Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-01-04

scenery, and in an off-hand question
ing way said: "Well?"
The magazine that Rebecca Bruce
had been reading when he entered the
carriage tumbled from her daintily-
gloved hand to the floor. :. Half an
hour later a man picked it up, and
| discovered between it's pages a bunch
of withered violets. He glanced about
to see that no one was looking, and
then he placed the tiJwers in an in
| side pocket His name was Todd. He
was leaving the golf club for Ascot.
AS the train moved out he saw his
| future brother-in-law SPEEDING toward
! the links as if gliding on air. He was
thinking Of Lord Lughton's reply when
he, Todd, had wished the other luck
in the afternoons match" Lughton had
! said:
Thanks. old boy! See you later.
I'm in paradise fit for the gods."
TODD wondered what he meant. He
was soon to know. Afterwards he
wondered how it was that he had not
understood The races had COM
menced when he reached his destina
|
lift on a friends drag. The friend
happened to be cousin of Miss Re-
becca Bruce. The first thing he said,
after they had settled in their re-
spective places, was:
Heard the news, Todd? Becky's
engaged to Lughton!"
Todd had not hard. He smiled half
ironically as Becky's cousin went on:
'Lughton's an awful good sort! I'm
tichled to death about it! You know
Becky's life hasn't been a bed of roses.
and she is such a little trump. I'm
awfully fond of Becky!''
/. The man understood the young fell
lows enthusiasm. No, life haG Ger
/ talnly not been a bed OF roses for the
girl who was to- make the most bril-
liant match of the season. Todd knew
; that. The poverty-strick man
smothered sigh as he turned to MS
companion and asked:
rs she here, now?"
Yes, she's with my mother, over
there. I promised to take her for 3
turn and get her away from the crowd.
She's tired. By the way, Todd, she
has to go back to town to-night-on
that Special You're taking it, too,
aren't your"
/ YES"
will you look after her on the way
up?"
with pleasure
Thanks, old man. don't believe
she's we'll, but she says she's all right.
and suppose she ought to know"
Yes, she ought to know
Todd thought of the violets, and
put his hand in his pocket to assure
himself of their safety They were
there.
The Ascot Special" was nearing
Waterloo as a girl tossed bunch CT
withered v:o!ets to the winds, and
then turned TO the man sitting cpo-
site her.
ct is better that they should go with
all the rest, Rex!"
Yes, perhaps so, Becky. Strange
that | should have found them. l rec
ognized them at once as being those
had sent you
Should you have sent them, Rex?"
why not? 1t was for the last time.
Becky! Do you remember how we used
to build castles in the air, and talk of
the violets and roses we should have
when"
Don't. Rex. 1t was not to be- We are
both poor. We have nothing. l am CRATE
full to the man who has been loyal to me
through everything. l mean to be loyal
to him from this time forth for ever
more!"
You think that might have given u2
my profession, given up erything-oh,
Becky, I'll do that now, if you say the
world"
But the girl was not listening She
was thinking of the woman Rex Todd
was going to marry.
The man went on:
Becky, we're nearly there. For the
last half-hour we have talked of what
might have been"
I'VE have. am sorry. Let US talk now
of what is to be-"
Becky, l can't give you up!''
stop, Rex! Will you make me regret
that my cousin sent NE back in-your
eare?"
Il see. It's all over. Becky, for the
sake Of Aud Lang Syne, tell NE, is there
anything l can DO to please you after
this?"
Yes. Be good to Madge You're lucky
to have won her."
Some one met them on the platform
and called out:
Hello. good people, where've you
been-to the races?'
The girl smiled and answered: Yes"
The man touched his hat, glanced
back at an empty railway carriage, and
muttered:
Been in fools aradisei"-Lady's
Realm.
A Royal Treasure House.