Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-11-17
THE DISTANT
DRUM
NJ ". H. LANCASTER
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
SCopyright, 1904, By Daily Story Pub. COL


SNHARLEY BRoNToN grinned:
"'Nor heed the rumble Of distan
drum" he quoted, derisively. Then h
read the closing lines Of her letter agaiI
-.Dear little girl forgive this stupid lot
Ter, I'm tired tonight, dog-tired."
Slipped up on yourself that time. oil
fellow. No woman would write like tina
-dog-tired'. Dear little GIRL And yoI
still expect me to believe that M stand
for Mary? So? Let's see II Lottie can
hold up her end Of the line rather better?'
And smiling savagely he drew sheet o
perfumed note nearer and wrote in thu
aRrge, angular characters the girls Of hi
acquaintance affected:
my own dear Molly" distant rufile
OF doubt reached him. II 1t should be
woman? Helaughed harshly. May the
gods mend my folly. III swear he is a
man. He gives himself away at every
turn. Though why in reason he should
wish to pose as woman-unless he is
a scamp-and that's what he is. And
dead to the drum, and the absurdity Of
his occupation, the over-driven man
plunged into an account Of society plums
that did great credit to his own faith in
his imagination.
Long years ago when he was college
boy, Charles Bronton had had girl cor
respondent, but he realized that those
letters were not what girl would be
apt to write to feminine correspond
ent, and confidant; and this was the
problem he had been wrestling with
ever since the taking tenderness of a
Lullaby had lured him into writing
note of congratulations to its author and
a native shyness of sentiment forced
him to sign this note Charlotte Bronton
He had said what he felt an urgent need
OF saying and his tracks were covered
Yet the reply surprised him. 1t began:
my dear little lady," He Charles Bron-
ton, the stern man of affairs had never
been mistaken for woman before. In
the first sting Of his pique the old love of
mischief, he had believed long dead,
awoke and came to his assistance. There
was tempting chance to make fool of
the other fellow-and stocks were good
just then. Bronton wrote such a reply
as he fancied BETTING the pen Of dear
little lady" and awaited developments.
The answer that came promptly was
gravely gentle with suggestion of ten
ldOrness that stirred in him emotions he
had not felt since his mothers fingers
mad been taken from his hair forever.
But he lodged the emotion and the
drum and sunk the sensation in care
less by glory, the fellow knows his
ropes. A little while the correspond
snce ran upon literature and the emo
tions in the abstract but Bronton re-
membering hard those girllsh letters of
long ago soon limited coyly desire to
know what the M in Mr.. Boswells name
stood for. He had been told promptly
that 1t was not Mr.. Boswell, but Miss,
and that the M stood for Mary. Hearty
daughter came to him for the first time
since he had Joined the Money-Mads. |
COA m' Doo Woll lcItole, III hplteOl tudt
cleverly suggested tenderness, had been
masculine almost to the point of tobacco
smelling
What the deuce is he driving at?"
Bronton grumbled, SOLDERING suddenly.
Was 1t an effort to force his hand or a
aesign to dupe young girl. Bronton
had business mans opinion OF literary
chaps. And as stocks took bad turn
Just then his projected fun ended in a
grim determination to lead on scound-
rel to his undoing. He laid on the young
girl thick and sweet and evidently she
won upon M. Boswell. The replies he
received took on a more openly, tender
tone, quickened with CHEEKY hope that
It heartened one to read. Charlotte was
soon cut down to Lottie or simply MY
dear"-which last sometimes caused a
ruffle from the distant drum. Bronton
vas forced to yield grudging admira-
ton to the fellows skill, his gradual
approaches, and the tenacity with which
he held each gain of ground This let
ter had begun my dear" and so full
had 1t been of strong, sweet patience
that once or twice during the reading of
{ the distant drum had drawn near
suppose It should be woman, a woman
who could understandable kind of wom-
IN he had felt the need Of when things
went wrong. But at that ending. But
It that ending "dog-tired" he had hard !
med his heart in bitter disgust-at such
bad acting. Now for lot OF girllsh SYM |
'athy and not little girlish love and
We will see what becomes Of Mary"
A reply came by return mail: my
,wn dear little girl" he read. "Your
was very sweet, but It made
ne feel like a thief in the night"-ah,
la-"for matters we're not nearly
10 bad with me as l evidently ]
ed you to believe"-oh, bosh-'I
vonder II you realize what your 4
etters have come to mean to me-like
pen, sunny places in the thin woods q
4 life. Do you remember the woods 4
there Rinaldo strove-hend possessed?
don't mean that my life is nearly so DIFF !
AnmNA AwaA