Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-03-08

yOu tnlnk you can scare me
away from here, you've walked I'D the
wrong man; and I'll tell you another
thing,-and you may repeat 1t to your
school teachers and to Mr.. Pickering
who pays you, and to Morgan, whom
somebody has hired to kill me.-that
Tn going to keep faith with my dead
grandfather, and that when I've spent
my year here and done what that old
man wished me to DO. I'll give them
this house and every acre Of ground
and every damned dollar the estate
carries with II. And now one other
thing! suppose there's a sheriff OF
some kind of constable with jurisdic.
. ton over this place. and | could have
the whole lot Of you put into jail for
conspiracy, but I'm going to stand out
against you alone,-do you understand
me, you hypocrite, you stupid, sinking
spy? Answer me, quick, before
throw you out Of the roomi"
had worked myself into q grea,
passion and fairly roared my chal
lenge, pounding the table in my rage.
Yes, sir; quite understand you,
sir. But I'm afraid, sir-"
"Of course you're afraid" shouted,
enraged anew by his hating speech.
you have every reason in the world
to be afraid. You've probably heard
that I'm a bad lot and a worthless ad-
venturer; but you can tell Sister The
resa or Pickering or anybody you
please that I'm ten times as bad as
I've ever been painted. Now clear out
OF here!"
knocked about the library all morn
Ing without easing my spirit, and
after luncheon | went OF for a tramp.
Winter had indeed come and pos.
sessed the earth, and it had given me
new landscape. The snow continued
to fall in great, heavy fakes, and the
ground was whitening fast
A rabbits track caught my eye and
l followed 1t. hardly conscious that
did so. Then the clear print of two
small shoes mingled with the rabbits
trail. A few moments later | picked
up an overshoe, probably lost in the
chase by one of Sister Theresa's girls,
| reflected. | remembered that while
at Tech I had collected a diversity of
memorabilia from school girl acquaint-
ances, and here | was beginning a
new series with string of beads and
an oVershOel
A rabbit is always an attractive
quarry. Few things besides riches are
so elusive, and the little fellows have,
am sure, a shrewd humor peculiar to
themselves. | rather envied the school
girl who had ventured forth for walk
in the first snow storm Of the season.
and recalled Aldrich's turn on eau
tiers lines as | followed the double
trail:
'Howe'er you tread, a tiny mould
Betrays that light foot all the same:
Upon this glistening, snowy fold
At every step ii signs your name"
A pretty autograph, indeed The
snow fell steadily and ! tramped on
over the joint signature of the girl and
the rabbit. Near the lake they parted
company the rabbit leading OF at a
tangent, on a line parallel with the
lake, while his pursuer's steps pointed
toward the boat house.
There was, so far as | knew. only
one student of adventurous blood at
st. Agatha's, and was not in the least
surprised to see, on the little sheltered
balcony of the boat house. the red tam
o-shanter. She wore, too, the covert
coat ! remembered from the day saw
her first from the wall. Her back was
toward me as drew near; her hands
were thrust into her pockets. She
was evidently enjoying the soft ming.
ling OF the snow with the still, blue
waters of the lake; and a girl and a
snow storm are. if you ask my opin-
ion, pretty combination. The fact of
girls facing a winter storm argues
NIGHTLY in her favor,-testifies, If you
will allow me, to serene and daunt.
less spirit for one thing, and a sound
constitution for another.
| ran up the steps, my cap in one
hand, her overshoe in the other. She
drew back a triae, just enough to bring
my conscience to its knees.
u didn't mean to listen that day. I
Just happened to be on the wall, and
1t was a thoroughly underbred trick
my twitting you about it-and should
nave uOlu you before II Id known how
to see you"
May | trouble you for that shoe,"
she said with tremendous dignity.
They taught that cold dlsdain of
man, suppose, as required study at
st. Agatha's.
"Oh. certainly! Won't you allow
me%
Thank you, MOI"
She took the damp bit of rubber-a
wet overshoe. even II small and hal.
lowed by associations, isn't pretty-as
Venus might have received a soft
shell crab~from the hand Of a fresh
young norman. | was between her
and the steps to which her eyes turned
longingly.
"0f course. II you won't accept my
apology | can't do anything about 1t;