The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-09-26

Situation did NOT look SO dirk asst
had on the night Of the blizzard.
BE guessed It Mrs. Cables fame of
mind during the three days just past
by the tenor of her message over the
telephone. She did no more than 10
ask him to drop in before ) for a cup
Of a tea, but he saw b yond the G,pua
of her invitntion.
He went and had a few n inutesi
alone with her because he was mr., wd
enough to drop n before 5. No ne
else came until after that hour had
struck. II was studiousl rys e., ed
and cOnsiderate. There "; nothing In
his manner to indicate hat ne was
there as anything more than the most
caeal sippe- of the bHv, DIRE that 50
clety brews. 1t wds eft for her to
make the advances.
I'VE must come q an understand
ing, " she said alb w1 tly. 80 cahuot vu-
dure the suspense. thc ul certaip'y.'
Bansemer rai..d his broVs with
grave condesccrs on.
"Then youhdAr mot r'ofessed to Mr..
Ca ble?" he asked with perfect uncon-
Germ. do you know 4 was rather
hoping that you would have saved me
the trouble of doing So"
SIT means so much to-
1T means so much to-
"Ah, l see you find it hard to lose the
ground you have gained socially" He
stirred his tea steadily.
1T isn't that l don't care for that.
It's for Jane and David. l can only
offer to buy your silence, nothing
more" she said with hurried words.
II own shares in the railroad. They're
worth $4,000. VIII you take them?"
my dear" be said, leaning quite
close to her. II am not seeking to
blaeRmail you as you seem to imagine.
l have only tried to tell you that l love
you"
"Oh!" she exclaimed, with a shudder
of disgust. His face was quite close to
hers. She could feel his warm breath
on her cheek, and she drew away
quickly. S,s hand lowered close to
hers as +. 1ay in her lap.
There was an eyewitness to this sin
gle picture in the brief scene. Jane
had started downstairs. From the
upper steps she could look into the
drawing room below. She conld moi
help seeing Bansemer's fervent atti
tude. she heard nothing that he said
The girl paused in surprise. A feeling
as of dread-she could not explain
crept over her. A chill struck into heI
, heart.
1t was as If she had awakened from
a sweet sleep to look out upon a bleak
; horrid morning.
: Involuntarlly she shrank back, quit
{ beyond the actual vision, but not fire.
!, from it. She stood straight and tens
and silent at the top of the stairs, he
hand clasping the rail. She could hea
her heart throbs plainly. There was n
installing the picture as it had burs
: upon her unsuspectlng eyes. A grea
j fear, a dark uncertainty, welled up /
her heart.
"a 1t was not until the butler admitte
p other callers that she found the cou,
age to turn her eyes toward the draw
10 ing room. Although she succeeded
u hiding the fact, 1t was difficult to a
OF proach and greet James Bansemer wit
u the naturalness Of the u%nsuspectin
His manner was beyond reproach, AZ
Is yet for the first time she saw the re
T. light in his black eyes. She talked
~ him as if nothing had happened
" make her distrustful, but no self CO.
troll in the world could have checkC
u the growth Of that remorseless thir
D. called suspicion. For her own SAX
Ut for her mothers, for Graydon's, 81
tried to put 1t down. Instead it gre
III greater and stronger as she looked In
y his eyes, for in them she saw the ligI
% that heretofore had escaped her motto
oe And this was the father of the ms
u whom she was to marry, the n who
nc she loved with all her heart and sou
Il This the man who would degrade b
own mother! Her mOther-she look,
le at her with a new question in her eye
If Half a dozen people came and wei
James Bansemer was the last to leaV
Dd He met the girls tense, inqulring To-
m from time to time, but he could q
On have felt its meaning. There W
al nothing in her voice which might ha
es warned him, although it sounded stral
ed and without warmth on her oy
ears. In spite of herself she wonder
rs how he would act in saying goOdby
n her mother. Although she tried wi
all the might Of her will to look ava
ve she could not take her eyes from t
pair as Bansemer arose to depart.
His manner was most cireumspe
y The hand clasp was brief, even form
ho and there was no look in his eyes
indicate the presence Of anything b
the most casual emotions. After |
~, ~ departure Mrs. Gable turned to ia
and complained of a frightful headac
and went to her room to lie down I
awhile before dinner, James gaze +
~, lowed her steadily as she assembled
stairs. Then she walked to the W.
low and looked out upon the street,
= hundred perplexitles In her mind.
IN Her father was standing In the m
II = A.. -. II faaI~t.. IA.~. 4