she, with her father and moth
er, dined at the Murdochs'. 1t was large
party. As they stood and sat about pre-
vious to dinner being announced Mrs. Brier-
ley glanced with justifable pride at M1ude;
she, in pearl-gray, looked, in the subdued
light of the standard lamps, charming pic
ture of graceful refinement. Maude was
talking to a commonplace old lady about
the ravages of the influenza. There were two
young fellows in pink near her; suddenly
she heard one of them make remark which
seemed to stun her and stop the beating of
her heart.
Poor Jim Broughton got bad fall'
SO l hear; horse came right on top Of
him, 1 believe"
Yes; served him right, you know; he
had no business to ride at such place"
Maude found herself praying that she
might not faint or make a scene, for this
news hurt her terribly. After he had got
his answer that wintry afternoon he had
Systematically kept away from her; she
never met him now at peoples houses, and
she never thought she would have missed
him SO. And now, perhaps, he was going to
die.
as Capt. Broughton badly hurt?' she
asked the young man at her side, in voice
she tried to keep steady.
There was a little catch in her voice, which
for the life of her she could not help. The
young fellow glanced quickly at her.
81 don't know, Miss Brierley; he may
have only wrenched some sinews-you can
never tell. He simply went at a place, as
hard as he could, where there was abso-
lutely no foothold for horse; he has been
going like a mailman the last few weeks.
/ can't think what has come to him.
Maude talked hard and fast about the
Meredith's dance talked the subject to
death Discussed floors, and how to make
them slippery; she complained that the
music had been too far away, and then said
she liked it far away; said Mrs. Meredith
was the best hostess in the world, and then
found herself agreeing heartily with her