Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-08-23

trunk here or suitcase there; there.
was always just.ss much there. wasn't.
any room for. Truly. it'needed a wom..
ans hand to pack "a trunk. However
his mother in the old school-days had
got all his belongings into one trunk
was still an unsolyed mystery.
Stubborn as the lock was, persevefN
ance overcame It,. George then, as a.
slight diversion, spread the ancient
Yhiordes over the trunk and stared at
II in pleasurable' contemplation. What
beauty 1t was!. What exquisite blue.
what soft red, what minute patterns,
And this treasure was his He leaned
down upon it with his two hands. A
color stole into his cheeks. II had its
source In an old confusion; school.
boys jeering mate seen walking
home from school with a girh II was
all rot, he perfectly knew, this wish.
ing business; and yet he. flung into the
sun-warmed, sun-gilded space an ar.
dent wish, sent II speeding round the
world from east TO west. Fast as heat.
fast as light II Travelled, for no sooner
had II sprung from his mind than Il
entered the window Of q room acrosa
the corridor. Whether the window was
open or shut was Of no importance
whatever. Such wishes penetrated and
went through all obstacles. And this
one touched Fortunes eyes, her hair,
her lips; II caressed her In a thousand
happy ways. But, alas! such wishes.
are without temporal power
Fortune never knew. She sat in d
chair, her fingers locked tensely, her
eyes large and set in gaze, her lips
compressed, her whole attitude one Cd
impotent despair. s..
George did not see her at lunch, and
consequently did not enjoy the hour
Was she Ill? Had she gone awayd
Would she return before he started !?
He greeted the Major as one greets a
long-lost friend; and by gradations
George considered clever indeed
brought the conversation down to Forl
tune. No, the Major did not know
where she was. She had gone early
to the bazaars. Doubtless she was
mnching alone somewhere. She had
the trick Of losing herself at times.
Mrs. Chedsoye was visiting friends at
Shepherds. When did Mr.. Jones
leave for America? What on the NOR.
row? The Major shook his head re-
gretfully. There was no place like
Cairo for Christmas. ..-..
George called a carriage, drove
about the principal streets and shop.
ping districts, and used his eyes dill.
gently; but It was loves labor lost,
Not even when he returned at tea-tims
did he see her. Why hadn't he known
and got up? He could have shown her
the bazaars; and there wasn't a drago.
man in Cairo more familiar with them
than he. A wasted day, totally wasted.
He hung about the lounging-room till
1t was time to 90 up and dress for
dinner. Tonight las II the gods had
turned Georges future affairs over to
the care Of Momus) he dressed as IL
he were going to the opera; swallow.
tail, white vest. high collar and white.
lawn cravat, opera-Fedora. and thin.
soled pumps; all those habilimenn
and demi-habiliments supposed to
make the man. When he reached what
he thought to be the glass Of fashion
and the mold Of form, he turned for
the first time toward his trunk. He
did not rub his eyes; II wasn't at all
necessary; the thing he saw, or rath,
er did not see, was established beyond
a doubt, as plainly definite as two and
two are four. The ancient Yhiordes
had taken upon itself one of the po-
tentialities Of its fabulous prototype.
that Of invisibility; 1t was gonA