Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1914-02-05

| lie WnlCn ne lOhtneu 10 quit, YET Iel'
that he could not continue. Broadway
rose and bowed. I'm IT," he an
swered. a."
Protests chorused.
What hard.hearted girl has turned
you down, Broadway" asked the love
ly lnez.
who is II. Broadway? Who could
possibly have the heart or been the
fool 10 do it,"
Mrs. Gerard, his neighbor, bent on
him a glance so languishing that he al
most had to turn his face away.
No girl has ever turned me down.
he said, endeavoring to be gay. mo
girl has ever had n chance to turn me
down. | mean"
Realizing that this did not sound
gallant. being instinctively. by nature
gallant, he would have modified II
II he could, but the howl OF approba'
ton which arose from all the men. the
chorus of mock criticism which arose
from all the women. drowned his voice.
From all the women except one. That
one SAT on his right, that woman was
a widow and was worth million.
NO girl could turn you down. she
murmured.
All, that thought which so repeat
eddy had festered in his brain! Here
were millions which admired him!
Here were millions which would pay
the debts which had piled up. which
would make the bottle with the
crimson label and the weapon with the
blued.steel barrel quite unnecessary!
Here we're millions which would solve
the last one of his difficulties and for
which. Ii he accepted them, he could
offer adequate return in a devotion
which should be at once that OF a son
for an indulgent mother and a near
drowned man for his rescuer! Why
not? Why not? Why not marry Mrs.
Gerard?
No girl could turn you down." had
been her words.
In the hurly.burly of the questions
and the answers, the frolic and the
nonsense, he scarcely had an opportu-
nifty to speak to her in tender words,
but he answered her by scribblins on
her menu card:
Couldn't you?"
He felt certain that she gasped with
pleasure.
why do you say such things?" she
scrubbed.
Because / love you." the unfortu-
nate youth answered.
Il love you, too" she scrubbed in
reply.
What sort of game are you two
playing there" demanded Robert Wal
lace gaily.
Don't interrupt. Bob" Broadway or
dered. It's a new kind Of game Of
hearts. It's played with menu cards.
Shut up"
He turned again to his delighted. II
ancient partner in the novel pastime.
1T can't be true" he scrubbed.
1T is true" she wrote.
Twill you marry me?" he scrawled.
With a coy look at him which made
him feel little faint. but without an
instant's hesitation, YES" she an
swered.
It was tremendously to the relief Of
the young host that Bob Wallace, at
about this moment, rose and said that
he must leave.
It seemed to Broadway that the
others mattered less. For Wallace his
affection was so genuine that 1t includ.
ed an intense desire to hold the mans
respect. Signing with relief he called
the major domo to his side as soon as
bob had gone and whispered to him
that all glasses must be filled. With
the intense alacrity which the youthful
spendthrift's orders were everywhere
observed along Broadway, this was at
tended to, and he rose to his feet
with all the dignity he could command.
Friends" he said. Il want to tell
you something. want to tell you OF
my luck"
rs 1t q hard luck story, Broadway"
someone asked.
"Er-yes," said he. II mean"
Jackson" said a soft voice (per-
haps a little cracked) close at his side
with something Of reproach in 1t.
For the lady" he hastily corrected.
Hard luck for the lady. I'm-I'm go
ing to be married"
The men shouted and there were
more than one among the ladies who
were seriously agitated, their number
being co-equivalent to the number who
themselves at one time or another had
had hopes Of winning Broadway and
his millions for their very own.
Everywhere about him rose the
shout: Who is she, Broadway? Name!
Name!"
He swayed there on his feet, some
What sickly smile upon his face. his
hand deliberately splitting champagne
on his shirt front. a fact of which he
was in ignorance and which no one
noted for a time. It was Mrs. Gerard
who called attention to 1t by elabo-
rately dabbing at him with her hand.
kerchief.
There we're proprietary details even
OF movement OF her hands and some
shreWd wits suspected for an Instant,