Barton County democrat. [volume], September 01, 1905, Image 2

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

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
7?
IntheBishops
Carriage
By MIRIAM MICHEL SON
-ir"
(Copyright, 1904, by The Bobbs-Merrill Co.)
SYNOPSIS.
IN THE BISHOP'S CARRIAGE.
CHAPTER l.-Nancy Qlden a Brooklyn
IN. T.) confidence woman, in escaping with
watch which her "pal,'-' Tom Dorgan, had
"lined," Jumps into a bishop's earrtag
Kd 1b taken to fashionable residence
J5 wjijrh she inaliy take leave.
CffATTZT: : - Nam 1. ir of Dorgan's at
tempt to rob l.aurm-i g hcuse.wlth her a-
ttaril rioi.-n, i. ..rti,,oH Nii,.a .
gapes aft?r rriu.sa'i to n.urtier Latimer at
Dorgan's frequent j
CHAPTER 4-In Mcape from depart-!
pent store 'with pin of valuable lace,'
fiance is caught rnbhlr.g apartments of
Brominent theatrical - manar, who, spar- ,
tDM ner irom arrant, oners position in
' aborus. .
V CHAPTER 5 -Nance begins stage ca
; ter. Description of Lady Gray aiid Jewels.
14 awe longs for her diamond Htealsone;
tepentlng, returns It to Obermuller, the
, toanager.
. . CHAPTER 6-Goer to Sing Sing to see
er former lover, Tom Dcrgan. Being In
Miliary confinement, he is unable to be
aen. Nance 'scores decided, succ.es on
Kill
"Is Miss- Omar engaged to read to
ome Invalid up at" Sing Sing? And
tot how long a term I should say, en
gagement?" . j
I'd got" through shivering by then.
I was ready for him. . I turned and j
- looked -at him In that very polite, dis- j
tant sort 0' way Gray uses in her act!
. "When .the Charity t superintendent !
-Speaks to "her. Its the onlv decent'
thing she (foes; cha&ces are that that's
Iiow Lord Gray's mother looks at her!
"You know my sister, Mr. Mr. "
-I asked'humbly. ' '
He looked at me, perplexed for just
second.
"Sister be Jianged!," He said 'at last.
I know you, NaVand I'm fcUd'to my
dinger-t'ips that you';ve got it in the
xeck, in spite of all your smartness."
"You're altogether 'wrong, sir," I
aid, very stalely, but. hiirt a bit, you
inow: "I've often been, taken for my
iBter, but geutlemen usually apologize
when I explain to -them. It's hard j
jenougu to have a sister who." -I
lxked up eat .him. tew-fully, with my
jcbin a-wabble with sorrow,
lie grinned.
"Liars should have' good memories,''
.Tie snepred. "Miss Omar said she. was
1 an orphan, you,rem.ember, and had not
relative in the world." ".
"Did she say that ?. Did Nora say
."-that?" I exclaimed, piteously. "Oh.
, --what 'a littlo liar she is! . I suppose she j
- thought Jt made' her more Interesting '
r to be bo alone', more appealing to kind- I
'hearted gentlemen" like yourself. . I'
: 'hope she wasn't ungrateful to you, too,
:,aa she was to that kind Mr. latiuier. '
T before he.f0.4ud her out. And she had ;
:uch a good position there, too!" ' '
1 wanted to look at him, oh, I want-
-d to! . But it was my role to sit
, -there with 'flowncast eyes, just the p.io
' ture of holy, grief.. I was the"good one
- the good, shocked sister, and though
:I wasu'f a bit afraid. of anything he'
- could do to-me. or aiiy game he' could
;.rut up, lyearned to make him believe
me just "because he was so suspicious, 1
, o wickedly smart, so 'sure hp was oh.
But his very silence sort of told me i
7 he almost believed, or that he was lay
: lag a trap.
