The Red Cloud chief., 1876-11-16
MY PROMISE
And How Ii Wa. Kent.

The first time | SAW Thornton Kirk
j looked upon him rs Il quiet, middle
aged man, reticcnt and inclined to mo
~r"ScncSs, perhaps, hut one in whom |
had no interest whatever.
He was the principal of a classical
school, about Il stones throw from my
fathers door and of course quite en-
crossed with his onerouS duties. | WAS
h~ouSekecpcr, daughter, and companion
To my father, and quite as much taken
up with my duties as the still MAJ who
passed and repaSSed our gate. every
morning. noon. and night, WAS with his.
cal hardly believe it myself, but
had | heard, any morning, that Thorn
ton NIX was dead. that he had met
with some sudden shock that had bur
RED HIM ont of the world, should ONLY
have said, How sad" and gone on
steadily with my work. without even SO
much az Ii regIetful sigh in nv heart.
Ia Was at first, not when | knew him
heaven help me'-aS | came to know
him, afterwards.
He had opened his school i'm the
spring, and when Autumn came on. and
the evenings began Ia grow longer, he
used to drop in and talk with my father
upon all sorts of learned subjects, which
/ neither understood or cared 10 under
stand. while | sat quietly at my work;
and al last his occasional calls grew to
he nightly ones. until my father would
as soon have expected To see me missing
from my accustomed place. as to have
seen eight o'clock arrive without bring
ing QUITO him at leaSt-pleasant
neighhor.
~ wonderful man, this Mr.. Kirk"
my father SAID To me. as We sal momen-
tarily expecting his footstep in the
porch, one evening.
is he'll answered quietly. 81 am
glad You enjoy his visits"
HE must have studied hard all bis
lie. and such a memory as he has, !
wonder he WIS never married"
a queer wonder, | should think.
when he is such Il stern harsh man.
One would he afraid 10 love him. lest
he should witner one with a look" |
answered, laughing.
Ii seemed s ridiculous TO think of
any woman smiling into his ' and to
imagine him in the characterof a lover.
You don't know him then; that is
all. my father answered shortly.
He was irritated IL have his favorite
So misunderstood. as he called it.
In a few moments Mr.. Kirk entered:
but We had no sooner settled for the
evening. than a call came from my
father, who was a physician, to visit a
patient a mile distant. | Thought of
course that IL visitor would 60 home:
but my father urged him so to remain.
saying that he would be back i'm an
hour. that he consented, and we were
left alone.
l never was SO thoroughly embar-
raised, and, l believe frightened, in nv
life. al / vas to think of that mans
being on my hands for an hour. |
would sooner have faced a TEMPEST,
Wehad never exchanged dozen words.
apart from the cOurtesies of the day.
and it was absurd to think of nv at
tempting to entertain such a walking
dictionary as he was. l could have
cried, but / must not; or l could have
laughed. but l dared not.
AT any rate. !, cared nothing for his
opinion. which was a blessed comfort
to me then. So l broke the ice by saw
ing, Il am afraid you will have a dull
time of it. Mr.. Kirk. for / am as stupid
as an owl upon all your 'Ologies. and
scientific researches: but l can tell You
how to make bread. or knit stockings or
anything in that line. if You like"
And L a read to you a novel. if
you like" he said. with an amused look
upon his face; 80 don't be vexed that
have remained"
Nv face flushed. He had read nv
discontinue. then.
Not if you will read what l like SO
much" / said: but l am afraid You do
it to please me, and not yourself"
what pleases You pleaseS me; and
besides, if l can, 1 want to convince
you that l am not a bear that eats
PEOPLE, however bearish l may SEEM"
i laughed heartily.
sIn truth | have taken you for one
answered; "but l give you my hand
aproOf that l will think differently
r this"
eh astartled earnest look came into