Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-20

abruptly, ana sald pleadlngly, "SuI
posing / say that it shall be as YOU wis1
in good time, will you do me littl
favor in return|'
"My darling! ask me anything, any
thing"
cit is only a little thing that ask
Rupert. Don't say anything about it t.
mamma or any one, yet; let it be ou
own secret; will you, dear?'
She held her rosy mouth toward him
and was so irresistibly coaxing that, a
he kissed and clasped her to him, b,
granted the little favor she prayed for
though it was sorely against the grai1
that he did it.
Everything must be as you like, my
own Kathleen; but | don't like anything
underhand. [ abhor secrecy, and to oh
serve it toward the dear mother, too
We've always told her everything, yor
know; don't let us begin deceiving now
1t will make her SO happy to hear it; lei
me tell the mother!"
But Kathleen was resolute. It must
be kept secret for time, for as long as
she liked, or she would have nothing tc
say to him! And, as he loved her so, he
gave in to her whim, though his iudg
ment was opposed to what he believed
to be motiveless deception" And
affairs were in this unsatisfactory state
when Archie came from the camp at the
| Curragh, on six weeks leave.
The maintenance of the secret involv-
ed great deal more restraint and cir
cumspection than Rupert had contem-
plated, when unadvisedly giving in to
Kathleen's caprice. The fraternal rela-
ton had ceased to exist; and on pain of
her displeasure, he dared not betray that
other and more tender ones had been IN
stituted. Accordingly, certain reserve
and stiffness characterized Ruperts bear
ing toward his promised wife in public,
and the girl seemed to take delight in
teasing him, by being frigid toward him
and almost demonstratively afectionate
toward Archie. 1t was a pretty little
game" she said; "quite as amusing as
chess" She would insist upon his
praising her acting powers; and to please
her-he was 50 slavishly in love-he
would sometimes profess to be entertain
ed by the semi-sentimental Irritation
which she carried on openly with Archie.
"But it's playing with fire, Kathleen"
he said to her, warningly, once or twice.
" Archie's susceptible fellow, and as he
is unconscious of treachery toward me,
he may lose his head and place you in a
dilemma by proposing to you; then it
must come out, and how could we face
him after serving him S?''
The girl crimsoned as she listened to
her lover; but whether her emotion was
caused by anger or contrition he could
not divine.
CT will take care that Archie does not
make mistake, or lose either his heart
on me- You have no confidence in me,
Rupert, no love for me, or you wouldn't
hurt my feelings by hazarding such a
proposition"
81 more than love you'll worship
you" he answered warmly; =" but love
my brother too"
idly jealous of him." she said, coldly;
and, for the first time since the exist
ence of their understanding, she left
him angrily, and would not even give
him the parting kiss Of peace he craved
for.
It added to his uneasiness this day,
when his mother-always on the alert
when her boys were concened-spoke to
him about his brother. Has 1t struck
you that Archie is getting fond Of kath-
leen?" she began, and his whole frame
trembled under the first shock Of def
mite, realized jealousy, as he answered:
been all his life, with all my heart and
soul"
''But, my dear boy, why so vehemently
opposed to the idea? Even your father,
who was unreasonable on the subject
years ago, long before [ troubled my
head with the thought of love or mar
riage in connection with either of you,
even your father seems well pleased
enough now"
"Well pleased with what?" poor Ru-
pert asked in agony. Has it come to
this, that you've talked about it, that
there is anything to talk about, while [
have been kept IN the dark?"
I" I can't help seeing that they are very
much attached to each other; | have not
spoken to either Of them yet, but we all
must see how very much attached they
are" his mother replied.
"Then Heaven help me-" Rupert
said in a tone of bitter misery, throwing
himself down on the sofa by his mother,
Mother, you may as well know it now!
There's deception all round; she has
promised to many me, pretended that
She loves me! Good heavens! how can
such an archtraitress have grown up in
your pure, truthful atmospheric?
MY boy, my Rupert! [ may be mis-
taken, I must be mistaken poor, be-
wildered Mrs. Baly0n cried. "Our
Kathleen could never bring herself to
cause such misery; but why wasn't I
told? No, she can't have acted so basely,
and Pve wronged and misjudged the
girl I love as daughter; it's just a sis
trr's love she's giving to Archie, and
perhaps he's in her secret, and-oh, my
boy, don't fret!''
The mother was pewerless to combat
this grief, or to assuage it in any degree.
These sons had been her JOY and comfort
| all their lives, and now, when trouble
fell upon one of them for the first time,
she could do nothing to aid him to bear
it, nothing to Tighten the burden to him
Such trouble too! If it had been