Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-11-09
The Braddocks.

H NSTINCTIvELY the boy expert
enced a singular, instantaneous
aversion to this immaculate In
truder.
Get outr' he heard Braddock roar
after him as he paused at the partition
to look once more at the stranger.
The man was bowling low before the
straight, motionless figure of Mary
Braddock. Her chin was high In the
air, and David could almost have
sworn that he saw her nostrils dilate
From a place beyond the flap in the
partition he surveyed this disturbing
visitor
He was not long in supplying a rea-
son for the sudden antipathy he felt
toward this man whom he had never
seen before. In the first place, the
mans face was a peculiarly evil one.
His dark eyes were set quite close to-
gether under bulging forehead. His
eyebrows were straw colored and so
thin that they were almost invisible.
A broad, fiat nose. with spreading nos
trils not unlike that of an Ethiopian.
gave to the upper part of his face a
sheeplike expression. His lower lip.
thick and blue and loose, protruded
with f1abby insistence beyond its mate.
w
chin receded, but was of surprising
length and breadth. His ears sat very
low on his head and were 1udicrously
small Above them rose massive
dome. covered with thick. well brushed
hair of yellowish hue. parted exactly
in the middle His cheeks We're white
and f1accid, and there was fullness in
front of the jaw point that suggested
approaching bagginess. He smiled with
his lips closed. and broadly at that
The picture was even less alluring than
when his face was in repose. In the
subdued gray light of the tent his COM
plexion was singularly colorless: David
thought Of very sick man he had once
seen.
But this man was apparently I'm the
best of health. He was spare, and his
sloping shoulders did not suggest
breadth or strength. yet there was that
about him which made for force and
virility. His hands were long and slim
and very white A huge diamond gilt
tered on one of the fingers of the left
hand: another quite as large adorned
the bosom of his shirt. One would say,
guessing, that he was thirty-six or
thirty-eight years of age. As a matter
of fact. he was fifty-fve-
David noticed that he never allowed
his gaze to leave the face of Mary
Braddock except to occasionally trav
erse her figure from crown to foot He
experienced a fierce desire to rush out
and strike the man across the eyes.
He could not hear what they were
talking about Braddock was urging
something on her in low. insistent
tones His manner was that of one
who espouses forlorn hope. He
argued with the insinuating. doubt
ing earnestness so characteristic of
the man who knows that he is oper-
ating against his own best interests in
the face of one who fully understands
the weakness that impels him. Mrs.
Braddock stood before him, cold, pas
sive, unconvinced- Her greeting for
the newcomer had been most un-
friendly He stood close to her elbow.
the trace of smile on his lips
Suddenly her tense body relaxed
Her chin dropped forward. and she
nodded her head dejectedly. Brad
docks next remark, uttered with con-
siderable gusto. came to David.s ears.
..Goodr' he said. biting his cigar with
approving energy. 1--WE can talk it
over there. 1 think you will see it my
way, Mary. You'll see If I'm not
right. Come on. Bob. This is no place
to talk
She preceded them without another
word. an air of utter WEAKNESS char
acterizing her movements. The stran-
ger smiled his bland. hateful smile
When Braddock in genial relief essay