"Will yon tell me," he said, "how j
..jou your sister got Latimer to lie for 1
her?"' . ' " ' ,
. "Mr. Latimer lie!' Gh. ' you don't ,
Z know'him.,, He expected a' lady, to read
r .to hira that very evening. . He had
severseen- her, and "when 'Nora walked
r lnto the garden"
"After'getticg a skirt somewhere." I
"Yes the housekeeper's, it hap- '
t3ened to be her eveniug out why, he'
Just uaturaUy supposed Nora was Miss
lOmar." 1
'Ah!then Jier name" isn't Omar.!
; What miphf it cbe?" (
,Td ratlier not 'tell if you don't I
mind." j
"But when Latimer' found out she :
had the diamonds he did find out?" i
"She confessed to him.. rvnas uoij
really so bad a gjrl'as-" i
. "Very Interesting' ; But it d-Msn'tl
. tappen to be liil.imer's .version. Aud '
you say Latuner. wouldn't
, I got paler-'but the paleness wan on
the inside of. "me. 'Think I wa going!
to flinch before a chump Ji'e Aloriway, j
even if 1 had walked .straight iuti his
trip? ' .
"It lsfVi?i' 1 exclaimed. . ' . I
"No. Latinfersriote to firs. King-'
;a said the diamouds were found in
' the bell-boy's jacket the thief haj left !
behind bini." . .
''Well! It cnly shows wnat "a" bad
habit .lying is. Nora 'must have tibled
t to me, for thrpure -pleasure of.fiboiDg. .
I'll never dare, to trust n'ef'again. Do
,you believe then that she didn't have
anything to do with the hotel fob- i
bery? I do hope 'so. It's o'ne less sin !
on her wicked head. It's hard, paving 1
uch a girl in thv family!' oh, wasn't
I grieved! .. ' ' j
He looked .me straight In the eyo.'
I looked at hijn. 1 was unutterably:
Bad about that tough sister of mine,'
. .and I vowl looked holy then, though
1 never aid. before and may never 1
again. . . -.
"Well, I only saw her in the- twi
light," he said, slowly, watching my
face all the time-. ' You two sisters
Are certainly miraculously alike."
' The train was slowing down, and 1
fot up with my basket I stood right
before him, my full face turned toward
j
"Are we?", I asked, simply. "Don't
you think it's more the expression
than 'anything' else," and the yoice'. ',
Nora's really much fairer than t am.'
Good-by."
-He watched me as I went out I
fe?t his eyes on the back cf my jacket.
And I was tempted to turn at the door
and make a face at him. But I knew
something better and safer than that
I waited till the train was just pulling
out, and then, Btanding below his win
dow, I motioned to him to raise it.
He did.
"I thought you were going1 to get out
here," 1 called. "Are you sure you
don't belong in Sing Sing, Mr. Mori
way?" . '
t can see his. face yet, Mag, and
every time I think of it, it makes nje
nearly die of laughing. He had actual
ly been fooled anottier time. It was
worth the trip up there, to make a guy
of him once more.
And whether it was or not. Mag, It
was all I got, after all. For would
you 'believe Tom Dorgan would turn
out such a sorehead? He's kicked up
such a row ever Bince he got there
that it's the dark cell for him and soli
tary confinement Think of it for
Tom!
1 begged, I bluffed, I cried, 1 coaxed,
but many's the Nance Olden that has
played her game against the rules of
Sing Sing and lost They wouldn't
HE LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN TOE
EYE
even let me Jeave the things for him,
or gjve him a message frtm me. Aud
back-to. the station I had to carry
the tasket, and all the schemes' 1 had
to make old Tom Dorgan grin.
All the way back I had him in my
mind. He's a tiger Tom when he's
roused. I could see- him, shut up
there by himself, with' not a soul .to
talk, to, with not a human eye to look'
into, with not a thing on earth to do
Tom, who's action itself! He never
was much of a thinker, and 1 never
saw him read even a newspaper
What would he do to kill the time?
