Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-01-25
youthful. gambling days. handed

youthful. gambling days. handed
him one Of the bills. He hesitated.
For the four little Mulhollands,
urged.
He put it In his pocket. l watched
him and his men depart with heavy
heart. felt alone, horribly alone.
without tie or an interest Some
Of the morning papers spoke respect
fully of me as one of the strong men
who had ridden the food and had
been landed by it on the heights Of
wealth and power. Admiration and
envy lurked even in sneers at my
INSCRIPTIONS plotting" Since | had
wealth, plenty of wealth, did not
need character. OF what use was
character in such a world except as
a commodity to exchange for wealth?
ANY orders, sir?" interrupted my
captain
| looked round that vast and vivid
scene Of sea and land activities.
looked along the city's titanic skyline
the mighty fortresses of trade and
commerce piercing the heavens and
flinging to the wind their black ban.
ners Of defiance. felt that was
under the walls Of hell itself.
ITO get away from this" replied
to the waiting captain. Go back
down the Sound-to Dawn Hill"
Yes, I would go to the peaceful,
soothing country, to my dogs and
horses and those faithful servants
bound to me by our common love for
the same animals. Men to cross
swords with, to amuse oneself with"
| unused; 'but dogs and horses to
live with" | pictured myself at the
kennels-the joyful uproar the instant
instinct warned the dogs Of my CON-
ing; how they would leap and bark
and tremble in very ecstasy of de-
light as | stood among them; how
Jealous all the others would be. as I
selected one to caress.
Send her ahead as fast as she'll
CO." called to the captain.
AS the Albatross steamed into the
little harbor, I saw Mowbray Lang
don's Incidence at anchor. | glanced
toward Steuben Point-where his
cousins, the Vivians, lived-and
thought I recognized his launch at
their pier. We saluted the Incidence;
the Incidence saluted us. My launch
was piped away and took me ashore.
| strolled along the path that wound
round the base Of the hill toward the
kennels. At the crossing Of the path
down from the house, / paused and
fingered on the glimpse OF one Of the
corner towers Of the great snowy
palace. was muttering something
| listened to myself. It was: "Mul.
holland, Mrs. Mulholland and the four
little Mulhollands." And I felt like
laughing aloud, such a joke was II
that I should be envying a policeman
his potato patch and his fat wife and
his four brats, and that he should be
in a position to pity me.
You may be imagining that, through
all. Anita had been dominating nv
mind. That is the way 1t is in the
romances; but not In life. No doubt
there are men who brood upon the
impossible, and moon and maunder
away their lives over the grave of a
dead love; no doubt there are people
who will say that, because did moi
shoot Langdon or her, or myself. OF
fly to a desert or pose in the crowded
places OF the world as the last scene
OF a tragedy. | therefore cared little
about her. offer them this sugges
ton: A man strong enough to Civ,
love worth a woman's while Il
strong enough to live on without heI
when he finds he may not live with
her.
AS stood there that summer day,
looking toward the crest Of the hill
at the hooking mausoleum of my dead
cream, realized what the incessant
battle OF the street had meant to me-
There is peace for me only in the
storm" said l. But, thank God, there
II peace for me somewhere"
Through the foliage I had glimpses
OF some one coming slowly down the
Ilgzag path. Presently, at one of the
turnlngs halfway up the hill, appeared
mowbray Langdon. What is he do
Ing here" thought |, scarcely able to
believe my eyes. Here Of all placesl"
And then forgot the strangeness Of
his being at Dawn Hill in the strange
ness Of his expression. For il was an.
parent, even at the distance which
separated us, that he was suffering
from some great and recent blow. He
looked old and haggard; he walked
like a man who neither knows nor
cares where he is going.
He had not seen me, and my i'm.
pulse was to avoid him by continuing
on toward the kennels. | had no es.
pecial feeling against him; | had not
lost Anita because she cared for him
or ne for her, but because she did not
care for me-simply that to meet
would be awkward, disagreeable for
us both. At the slight noise OF my
movement to go on, he halted. glanced
round eagerly, as il he hoped the
sound had been made by some one he
wished to see. His glance fell on me
He stopped short, was for an instant
dfca0nnartaI. 49,. IL. e.. tf-L.I -