Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-10-13

dene Park House dressed for dinner
without the aid OF a valet. When
Lord Galorey had asked him where
bis man servant was" Dan had
grinned. Gosh, l wouldn't have one
Of those Johnnies hanging around n 81
never did havel l can put on my
stockings all right There was a chap
on the boat came over in who let his
man put on his stockings. Can you;
beat that?" Blair had laughed again.
Il think il anybody tickled my feet
that way ! would be likely to kick him.
In the eye"
Dressing in bis room he whistled I'M
der his breath . song from a newly
popular comic opera; and he intonedI
with a clear young voice line Of the
words:
MISUNDERSTANDING"
Out through hk high window, II he
had looked, be would have seen the
misty sweep Of the park under the
faint moonriss and fine shadows that
the leaves made In the yelled light,
but he did not look out. He was
dressing for dinner without a valet
and giving a great deal Of care to hie
toilet; for the FIRST time he was b
dine In the house Of hobleman and
In the presence Of q duchess; not that
1t meant a great deal to him-he
thought It was funny"
In Dan Blair's twenty-five years Of
utterly happy days his one grief had
been the death Of his father. As soon
as the old man had died Dan had gone
on into the Rockies with his guides
and not shown up" for months. When
he came back to Blairtown, as he eX
pressed 1t, he packed his grip and
beat 1t while bis shoes we're good" fol
the one placehe could remember hin
father had suggested for him to 90.
Blairtown was very much impressed
when the heir came In from the Rock
des with "a big KILL" and the orphans
ease did not seem especially dis
turbed. But no one In the town knew
now the boys heart ached for the old
man. When Dan was six years old
his father had literally picked him uI
by the nape Of The neck and thrown
him into the watsr like a pup and
watched him swim At eight be sent
the boy OF with 0 gun to rough camp
Then he took Dan down in the mines
with the men. HIS education had beer
won In Blairtown. at a school called
public, but which lh reality was moth
Ing more than . pioneer district
school.
On Sundays Dan dressed up and
went with his father to church twioe
? day and in the week days his father
took him to the prayer meetings, and
pit sixteen ban went to college in Cali
fornia. He had ;ust completed his
course when old Blair died. Then be
Inherited fifty million dollars.
On the day Of the shoot at Osdene
Dan dropped sixty birds. He tried
very hard not to be too pleased
Gosh" he thought to himself, those
birds fell as though they were trained
all right, and the other sports were
mad, could see ~ He then fell Ia
whistling softly The air be had heard
Lady Galorey play the night before
lrom the new success at the Gaiety
and finished 1t as his toilet completed
itself. He took up gardenia from bill
dressing table and fastened II in biz
coat stopping on the stairs on the
way down to look over into the hal
where the men in their black clothes
and the women In their shining
dresses waited before going into thu
dining-room. The lights fell on whit,
arms and necks, on jewels and on I'm,
proud heads. Dan Blair had been II
San Francisco and In New York, oil
short journeys. however, which BIZ
father, the year before, had directet
Atmsto TAXA khat be had never seen I
rshow" Ike this. '@'
! He came slowly down the broa,
stairway Of the Osdene Park House
the last guest In the corner; where
behind her, 4 piece Of fourteenth con
tury tapestry cut a green and pinl
square. against the rich black oak pan
cling, the Duchess Of Breakwater %
waiting. She wore a dress Of colder
tulle which was simply a sheath h
her slender body; and from her necl
| hung a long rope Of diamonds caugh
at the end BY a small black fan; Their
was wreath Of diamonds like shininI
water drops linked together in he
hair. She was the gfandest lady a
Osdene, and renowned In more thai
one sense Of the word. As Dan say
her smile at him and rise, he thought
!: she is none too sorry that mad
that record, but hope to heaven sh
won't say anything to me about It."
And the duchess did not speak of Il
I Telling him that he was TO- take be
in to dinner, she laid first her fan o.
! his arm and then her hand. And Oar
one Of those fortunate creatures VIII
are born men Of the world when the
; get into 1t, gave her his arm wit
much grace. and as he leaned dow
toward her he thought to himself:
well, it's lucky for me | have m
: head on tight; q few more of thos
googoo eyes Of hsrs and 1t would b
;aa well for ma IA u0ht nut for IN