Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-02-10


money and card into the boys hand
This will serve your needs during
the next day or two. Look after
your sister, Peter, and come and see
me- L shall return home at once, and
viii make it my business to help you
Peter was sufficiently self-possessed
to murmur some words of thanks. but
poor Jessie could only weep as though
her heart was broken. They passed
away down the road until hidden by a
bend, and Burton was left to face the
two Infatuated men and a nearly dis
traught woman
Realizing that argument was use
less, and seeing that Thorpe was by
no means keen on facing him once
more in fair fight, John entered the
house and packed his few belongings.
Ihen he made his way to the village
and found Mike, who drove him to
the station.
There was no news of the two young
people, and Burton did not care to
set gossiping tongues wagging by tell
ing what had befallen at the farm
He half expected to find them at the
depot, but they did not put in an ap-
pearance, so, with sad heart, he
took the next train for home.
However, the pair turned up at his
house on the following afternoon. In
trusting them to the care of a reliable
manServant, he secured them respec-
table lodgings, gave them sufficient
money to purchase small stock of
clothing and promised to look after
them until Peter was established in
an engineering works and Jessie had
undergone a thorough training in an
art school.
Out of evil might come good, he
fancied
Some weeks passed in this way. Jes-
sic attended an art school, but Peter
did not at once avail himself of q
proffered opening in the mechanical
department of an iron works. He ex-
planned that his utter ignorance would
prove serious handicap and wished
to devote some time to textbooks be-
fore undertaking practical work. Bur-
ton, mindful of his own early expert
enceS, fully approved of this project.
He could not devote much time to
actual supervision of the young peo-
pies studies, but contented himself
with a weekly visit, when it was his
habit to settle their accounts in the
boarding house and hand to Peter q
few dollar bills wherewith the newt
able expenses of residence in a city
might be met. Generally he called on
q fixed day, though Peter was sup
posed to be always at home in steady
devotion to his books, while JeSsie'S
hours at the art school were limited
to the mornings only.
One weekend Burton decided to go
out of town, so he paid his wonted
visit to Peter and his sister day
earlier than usual. They were at
home, as he anticipated, but even he,
a preoccupied man, never inclined to,
be suspicious of his fellows, could not
help noticing that while Jessie to all
intentS and purposes, was busting the
furniture. her jacket and decidedly
smart hart had evidently been thrown
aside in q hurry. Peter, too, though
seated at a table with an open book
and a copybook in front of him. had
clearly not made many notes of late,
because the ink was dry on the paper
and the pen he held in his hand had not
been plunged in the inkstand at that
John gave them their regular al
lowance of pocket money. Something
in Jessie's manner impel1ed him to
hand her an extra five-dollar bill.
There" he said pleasantly, you
girls are always in need of some small
frippery or other. You can be ex-
travagant this week"
She thanked him with grateful
smile, and he went out soon afterward.
He would certainly have been sur
priSed and shocked had he heard
brother and sister chortling with glee
when the door closed on him. But en-
was nearer than he imag
ined. He had not been at home more
than an hour, and a man was already
packing a grip for the projected jour
ney, when a visitor was announced-a
lady with whose name Burton was
unfamiliar. He received her in the
and found himself looking at
a woman of very attractive appear
ance, but whose somewhat too f1aShy
attire impelled him 10 give his man.
servant a secret signal which meant
"remain within call" Unhappily such
safeguards were essential if u young
man of great wealth meant to avoid
certain snares laid for his unwary feet.
The lady, however, seemed TO be in
genuine distress. She seated herself
with an air of abandon. When she lift
ed her veil, John saw that her eyes
were swimming with tears.
81 hope you will pardon this intru-
sfon," she said, obviously speaking