Can t you Bee him there, at bay, back
on his haunches, cursing and cursed.,
alone in the everlasting black silence?
. .I saw nothing else. Wherever 1
turned my eyes, that terrible picture
was, Jjctore me. And always it was
just on the verge of becoming some
.thiug' else something worse. He
could thiottle the world with his bare
hands, il it had iut one' neck.' in the
inoud he" must be in now.
- It was when I couldn't tear it a mo
pieut longer that I set my mind to tind
suaie hiiig else to, think of.
I found it, Mag. Do you know what
it was? . It was just three words ot
bberinuller's: "Earn it now."
Alter all. Miss Monahan, this graft
of honesty they all preach so much
about hasn't anything mysterious in it
All it is, is putting your wits to work
according to the rules of the game
aud not, against, them. I was driven to
it the thought of big Tom crouching
for a spring in the dark cell up yon
der sent me whirling out into the
thinking' place, like the pictHre ol the
soul in- the big book at Latimer's I
read out' of. And first thing you know,
'pon- honor, Mag, it was as much fuu
planning how to '.'earn' it now ' as any
lifting I ever schemed. It's getting the
best of people that always charmed me
an.l her, was a way to fool 'em ac
cording to law. ' "
busy 1 was making it -all up. that,
'thr iraln pulled into the .-ta'Jon befo"i
I klitv, it 1 "gave a last thought to
that poor old hyena of a Tcm, ana
then put him .out of my mind. 1 hm
other fish to fry. Straight 'down to
Mother Douty I went with my basket
. ."A fool girl; mot,her, on her way up
to Sing b'ing, lost-her basket, and
"Nance Olden found it; it-ought to be
worth a good deal.!'
She grinned. You couldn't make old
Douty believe that the Lord Himself
wouldn't.steal if He got a chance. And
She knows the chances that come
buttidg up against Nancy Olden,
Why did I lie to her? Not for prac
tice, 1 assure yqu She'd have- beaten
me down to the last-cent if she thuusht
it was mine, but she always thinks j
there II be a find for her, in someihi-ig ,
that's stolen. So 1 let her think I'd'
stolen it in the railway station, andi
we came to terms. . j
. With what she gave me l bought a
wig. Mag, I want you some day, when
you can'get off. to come and see that
wig. I shouldn't wonder but you'd
recognize it" It's red, of very coarse
hair, but 4 wonderful color, and so
long it yes, it might be your own
Mag Monahan, it's so much like it
I went to the theater and got my
Charity rig, took it home, and sat for
hours' there just looking at 'em both.
When evening came I was ready to
"earn it now."
You see, Obermuller had given me
the whole day to be away, and neither
Gray nor the other three Charities ex
pected me back. I had to do it on the
.sly, you sassy Mag! Yes," it was part
ly becaoso I love to cheat, but more
because I was bound to have my
chance once whether anybody else en
joyed U or not ! ' , -.1
came to the theater in my Charity
ri? and the wig. It looked as if I'd
slept In It. and it came down to the
draggled hem of the skirt All the
t 11. if.. I
wft? uirC . .m ,vu, u6.
Once when ewBboy grinned at me
and shouted Carrots I grinned back
-your own, old Cruelty grin, Mag. I
a kILk r , , ! fuU il lm 80 in U habit of do
used to be that when I lurched out on 1 .
the stage at last stumbling over my
shoe laces and trying to push the hair
out of my eyes, you'd have gworn It
was little Mag Monahan -making her
debut in the' Cruelty board room.
Oh, Mag, Mag,' you darling Magi
Did you ever hear a "Whole house,, a
great bi theater full of a peevish
vaudeville audience, just rise at you,
give one roar of lauchter they Jiadn't
expected at all to give, and then settle
down to giggl at every move you
made.
