The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1907-09-14

"Lost-all-your ~fortune?" STAN
mered Dennis. Why. the colonel
never suspected this. He has repeat
eddy explained to me what a solid
foundation your money would be to
our lettering credit. Do you know
that we are on the eve of bank
ruptcy?"
Then they laughed, these two. as #
this were the best joke Of the sea
son!
Miss Murray was the first to speak.
1T is too delicious she gasped,
sweeping a bit of flmy cobweb
across her eyes. Suppose they had
really succeeded in their plans
wouldn't the awakening have been
terrible! Whatever else fate has in
store for us. we are fortunate in
missing that. But l must tell you
why l accepted the invitation here
simply for a changel Life was un.
bearable at Brother Johns, and |
told myself that | would conceive
you my confidence if you were worthy
of it (Which the first glance assured
me that you were), secure a few
weeks rest, and so have time to col.
lect my scattered thoughts and de.
eide Upon some plan of action for the
future. Was not my decision a wise
one?'
Ask yourself that question at the
end of a week. answered Dennis,
with an awkward laugh, 81 am afraid
you have escaped C~harybdis only to
be wrecked at last upon Scylla! Ours
is not what would be termed a happy
family. The colonel and his wife were
never known to agree on any subject,
and they are always-conversing."
DO they-quarrel?" asked Miss
Murray, in an awed undertone.
"Fearfully," answered Dennis.
grimly, rather enjoying his compan-
ions %perturbed face.
Before people?"
Before people"
Well" she said, relectively. zen.
tering upon such a life will not be as
difficult as if n had not served an
apprenticeship beforehand, and l am
already fortified, so you will have no
occasion to feel annoyed about me.
hear you have a lovely place. |
will enjoy that, while whatever others
think, you will know that l have no
designs upon you. But | shall ex-
pect you to be my friend and make
my visit as pleasant as possible; will
your
Il shall do everything in my pow
er," he answered fervently, actually
smiling upon her in a manner that,
had they seen it, would have enraged
the feminine admirers who had vain
ly tried to make some impression
upon his obdurate heart.
Thus was their friendship estab.
lished.
Mn the weeks that followed Dennis
CORTLAND fulfilled his promise.
Gray clouds swept over the sky, and
a little chill entered Miss Murray's
heart as she made ready for her de-
p%arture and said she was glad she
was going. She said it repeatedly
though no one had ~contradicted her
and added that gloomy weather al
ways had made her miserable, al
ways!
And with this apology for an aching
heart, Miss Murray made a most be-
coming toilette and went down to
spend her last evening with the Court.
lands.
She was all alone and was singing
when Dennis entered, sweet, old-fash-
Toned ballads that u grandmothers
knew and loved.
Dennis listened with a feeling Of
pleasure akin to pain to the half-pa-
thetic, half hooking ballads.
A duh red fire, a warm room scent
Cd with chrysanthemums, a young
girl singing-the face or the voice,
which was the sweetest? He could
not tell. But that the song, the mel
ody of which would echo down all the
years of his after life, had been made
for him and was now sung for him by
this lost woman of his youth yet un.
possessed"
He reused himself at last to realize
that she was going. He gazed long
ingly into her face. He held her
hands with a mighty strength, then
pressed them gently to his lips.
why, Dennis, you don't"
But l do" he answered, with a
laugh that was half a sob. 81 love YOU.
Genise! / would die for you!"
But Miss Murray remained silent.
her hands resting passively in his. her
eyes fixed wonderingly on the hand.
some, soldierly figure. the pale face
and the glossy, cropped head.
That Dennis loved her-her! was
something almost beyond the young
lady's comprehension, and that the
knowledge of this fact should thrill
her with such wild, strange Joy. was
something almost equally incompre-
hensible.
The man was waiting for an an.
swer. She must speak.
Il want-you," she cried, desper-