The Somerset reporter., 1905-03-02

fN' A4'A 10 hLSN hOV' ''N-A''
certainly was all in the dark and as an
cry as he was amazed to find himself
III Cupid's tolls. He had got almost
through this house party as through
hundred others scot free, unburdened
by more than passing memories of
black eyes or gray or blue. Indeed he
had passed up Mildred Gore as impos-
sible two minutes after he took her In
to dinner, regretfully too. 1t was on
many counts 50 desirable that he
should find in her the woman he
wished to marry.
She was his equal in birth in for
tune, in position; his people approved
her thoroughly; moreover there Ind
descended to him a burden of oblga.
ton to her blood which it was impo>si
Bile that money could discharge Her
father had come TO his fathers rescue
in a day Of trouble that otherwise must
have ended in disaster forcing his WAY
through u mob Of clamoring depositors
In the elder Karsens' bank, with bags
of gold in either hand and a ready
promise Of ten times as much at need.
That had stopped the senseless run.
Men who had been ready to fight for
their money had begged abjectly to
have it kept in the vaults.
This, of course, had been in the days
of provincialism, before Banker Kar-
sens had come to the city to prosper
and die a millionaire. His son Herbert
had only the haziest memory of the
fitting of Minton, the little home town,
and haziest of all Of Mildred as a wisp
of long, white clothes with something
red and squirmy at the top of them,
which he had been hidden to kiss. but
from which he had turned away in dis
gust, sticking small fists into his first
pair of pockets and saying grandly,
I'm a man now; don't kiss girls any
more"
Until two hours before they were to
leave Hidaway, the Barton country
house, he told himself the Gore girl
was out Of the question.
His wife must have, above all things,
beauty and brilliance. Mildred was
qdiVN' IuLAploh CNCh, nv thOhShbt wi
tent to play wall flower or happy with
Dicky Barton for company. Dicky was
an infant terrible, aged seven. All the
other girls Stunned him as much as
they dared
He had somehow sensed it that Mil
dred might be beauty If she chose be-
fore he saw her come home from a
rapid ride with cheeks like damask
roses and tendrils of soft brown hair
framing her glowing face. A crown
of wild grape blooms lay lightly above
the tendrils: sheaf of pink wild roses
was crushed against her dark green
coat just below the throat She was
laughing too, as merrily, as happily. as
Dicky himself-D icky, who rode at her
elbow, impishy happy over having
brought both their horses to the edge
of running away Dicky ii was who
had crowned her, after pulling off her
hat and letting down her hair He
scowled at Karsens as that gentleman
made to help Mildred down, saying
shrilly: You go way and stay with
your no goods. She" nodding toward
Mildred, belongs to me. I'm goin to
marry her when m grown up. That
will be about Christmas after next"
"Dicky. don't you think it might be
next Christmas?" Mildred asked, her
eyes dancing. II hate long engage
ments. They're always drcadfully sor-
rowful. besides being unlucky." Dicky
looked at her doubtfully.
How do you know" he asked. Are
you begaged to the fellow you carry
round IN your locket? | saw you kiss
it the other day. Let me see what he
looks like; you know you said you
would"
80 will-so time Mildred an
swered, catching him by the shoulders
and swinging him back and forth. Kar
sens noted how soft yet firm her hands
were, the fine modelling of wrists and
palms, the whole pose of grace and
strength But he hardly knew that he
did note them-he was so blindly, so flu
riously jealous Of the fellow in the
locket When Dicky at last ran away
to his mother Karsens stood before Mil
dred, asking imperatiyely, Are you
really engaged|
whats that to-Hecuba" Mildred
countered, her paling roses suddenly
red again
Everything" Karsens said, with n
thick undernote Mildred Mildred
he went on, II have been blind this ten
days. Now that ! see is it quite too
late?"
81 don't understand" Mildred said
suddenly. prim and pale. She half
turned away her face as she wound
up her thick hair and massed it high
on her head. II must go" she muir
INJURED. "Dicky has every hairpin In
some OF his pockets. He says he means
to keep them 80 | cannot go with the
others. My hair, you see, is unruly;
1t defies ordinary fastenings, so unless
/ can get the pins back before he thinks
to hide them the chances are | shall
really be prisoner until tomorrow.
All this in a huddle, with flight after
it. Karsens stood staring after the
vanishing figure in a scowling daze. lie
was angry clean through. If it was
fate's decree that he should be thus
bowed over. why had it not come to
pass at first? Then he might have had
chance now. now, when he had
shown himself "a condescendng ass, of