Girl alive. I just had 'em! They
couldn't take their eyes off me. If I
squirmed, they howled. If I stood on
one foot, scratching the torn leg of my
stocking with the other you know,
Magf they yelled. If I gr.nned. they
just roared. t ,
Oh. Mag, can't you spe? Don't' you
understand? I was It 1he center of
the stage I carried round with me
lt was just Nancy Olden. And for ten
minutes Nancy had nothing to do but
to play with 'em. Ton my life. Mag,
it's just like stealing; the old trap
exactly; it's so fascinatirg so busy,
and risky, except that th?y play the
game with you and pay you and love
yotr1o fool 'em.
When' the curtain fell it was differ
ent. Gray, followed by the Charities,
all clean and spick-m '-span and not
in it; not even on the edge of It
stormed up to Obermnl.er Blinding at
the wings.
'I'll quit the show here and now,",
she squawked. "It's a hhame, a 1m ast
ly shame. How dare vou lay -me such
a trick, Fred Obtrmuller? I never
was treated so in my life to have
that dirty little wretch come tumbling
on like that, without even so much as
your telling me you d made up all this
new business for her! It's indecent,
anyway. Why, I lost my cue There
was a gap for a full minute. The
whole act was such a ghastly failure
that I-"
"That you'd better go out now and
make your prettiest bow, Gray. Phew!
Listen to the house roar. That's what
I call applause. Go on now."
She went
Me? I didn't say a word. I looked
at Obermuller and and I just did like
this. Yes,- winked Mag Monahan. I
was so crawly happy I had to. didn't I?
But do you know what he did? Do
you know what he did?
Well, I suppose 1 am Screaming and
the Troyons will put me out, but he
just winked back!
. And then Gray came trailing back
into the wings, and the shrieking and
thumping and whistling out in front
just went on and on and on. Um!
1 just listened and loved it every
thump of it And I stood there like a
demure little kitten; or more like Mag
Monahan after she'd had a good lick
ing, and was good and quiet And 1
never so much as budged till Ober
muller said:
"Well. Nance, you c have earned It
The gall of you! "But it only provef
that Fred Obermuller nevpr yet bought
a gold brick. Only, let me in on your
racket next time. There go on take ,
it. It's yours."
.Oh, to have Fred Obermuller saj
Ihiugs like that to you!
He gave me .a bit of a push. Twas
just a love-pat I stumbled out ou tc
the stage'. ' .
CHAPTER VII.
' j
ND that's wily. Marguerite dr
A I Monahan, I want you to buy :
I in with. Hip ma.him hnru
Let 'em keep on calling i'
Troyon's as much as they'
!ft-'
wam., pui you re to ne a
partner oa the money I'll give you
If this fairy story .lasts, it'll be your
own! Mag a sort of commission yor
get on my take-off of you: But If
anything happens to the world if it
should' go crazy, or. get sane, and no'
love Nancy Olden any more, why
here'll be a place for me too.
Dues it look that way?' Divil a bit,
you croaker! It looks it looks liatea
and 1 11 tell you how it looks.
It looks as' though Gray and the
great rGray rose diamond and the three
Charities had all become a bit of back
ground for Nance Oldeu to play upon,
' It looks as though the audience likes
tha sound of my. voice as niuca almost
as I do myself; anyway, as much as
it does the sight of me.
It looks as though the press, If you
pleaso, had discovered a new stage
star, for down .comes a little reporter
to interview me me, Nancy Oluen!
Think of that, Mag! 1 receive, him all
Uf my Charity rig, and in Ouermulier's
oftice, and he asks me swiy questions
and I tell him a lot of .nonsense, tut
some truths, too, about, ihe Cruelty.
Fancy, he didn't know what the Cruel
ty wa! S. P. C. C, he calis it And
all the time we tatked a long-haired
German artist he had brougnt with
him was sketching Nance Olden in dif
ferent poses. Isn't that the limit?
What d'ye think Tom Dortau'd say
to see half a page of Nancy Olden in
the X-Ray? Wouldn't his eyes pop?
Poor old Tom! . . .- No danger
they won't let him have the papers.
. . . My old Tommy!
