Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1913-12-11

midable enough to him In this hi
hour OF startling realization. even Il
he had freed himself for the noncC
from its controlling power. To escape
all further contemplation of It he
would work. These letters deserved
attention. He would carry them tc
Oswald, and in their consideration find
distraction for the rest OF the day, al
least. Oswald was good fellow. II
pleasure were to be gotten from these
tokens Of goodwill, he should have
his share OF It. A CLEAN OF 0swald's
old spirit in oswald's once bright eye,
would go far towards throttling one OF
those demons whose talons he had
Just released rom his throat; and
II Doris responded too, he would de-
serve his fate, II he did not succeed
In gaining that mastery Of himself
which would make such hours as
these episodes in life big with inter
est and potent with great emotions.
Rising with q resolute air. he made
a bundle Of his papers and. with them
In hand, passed out Of his room and
down the hotel stairs.
A man stood directly in his way,
as he made for the front door. 1t was
Mr.. Challoner.
Courtesy demanded some show Of
recognition between them. and Broth.
erson was passing with his usual cold
bow, when a sudden impulse led him
to pause and meet the others eye,
with the sarcastic remark:
You have expressed, or so have
been told, some surprise at my choice
Of mechanician. A man Of varied &C
complishments, Mr.. Challoner, but one
for whom have no further use. II,
therefore, you wish to call OF your
watchdog, you are at liberty to do so.
! hardly think he can be serviceable
to either Of US much longer"
The older gentleman hesitated. seek.
ing possibly for composure, and when
he answered II was not only without
irony but with a certain forced re-
spect:
Mr.. Sweetwater has jrst left for
New York, Mr.. Brotherson. He will
carry with him, no doubt, the full
particulars OF your great success"
Orlando bowed, this time with dis
tinguished grace. Not flicker of re-
lief had disturbed the calm serenity
Of his aspect, yet when a moment
later, he stepped among his shouting
admirers in the street, his air and
glance betrayed a bounding Joy for
which another source must be found
than that Of gratified pride. A chain
had slipped from his spirit, and
though the people shrank little even
while they cheered, 1t was rather from
awe Of his bearing and the recogni-
ton Of the sense Of apartness which
underlay his smile than from any per-
ception OF the mans real nature or Of
the awesome purpose which at that
moment exalted it But had they
known-could they have seen into this
tumultuous heart-what q silence
would have settled upon these noisy
streets; and in what terror and soul.
confusion would each man have skunk
away from his fellows into the quiet
and solitude of his own home.
Brotherson himself was not without
a sense Of the incongruity underlying |
this ovation; for, as he slowly worked |
himself along, the brightness Of his
lonly hanar,a dirnTnad with a fip0a ~ |
sarcasm which in its turn gave way
10 an expression of extreme melan-
quite unbehtting the hero
Of the hour in the first flush Of his
newborn glory. Had he seen Doris
youthful figure emerge for moment
from the vine-hung porch he was ap-
preaching. bringing with It some doubt
Of the reception awaiting him? Pos
sibly, for he made q stand before he
reached the house. and sent his fol-
overs back; after which he advanced
with an unhurrying step, so that sew
sral minutes elapsed before he finally
rev up before Mr.. Scott's door and
sntered through the now empty porch
INTO his brothers sitting-room.
He had meant to see Doris first, but
lis mind had changed. II all passed
VI we'll between himself and Oswald,
I he found his brother responsive
md wide-awake to the interests and
necessities Of the hour, he might fore
70 his interview with her till he felt
,etter prepared to meet 1t. For call It
,owardice or simply q reasonable pre-
aution, any delay seemed preferable
o him In his present mood Of dis
to that final casting OF
he die upon which hung 30 many and
UGH tremendous issues. Il was the
rst moment Of real halt in his whole
umultuous Iifei Never, as daring ex-
or agltator, had he
hrunk from danger seen or unseen or
rom threat uttered or unuttered, as
70 shrank from this young girls no;
nd something OF the dread he had
cit lest he should encounter her un-
ware in the hall and so be led on to ]
peak when his own judgment babe 1
i'm be silent, darkened his features {
3 he entered his brothers. presence.
But Oswald was sunk in a bitter
every Of his own, and took no heed Of I
hese signs OF depression. In the 70
elton following these days Of great J
ths past had ro-assortsd 4.
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