Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-12-28

a little pond just below in the meadow.
He put up his eyeglass-it was goose.
But a goose is better than nothing"
thought he. Il can't go back to that
landlord with nothing in my bag"
However, while he was collecting his
scattered senses the goose flew away,
making gOod time, as geese fly, over
the meadow John Houston Started In
pursuit All my life have peeh on
wiId-goose chase" he thought; L won't
give up now" Over hliIockS, over
boys, now down in the Oozy slusn, no"
confronted by barbed-wire fences, ne
kept up his chase after the gray goose.
No one seeing this man now "ouIo
have wondered at the concentration oI
purpose which had accumulated MS
immense fortune. Not one OF tneE
would have guessed that his purpose
had failed in the one thing ne deemed
of moment in the world.
SUDDEN he found himself UP
against a high board fence with
swinging picket gate in 1.-THE goose
had disappeared. 1t was raining Tor
rents now. lie opened the gate ana
stepped inside. There was a woman
there-a tall slender woman dressed
in black. with a big tapping hat. She
was feeding the geese. AS John HouS-
ton looked at her he thought she
might be 80 or even 40. for the halr
was a dead gray under the black hat.
But she carried the grace and sprlght-
illness Of her prime in her 1.-the move
ments and vibrant voice as she called
the geese about her.
Il beg your pardon, ma'an.' said
John I.OuSton. -"
oh" she said, turning sharply, ARE
you the man who frightened my geese
500"
I'm afraid am" said John.
But you are wet" she said, quickly,
noting the disheveled condition of the
man. It's perfect downpour. Won't
you come in and dry your clothes a
bit?''
John Houston did not hesitate.
Without realizing it, he was thinking
of rheumatism and of the desolate
room at the inn He passed through
the neat kitchen into the living-room.
And such a room! He had never
thought to see its like in Mapleton.
Long, low, With a blazing fire at one
end, it was filled with surprises Of
| easy lounging places divans and cush-
ions
Make yourself at home, said the
woman, motioning toward the blazing
fire, and l will have Sarah brew you
a warm drink. You are chilled to the
| bone"
When she came back with a steam
! ing cup on little tray he was stand
| ing before the fire. He had thrown
aside his cap and heavy hunting jack
ct, and was holding in his hand a pic
ture he had picked up from the table
| The darkness of night had set in, and
! With it the storm was increasing. The
blaze leaped up from the open wood
| fire and shOne on her as she entered.
A woman never shows to better advan-
tage than in the freight. The gray
hair was an illumination as it fell in
| girliSh locks on each side of the face.
! The face was flushed with a delicate
| pink; her hospitality had been good
| for her-sne looked almost young.
For a moment John Houston did not
speak. There was a look in his face
the men in Wall street would have
! been surprisf ! to see. His lips were a
little drawn and white, but when She
advanced to set the tray on the table
! before him lie managed to bring a kind
of smile. He took a step forward.
I Agnes" he cried, impetuously, "Ag-
mes don't you know me?" The tray
tumbled and the steaming liquid poured
over the white hand, but she did not
mind.
John" She was GREATNESS. John,
where did you come from?"
From chasing your old gray goose, -
! lie said. "All my life since you left
me have been on a wild-goose chase. "
They seated themselves. Explanations
were in order The hot drink was for
gotten.
''Why did you run away from me,
Agres?" John Houston asked.
Why? You must have known. John.
Robert, my brother-he defaulted.
We were so proud of him, mother and
|. We paid every cent of that awful
ndebtedness-then Robert died. We
came here to bury our grief and our
shame. l was afraid of you-even of
you, John-afraid of the disgrace"
John Houston rose and stood before
the fire again. How handsome he
looked-a man is rot really old at so
Il have been all my life on a wild
goose chase he cried, impetuously.
She rose, too, the old humorous ten
derness on her face and in her eyes.
But you have found your old era,
goose at last" she said.-Los Angelo:
Times.