What is it Mag: Oh, what was I
saying?' Yes yes, how it looks.
Well, it looks aa though the trust-
yes, the big and mighty T. T. shorti
for theatrical trust, you innocent
had heard ot, that same Nance Olden
you read about' in the papers. For
one night last week, when I'd just
come off and the house was yelling and
shouting behind me,'Obermuller meets
me in the wings and trots me off to
his private office.' . . .
"What for?" 1 asked him on the way.
"You'll find out In a minute. Come
on."
I pulled up my stocking and fol-
to Koa know 1 wear It in that act
without a garler
, own way yours used to. Mag.
Even u x ,
A little bit of a man, bald-headed,
with a dyspeptic little black mustache
turned down at the corners, watched
me come in. He grinned at my make
up, and then at me.
"Clever little girl," he days through
his nose. "How much do. you stick
Obermuller tor?"
"Clever little man," say I,-bold as
brass and through my own nose; "none
of your business."
"HI you, Olden!" t roared Ober
muller, as though I'd run away and
he was trying to get the bit from be
tween my teeth. "Answer the gentle
man prettily. Don't you know a rep
resentative of the mighty T. T. when
you see him? Can't you see the
syndicate aureole about his noble
brow? ThiB gentleman, Nance, is the
great and only Max Tausig. He hum
bleth the exalted and uplifteth the
lowly or, if there's more money in It
he gives to him' that bath and steals
from him that hasn't but would
mighty well like to have. He has no
conscience, no bowels, no heart But
he has got, tin and nerve and power
to beat the band. In short, and for all
practical purposes for one In your pro
fession, Nancy Olden, he's just God.
Down on your knees and lick his boots
trust gods wear boots, patent leath
ersand thank blm for permitting It
you lucky5 baggage!"
I koked at the little man; the angry
red was just fading from th top of
his cocnanut-shaped bald head.
"You always were a fool, Ober
mujler." he Raidcordially." "And you
were always over-fond of your' low
comedian jokes. If you hain't been
bo smart with your tongue, you'd had
more friends and not so many ene
mies in"
"In 'the heavenly syndicate, eh?
Well, I have lived without-r-"
c "You have lived, but"
"But where do 1 expect to go when
1 die? o Good theatrical managers.
Nance, when they die as individuals
go to Heaven they get Into the trust.
After that they just touch buttons;
the trust does the rest. Bad ones
the kickers the Fred Obermullers go
to a place where salaries cease from
troubling and royalties are at rest.
It's a slow place where where in
shorf. there's nothing doing. 'And only
one thing's done the kicker. It's that
place Mr. Tausig thinks I'm bun.1 for.
And It's' that place he's come to rescue
you from, from sheer goodness of brf.rt
and a wary eye for all thern's In it
Cinch him. Olden, for: all the traffic
will bear!"
I looked from one to the olhef
Obermuller, big and savage under
neath all his gay talk, I knew him well
enoueh to see that; the little man, bis
mouth turned down at the' corners and
a sneer Jn his eye for the fellow thai
wasn't clever enough to get In with
the push. o
"You must not give the young wom
an the big head, Obermuller. Hei
own Is big enough, I'll bet, as it Is. 1.
ain't prepared to make any startling
offer to a little girl that's just-barelj
got-her nose above thu wall. The
slightest shake might knock her -oil
altogether, or she mightn't have !
strength enough in herself to hold on j
But we'll give her a chance. Ana I
because of what it may lead to. if
she works hard, because of the oppor !
tunitie3 we can give her, there ain't
so much in it in a money way as you
Tuijht Imagine."
