Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-11-10

strenuous measures. He had been led
In what he was doing tonight by q
diplomacy and a common sense that
few men east Of the Mississippi would
have thought out under the circum-
stances.
Tell Mr.. Ruggles," he heard Dan
say to her, tell him-tell him!"
And she answered:
Il was telling Mr.. Blair that, as he
is SO frightfully rich, want him to
give me some money"
Ruggles gasped, but answered quiet
ly:
We'll, he's a great giver, Miss
Lane" -
Il guess he Is II he's like his IA
ther!" she returned. 81 am trying to
get a lot, though, out Of him, aud
when you asked me to dine tonight |
said to myself, I'll accept, for 1t will
be good time to ask Mr.. Blair to
help me out in what / want to do
At Ruggles' face she smiled sweetly
and said graciously:
"0h, don't think | wouldn't have
come anyway. But I'm awfully tired
these days, and going out to supper is
just one thing too much to do! l
want Mr.. Blair" she said, turning to
Ruggles as II she knew a word from
him would make the thing 60 through,
ito help me build a rest home down
on the English coast, for girls who
get discouraged in their art. When
! think of the luck | have had and
how these things have been from the
beginning, and how money has just
poured in, why" she said ardently, 1T
Just makes my heart ache to think OF
the girls who try and fail, who go on
for little while and have to give up.
You can't tell"-she nodded to Rug
giles, as though she we're herself a
matron Of forty-"you can not tell
what their temptations are or what
comes up to make them 90 to pieces"
Ruggles listened with interest
81 haven't thought 1t all out yet, but
so many come to me tired out and
discouraged, and | think nice home
taken care of by a good creature like
my Higgins, let US say, would be a
perfect blessing to them. They could
go there and rest and study and just
think, and perhaps" she said slowly
as though while she spoke she saw a
vision Of tired self, for whom there
had been no rest home and no place
of retreat, perhaps a lot Of them
would pull through In a different way
Now today"-she broke her medita'
tive tone short-"I got letter from
a hospital where a poor thing that
used to sing with me in New York
was dying with consumption-all gone
to pieces and discouraged, and there
is where your primroses went to-
she nodded to Dan. Higgins took
them. You don't mind?" And Blair
with a warmth in his voice, touched
by her pity more than by her charity
said:
Why, they grew for you, Miss
Lane; | don't care what you do with
them"
Lefty Lane sank her head on hel
hands, her elbows leaned on the table
She seemed suddenly to have lost in
terest even In her topic She looked
around the room indinerently. Thu
orchestra was softly playing The
Dove Song" from "Mandalay," and
very softly under her breath the stat
hummed 1t, her eyes vaguely fixed OF
some unknown scene. To Dan and t
Ruggles she had grown strange. The
music, her brilliancy, her sudden in
difference, put her out Of their com
monplace reach. Ruggles to himself
thought with relief:
"She doesn't care one rap for th'
boy anyway, thank God. She's go
other fish to land"
And Dan Blair thought: Its my in
fernal money again" But he was gen
erous at heart and glad to be Of serv
ice to her, and was perfectly willinl
to be touched" for her poor. Thel
two or three men came up and joinet
them. She greeted them indolently
bestowing a word or look on this on,
or on that; all fire and light seemed Il
have gone out Of her, and Dan said:
You are tired. guess | had bel
ter take you home"
She did not appear to hear him. In
deed she was not looking at him, AM
Dan saw Prince Poniotowsky MAXIM
his way toward their table across tn
room.
Lefty Lane rose. Dan put her cloal
about her shoulders, and glancing tC
ward Ruggles and toward the boy a
indifferently as she had considers
the newcomers, who formed SINAI
group around the brilliant figure Q
the actress, she nodded good night I
both Ruggles and Blair and went u
! to the Hungarian as though he wer
D her husband, who had come to tax
|. her home. However, at the door SD
sufficiently shook of her mood t
> smile slightly at Dan:
81 have had lots Of fun, and tn
Scotch broth was great! Thank 20
: both so much"
Until thav ware nm In thar oitttn,