The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-11-08

/ Minnie knew; that Tom had ~ un.
boundel admiration for Kitty Smith
II cut Chg poor ,girl TO- the very heart,
but she did not neglect her work aud
go wandering about the woods IL an H.
sane manner. nor was s)c consumed by
i "dumb fearless sorrow" No. She
gave Tom two or three round scoldinges
about the mutter; which he always an.
swered by asserting that he cared moth
ing whatever for Kitty, but chat he
wasn't going to be such slave that he
couldn't look alta prettygirl.; and then
Minnie would take cry, and then they
would "kiss and make up"
But Tom had not been to see her now
for TWO weeks, and in that time Minnie
had thought over tho matter great
deal, and had begun to see the ris ht
way through it, as she would have ex-
pressed it. Some Of these thoughts
were in Ecr mind now, but the minister
gave out the hymn. and Minnie tried
to put all such thoughts away;. for she
was good, religious girl, and believed
in everything that was proper aud Or
thodox. / know that factory heroincs
are perpetually wondering why tn, All
Powerful permits sin and then punish
es it-why they are cursed with inher-
tied vices-tearing to trust themselves
to cruel and gloomy faith. None Of
these doubts and fears had Minnie.
The congregation were accustomed to
spend the. intermission in the grave
yard, where they gathered in groups to
cat their lunch and to gossip. Minnie
stole away to an un,nviting spot where
the old to,nbstones were halt sunk in
the earth; and the graves .overgrown
with weeds. Here she thought that
she would not be followed, tor She now
wanted to think Of Tom. : - all -"
She had been there but a tew mo-
ments when she saw him coming. slow.
ly toward her, with eyes bent on the
ground. -. .
thought; II know he is sorry.", ~ =!
!, Tom started on seeing her. Show
you startle a fellow, Minnie!'' he said.
And you look like "a ghost What is
the matter? Does anything trouble
you, Minnie ~ he. added in q more
kindly tone. -,
3" Minnie did not lean her pale tace
"a saiust the tombstone and say ;"God
knows y or look at him reproachfally
like a dumb animal being led to slaugh-
ter, or anything else she ought to have
done. She looked athim with contem pt
and exclaiming, "Tom Hartle, you are
a fool!" walked away as fast as she
could, for fear she would cry, which
was weakness of hers.
She did not go far. The thought
that Toms unlucky question had dis.
>sipated, came back to her; turning
suddenly round, she went back to the
place where she had lett him. He was
leaning against the fence, looking at
the hills in the distance with sad and
troubled face.
'sTom," said Minnie, kindly, laying
her hand on his shoulder, II know what
you are thinking about. Don't grieve
over it. 1t can't be helped, and you're
not bit to blame for it, and I guess it
will all come out right in the end, some
how" -. ,,:,'} >. =. =. :..:r--.
And she vas gono before Tom quite
comprehended her words.
Tom did not intend to walk home
with Kitty Smith, but when they went
out of church, and she looked at him
with her brown eyes, he was drawn to
her side as by magnet, and they walk
ed away together. Minnie saw it, and
it made her angry. Angry, that he
had so little consideration for her after
what she had said to him in the grave
yard, and more angry because he did it
in the sight of all the congregation, who
knew and wondered at it, and pitied
her. -.
Her road was the same as theirs, but
she went round longer, way to the
quarry. so as to avoid walking behind
them The quarry was half way home,
and when she got there she aat down
to rest in thick growth Of young pines,
upon the summit of breezy hill But
she was destined to find no mental re-
pose that day, for she had been there
but few minutes when Tom and Kitty
came in sight. They should have been
home By this time. ;. They had loitercd
along the road. Minnie watched them
as they seated themselves on the grass
near her place Of concealment, and she
noted Kitty's coquettish ways, and
Toms increasing admiration. M
II wish she would sli into the, quar-:
ry and break her neck!"' thought Min.
ME ',t'. :-.." '.':':'-.,, ;:,ii ''I.toj j.
T At last, on Kitty's cxplessing'a wish
for some wild gooseberries, Tom went
off in search for some. He was gone a
long time, and Kitty began to yawn,
land: Minnie wished most hearti]y he
would come back 50 they could 90 home
and she could get away Kitty spied !
turf Of colunbines nodding on the very
edge Of the hill, aud true to natural ID.
stinct Of gratifying d present pleasure
without a thought beyond, she ran "a
them and plucked them up. The
ground here was slopiug, the, grass dry
andoslippery..;,She felt ;herself:swiftlJ
gliding down the hill,: aud, clutchine
w,ldlyat the air, i she caug ghto hold Of .
birch sapling as she swung, Of, which
liad:boens squarried. away until Its: rocky
Sides were almost smsQth for descen,
of some forty feet. And there $. she
? hung-her only support the osapplipp
which she graspcd with her left hand
and which bent so low with: it's weight
that its plumed top touched her head
! She knew it must. break soon, and she
looked ut the jagged rocks far below
her, and cried and shrieked for, help. }
| II she had had any presence of mind
she would have seen that she had on<
chance for life. Minnie saw it in Z
flash, and called out to her: '''..,;"
! "Swing yourself a little to tho right
Kitty, and put your feet upon that lit
tie point Of rock. Don't you see :itY
7 81 see it r." shrieked Kitty, ''but
can't do II. r Help me! aOh, help me :
Minnie ran to the spot! There va
no friendly bush or rock TO- hlod TO-
nothing but 'tbc2 shivering bank an,
slippery grass, and the one saplinl
viii ich was:thc frail supporter poor Kit
ty. She threw herself upon the groun,
as fiji from the hedge az she could, ant
seized hold of'poor Kitty's wrist. - II
".sNow, Kitty" don't let go, she:ssp