Cbermuller didn't say anything. Hk,
own lips and his own eyes sneerec
now, and he winked :en'' at me.
which made dhe little man hot
"Blast it!" he twanged. "I men.
it.. If you've got any notion through
my coining down t.i your dirty littlt
joint that we've set our hearts on hav
ing the girl, just get busy thinkrnfc
something else. She may be wortt I
something to you measured up
against the dubs you've got; but to j
us" . . i
To you, It's not so much your not ,
having her as my having her that", j
"Exactly. It ain't our .policy to
leave any doubtful cards in the ene-
my's hands.' He can have the bad 1
ones. He couldn't get the good ones. :
And the douutful ones, like this girl
Olden"
"Well, that's Just where you're mis-,.
taken!" Obermuller thrust his bands
deep in h'e pockets and put out that
square chin of his like the fighter he
is. " This girl O'.deu' is anything but
doubtful. She's a big card right now ,
If she could be well handled. And
the time isn't so far off when, if you
get her, you people .will be"
"Just how much U your Interest in '
her worth?" the little man sneered. .
s Obermuller glared at him, and In !
the pause I murmured demurely:
"Only a six-year contract"
Mag, you should have seen 'em jump ,
both of 'em; the little man with ;
vexation, the big one with surprise. I
A contract! Me? Nance Olden!
Why, Mag, you innocent, of course I.
hadn't Managers don't give six-year '
contracts to girl-burglars who've never
set foot on the stage. . ' !
When the little man was gone, Ober
muller cornered me.
"What's your game, Olden?" he
cried. "You're too deep for me; I
throw op my hands. Come; what've
you got In that smart little head of '
yours? Are you holding out for higher
8 takes? Do you expect him to buy
that great six-year contract and divvy
the proceeds with me? Because he
will when once they get their eye
oa you, they'll have you; and to turn
tip your nose at their offer is Just the
way to make them Itch for yoflL But
how the deuce did yon find it . out?
And where do you get your nerve
from; anyway? A little beggar like
fose an offer froa the T. T.
and sit hatching your scheme on your
inn. .... . .. i.i
mue oia sieen aouars wee;
mi have to be twice 'sleen. now, I
uppoKe?" -
"All right just as you ay," !
laughed. "But why aren't you in the
trust Fred Obermuller?"
"Why aren't you In society. Nancer
'Tm!-well. because sorietyt preju-
diced acainM lift Inc. but the trust
Isn't. Do you know that's a great
graft Mr. Obermuller lifting whole
sale? Why don't you get In?" j
' "Becnuse a trust is a lot of sailors on
a raft who keep their places by klck-j
Ing off the drowning hands that clutch ;
at It. - Can you fancy a fellow like
Tausig stooping down to help me
tenderly on board to divide the pick-1
iLgs?" J
"No. but I can fancy you trappllng
rlth him till he'd be glad to take you
on rather than be pulled off himself." .
"You'd be in with the nush. would
you, Olden. If you were managlHg?"
he asked, with a grin.
"I'd be at the top, wherever that
was."
. "Then why the deuce didn't you
Jump at Tausig's offer? Were you
really crafty enough"
"I am artiste. M. Obermuller, I gut
turaled like Mdlle. Pieotte who dances
on the -irp "i m0f hiv. .hm.V ,.!
those who arre who arre con-l
genial " j
"You monkey!" he laughed. "Then,
when Tausig comes to buy your contract-"
.
"We'll Jell him to go to thunder."
He laughed. Say. Mag, tha: big fel
low is like a boy when he's pleased.
I guess that's what makes It such fun
to please him.
"Ard I. mho admired your buslnejs
sagacity in holding off. Nance!" he
said.
"1 thonpht you admired my take-off
of Mdlk. Pieotte."
"Well?"
"Well why don't you make use of
It? Take me round to th Iheaters
and lei me. mimic all. the swell actors
and actresses. I've got more chance
with you than with that trust gang.
They wouldn't give me room to do
my own ptunt; they'd make me lit Into
theirs. But you"
. "But me! You think you ran wind
m round your. finger?"
"Not yet." '
He chuckled. I thought I had him
going. I saw Nance Olden .spending
her evenings at the big Broadway the
aters, when, just at that minute. Gin
ger., the call-boy. burst In with. 'a
note.
