The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-10-30
me as she would have been to you."
Richard Keene pressed the hand he

me as she would have been to you."
Richard Keene pressed the hand he
held. -.r-,.l
81 believe you," he said, emily is q
good child. You will not find in, hel
coldness or ingratitude.n 3s,qs ,usI
That evening Kate Barclay sat alone
living over in inthoughtthe parting which
she knew was taking place, tancyine
how these two, who were all the world
ty each other, would say 'good,bye-a
good bye which might, all too possibly
be forever. She almost ,repented OF
her own doing-not quite-for she
knew her soldiers heart was in his
work, and she felt that if he had been
her own brother, she could have sent
him forth as cheerfully.l She vas not
dealing to another such measure as
she would not have borne to have dealt
to herself. s-4.fi.. ~. s...~,,..
1t was a little past nine o'clock, when
the bell rang, and the servant an.
nonnced Mr.. Keene. She had not ex-
pected after their bargain was made to
see him again but she was glad after
all that he should have reckoned her
among the number of those whom it
became him to say farewell. He came
in as calm and self possessed as ever
81 have been bidding Emily good.
bye" he said, as he sat down. 81 had
to leave her at nine o'clock, and 1
thought | might venture to come to
you. After all, it is by your means
that | 60, and that makes sort of tie
between MS; bond which it would be
presumption to call friendship, and yet
which will make me think of you when
| am gone" ' -
Kate had not the courage to tell him
that his young sisters thoughts would
scarcely follow him with a more con-
slant interest than her own. She asked
him instead how Emily had borne the
parting.
'Bravely," he answered. He knew
the child's heart had been almost
broken, but she had kept back any at
terance of complaint or lamentation,
whose memory might have unnerved
him when the hour came to test his
courage.
Then there was silence between them
for few moments, and he was the first
to break it.
81 will tell you honestly why l came
here to night, Miss Barclay. / have
heen thinking how possible it was that
| might never come back, and, if that
happened, ! feared you might regret
that yor sent me away. / wanted to
guard against your vexing yourself
with any such needless sorrow. 1t was
the one longing of my heart to 90, and
if could have effected it in any other
way | should have done so long ago.
Come what may, | shall never be sor-
ry. | have but one lite, and there is
nothing else would like so well to do
with it as to give it to my country. ]
can trust Emily to you without fear,
and she was all had to keep me BACK.
In any event, 1 want you should be
thankful, as l shall be, that you helped
me to 60"
Kate's tears were choking her. How
manly he was how unselfish he was,
trying, even in this last hour, to shield
her whom he scarcely knew from a
possible pang! She could not speak.
hut she put out her hand. He took il
tenderly. r.t s"ai "h1
81 am going now" he said, his eyes
resting OH her as if he longed to sooth
away her tears, as he might have done
his sisters. God keep you, Miss Bar
clay, 'and give me strength to fight val
iantly in the cause for which you have
sent me forth to do battle %
Before she could speak the "God
bless you!" which trembled on her
lips, he was gone. Would she ever
Sc him again-her soldier q sisYf
The next Saturday, the principal of
the establishment at Gramercy Park
was summoned to an interview with
Miss Barclay. The latter lady ex-
planned briefly the relation of protec-
tress in which she stood to Miss Emily
Keene, and expressed her desire that
thereafter her ward should spend all
her vacations aud every Sunday at her
house. The poor, solitary, bereaved
child was glad enough to go home with
her; and that was the beginning of a
true, sisterly lave between those two.
AS months, passed on they grew
nearer and nearer to each other, until
Emily could scarcely have told which
was dearer, the brother far away, or
the new sister she had found at home.
Kate's life had been solitary hitherto,
since her parents died. The young
girl filled a void in it, and made her
both better and happier. ~