The weekly Shasta courier., 1872-12-21


least, said Susie, " so pray get ready at
once, or you'll be late. It would be too
bad to lose even one Of Parepa's songs"
6 Yet you are going to lose them all.
Susie DEAR" said Frank, feeling rather
uncomfortable, as Kate arose to put on
her things
g Yes, I know-I'm sorry, but perhaps
she'll sing here again sometime.'
Susie helped Kate get ready. put some
flowers in her hair, arranged her opera
cloak for her, and then as they wished
her good night and closed the outer door.
threw herself down on the sofa and in
dulged in a good, long cry.
She had worked so hard that day-for,
Franks assertion to the contrary, not
withstanding, Kate had not been much
help to -her-and then toward night she
had planned little surprise for Frank.
sending out for ice and making some
delicious icecre for dessert. He was
very fond of it as she made it, and she
always enjoyed his pleasant appreciation
of the effort she had made to please him.
But tonight he said not one word, and
scarcely ate his ice-cream, SO absorbed
was he in an interesting discussion with
Kate. Susie was tired and half sick, and
to be almost ignored at the table, and
afterwards to embarrass Frank by expos
ing her ignorance before Kate, were tri-
ais sufficient to annoy her very much,
even if she had had no other cause to
feel unhappy. But Kate had been with
them now five or six weeks, and every
day of late something had occurred to
wound Susie's sensitive nature. Kate
was very attractive, and Frank, once the
most devoted of husbands, was COM
pletely fascinated by her charms. Once
he would have been Mortified at the idea
of going to concert or party and leav-
ing his wife at home entirely alone, but
during the last two weeks he and Kate
had done this three or four times. True,
Susie might have gone too, but her heart
had ached SO keenly of late that she felt
no desire to leave home. She remem-
bered how when Parepa had just arrived
IN America Frank had said, a." When she
comes this way we must certainly hear
her, Susie dear, no matter how extrava-
CANT the price of tickets. You are such
an economical little wife that we can
well afford little luxury once in a
while" Then as he stroked her golden
curls, he added, 81 wonder, pet, if there
are many wives in the world as good and
faithful as this little Susie of mine.
Some day we shall be richer hope, and
then I will show her how much 1 appre-
ciate all the sacrifices she has made"
E. That was several months ago, and Su-
sic sighed as she recalled it now. They
were so happy then, and she had never
thought that shadow was so soon to
fall upon their joy. Not that she feared
that anything would ever come of Franks
apparent fascination for their brilliant
visitor, for she believed he was the soul
of honor; but the thought that possibly
he might look regretfully back into the
past and wish that he were free again, as
she half feared he had wished tonight,
made her heart sick
Weary and exhausted at last, she fell
asleep on the sofa, quite forgetful of her
promise to Frank to go to bed at once
and get the rest she needed.
1t was not late when Frank and Kate
returned, and he proposed, that if she
was not too tired, she should sing one
song before they said good night
&C Not too tired, certainly" said Kate
in sweetest tones; but it is too bad to
ask me to sing after having just heard
Parepa. The comparison would hardly
be fiattering to me, think"
Only one, please. Susie has retired
and can not hear the piano SO far away, :"
pleaded Frank.
Kate selected a favorite of his, and
sung with more than usual power and
sweetness. Her opera cloak fell back
from her shoulders, her cheeks were
bright from the exercise of walking, and
she was very beautiful Frank thought
SO, at least; but he thought something
else too, and almost before he knew it,
not stopping to think what a very dread
full thing it was, he said impulsively, as
she finished, :" I love you, Kate"
" Frank Merritt, what do you mean?"
exclaimed she in a tone of utter amaze
ment.
Just what I say, Kate 1 know it is
wrong, l know it, but what can I do?"
Then, suddenly bending over. her, he
said, "Tell me, Kate, do you love me e?"
am afraid do" she whispered,
but not SO low that the words did not fall
with terrible distinctness on Susie's ear.
She had been awakened by the music,
and stood as if spell-bound at the words
which followed.
"Oh, this is terrible, terrible !" groan-
ed Frank, as he caught Kate's hands in
his, and almost crushed them in his
strong grasp. "Oh, why did we ever
meet when it was only to make us both
unhappy. You were made for me, Kate
You are the only woman have ever met
whose tastes in everything are similar to
mine.
For moment Kate did not withdraw
her hands, and her head dropped not
unwillingly upon his shoulder. 1t was
so sweet to know that he cared for her;
he, the only one that she had ever loved,
and oh, surely it was not wrong just for
one brief minute to drink the cup of
Joy offered so temptingly
But then there came thoughts of the
sweet little woman who had gone to her
rest SO trustingly, never doubling her
husbands fidelity to her, never dream
ing that another cared for him. Never?
All, Kate knew she had in her selfshness
wounded very deeply that tender heart
at times, knew that she was wronging her
now past all forgiveness; and as the
thought flashed over her in all its horror.
her nobler nature came to her relief, and,
raising her head quickly, she withdrew
her hands from his, and said, Frank,
what are we doing? What would Susie
say if she knew this? 1 must go away
tomorrow and we must never meet again.
/ would not for worlds -
But Susie stopped to hear no more.
She went slowly, as if in a dream,
through the long hall, up the stairs to
her chamber, undressed herself and went