Say, Mag. I wouldn't like to get that
man Obermuller hopping n ad at me.
and Nancy Olden's no coward, either.
But the way he gritted his teeth at
that note and the devil in his" eyes
when he lifted them from It. made me
wonder how I'd ever dared be facetious
with him.
I got up to go. He'd forgotten me.
but he looked up then. . '
. "That was a great suggestion of
yours, Olden, to put Lord Gray on to
act' himcclf great!" His voice shook,
he was bo angry. . '
"Well!'-' 1 snapped. I wasn't going
to let him see that a big man raging
could bluff Nance oiden.
What, did he mean? Why just
this: There was Lord Harold Gray,
the real lord behind the scenes, bring
ing the lady who was -really only a
chorus girl, to the show In bis auto
mobile; helping her drefs like a maid;
holding her box of Jewels as he tagged
after her like a big -Newfoundland;
smoking his one cigarette solemnly
and admiringly while she was on the
stage; poking after her like a tame
bear. He's, a funny fellow, that Lord
' Harold. He's a Tom Dorgan. with the
brains and the graft and-snd the
brute, too. Mag. washed out of him; a
Tom Dorgan that's been. kept dressed
in swagger clothes all his life and liv
ing at top-notch a. big. clean, hand
some, ntupid, good-natured.'overgrown
boy.
Yes, I'm coming to It. When I'd
seen him go tagging after her chippy
ladyship behind the scenes long
enough, I told Obermuller one day thai
It was absurd to send the mock lady
out on the boards and keep the live
lord hidden behind, lie jumped at the
idea, and they rigged up a little act
for the Uo the lord and the
Gray was furious when he heard of
1t their making use of her lord in
such a' way but Lord Harold Just
swallowed his big Adam's apple with
a gulp or two. and said:
" Ton honor, it's a blawFted scheme.
you know; but I'm jolly sure I'd make
a bleddy ass of myself. 1 tawn't act
you know."
The ninny! You know he thinks
Gray really can.
But Obermuller explained to him
that he needn't act just be himself
out behind the wings, and lo! Lord
Harold was "chawmed."
And Gray? '
:Why, she gave In atast; pretended
to, anyway sliding one of the Chari
ty, sketch, and rehearsing the thing
with him. and all that And and do
you know what she did. Mag? (Nance
Olden may be pretty mean, but the
wouldn't do a trick like that)- She
waited till ten minutes before time
for the thing to be put on and then
threw a lit
"She's so 111, her delicate ladyship!
So 111 she just can't go on this even
ing! Wonder how long she thinks
such an excuse wMl keep Lord Harold
off when I want him on!" growled
Obermuller, throwing her note over
to me. He'd have liked to throw it
at me if lt'd been heavy- enough to
hurt; he was so thumping mad.
! You see, there it was on the pro
gramme: THE CLEVER SKETCH ENTITLED
THEATRICAL ARISTOCRACY.
The Doke of Portmanteau
Lord Rarold Gray
The Duchess
Lady Gray
The celebrated Gray Jewels. Includ-
: Ing the great Rose Dlimcnd. will be
k I frnw (n thla ftnmhc
wvm vj """
,
No wonder Obermuller wm raging.
I looked st him. You don't lll.e to .
tatkle'a fellow like that when. he.
danchp hot And yet.you ache to help"
him and -yea. yourself.- . j.
ira naroia cere yet, and qie;
Jewels?" I asked.
He gave a short nod. He was think-;
leg. But so was I. ' j
"Then all he wants Is a' Lady?"' j.
"That's all" he said, sarcastically, j
"Well, what's the matter with me?"!
He gasped. ' . j
"There's nothing the matter wllh;
your nerve. Olden." ' i
"Thank 'you, so much." It was the!,
way Gray says Jt when she tries to;
have an English accent
Drem me-.
up, Fred Obermuller. In Cray's new!
"ilk gown and the Gray jewels, and;
3rou'd new-" j .
I d never set eyes on you again." j
"You'd never know. If you were In! '
the audience, that It wasn't Gray her-i
st If. I ran take her off to thu lifr.
and if the prompter'!! rtand by"
He looked at. me for a full minute,
"Try It. Olden," he said.'
I did. I. flew to Gray's dressing
room' tne1 8De' m hl7 m
of rour8e- They gave me the beat 1
seamstress In the place. She let out
the waist a bit and pulled over the lace
ts cover It I got Into that mass of
silk and laceoh, 'silk' on silk, and ,
Nance Olden Inside! Beryl .Blackburn t
did my hair, and Grace Weston put on '
my slippers. Topham. himself, hung
me with those gorgeous Shining 'dla-"
monds and pearls and emeralds. tilt I
felt like an Idol loaded with' booty. '
There were so many standjng round
me. rigging me op. that I didn't get "
a glimpse of the mirror till the second;,
before Ginger called me. But In that; '
IT WAS ME!
iecond-ln that second.'Mag Monahan',
I saw, a fairy with blazing cheeks and '
shining eyes, with a diamond: coronpt
In her .brown hair, puffed high, audi
pearls on her bare-neck and arms, and
emeralds over, the-- waist, and rubles"
and pearls on her fingers, 'and' sprays ;
of diamonds like frost on the lace. of-. ',
her Fl,irt. and diamond buckles on ber .'
very silpiers. and the rose diamond.; '
like a sun. outshining all tbe rest; anil!- .
and. Mag. it, was me! ' ' ;
. How did. it go? Well, wouldn't- It; '
make you think ou were a Lady, 'sure
enou;;h.. if you rouldn't-'move without!- ,
that la(e train billowing after-you;!' '
without being dazzled with diamond! ',
shine; without .a truly. Lord lagging
after you? ' ' . ; -
He kept hU head. .Lord- Harold .dl'd;
vfn if it is. a mutton-ht-di That;
helped n:e at first." He was bo cold.!
so stupi l. g' s'ow' su good-tempered-!
so just'' himself. And after the first- '
pluu'e . j"
I tell you, Mag.Monahan. fhere's om'
thirg ihal's stronr than wine to"'a!-'
woman-it's Leing Leautlfui. Oh! And! .
I was beautiful. I. knew It bfore li
got i hat quick hush, with the full ap
da-is after -lu And bVr.ause-1 wa
bfa"'?il. I gotaimy and then calmi''
and then I caught I-reJ t)LermulJcr'
voire be had taken the 'book from! :
the prompter and stood there hlmsejf;
and after that it wa easy sailing. "! '
. He was there yet when the act was! .'
over, and-1 trailed out, followed by!
my Lord.' He let the prompt-book fail!
from his hands and reached them both!
out to me. j
I flirted my jeweled fan at blm and;
wept hlm.a courUxy. ;,
Cool? No, i wasn't. Not a bft of'
It He was daffy with the. sight, of
me in all that glory.'and I knew It
"Nance," he whispered. 'you won-
derf al girl, If 1 didn't "know about that
little thief up at the Eronsonla I'd-
I'd marry you alive, just for the fuo'
of piling pretty things on you."
"The deuce you would!" I sailed? '
past him, with-Topham and my Lord
In my wake.
They didn't leave me till they'd
stripped me clean. I felt like a Christ- '
mas .tree the day after. But, somehow..
I didn't care. ,
rro be continued
' C H. Remert was io Mondar to '
make annual settlement of the
of H. H. Remert, deceased.' .'
Mrs. Frank 'Maxson'c.me 'L "
Colorado last week to visit with ' My '
Giljmore's.
Frank HertheL Sr..
the county seat, from Claflin, Tues- '
day. . '
While in town this week call - '
this office and see how a busv orinr
shop is iud. Visitors are always wel
come, ,
Mrs. J. M. Brining called Tuesd
io fix up on the weekly to 1906. '