Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-07-07
Jane smiled as she said
81 have no lover. Leila. -

and done half dozen other little things
about the kitchen, she went up stairs to
the low, farmhouse chamber, where
Leila sat braiding her hair, small mir
ror on her lap.
"Now tell me all about it, Jane"
Jane took seat in a ricket.y cane
seated chair and pressed her hands on
her head as if trying to recollect some
thing she had to tell.
:" know was careless this morning,
Leila, and your mother had right to
be vexed, but / was so worried and
frightened last nj ght that could not col
lect my senses this morning. You see
it was a lovely moonlight night, and
after you had all gone to bed, l thought
I'd run out in the grape arbor for a
breath of cool air. 1t seemed to me it
would refresh me, ! felt SO tired with
ironing i'm the hot kitchen all day. Well,
sat down on one of the benches, and
was thinking how I'd trim my blue
cambria, when saw a man come out
from behind the lilac bushes right by
the arbor and go to the pantry window.
Nv heart beat SO loud was afraid he
would hear it. He stood there a few
minutes with his head bowed in his
hands, and then he took something from
his pocket and began to unfasten the
window-blind. All my fear seemed to
die away, for | thought of your Aunt
Lucy lying in the room next to the
pantry, and knew it would kill her out
right in her weak state if she was fright
ened at all, so l ran up softly and stood
right before him. He was so startled
that he let the chisel in his hands fall to
the ground, and said to me in queer
sort of a voice Well, who are you?'
I'm Jane, said, and beg you won't
get into the house, for there's sick lady
there, and if she was to be scared |
by you it would kill her. Miss
Leila, he turned away his head and when |
| saw his face again it was white as this
wall. I'm starved, he said, and felt
the tears come to my eyes, for he spoke
in such hopeless, detected tone. l
took hold of his hand and led him around
to the kitchen door, and then got ont
pie and cake and meat. and he ate as if |
he was famished. When he was through
he took from his finger a finely wcrn
gold ring; see, it is here" and Jane
showed an old gold ring. "He said it
was once his dead mothers, and he told
me had been so good to him, the first
kindness he had received since he had
left prison, and he begged me to keep
the ring until we met again, and then
he went away
"What did he look like, Jane?" asked
Leila, deeply absorbed in the story.
80, he was quite handsome; his hair
curled in little golden rings all over his
head, and his ewes looked dark blue to
me, and he had very sweet voice, and
acted just like gentleman would to
any woman"
sAnd to think of his being in prison."
said Leila, compassionately ''Poor
man! Jane, he is the lover ma spoke
about. You see he must have fallen in
love with you, and that is the engage
ment ring. think you are good enough
for any man, Jane, but too good for
felon.''
Don't call him that, Leila" and
Jane looked panied.
The two girls agreed not to tell Mrs
Crane of the nights adventure, for fear
IF her harsh criticisms, but when alone
hey frequently spoke of the strange I
nan whom Leila always called "Jane's ;
over" {
Jane Haynie was an orphan, and had
been bound out to stern old woman
who had nearly worked the young girl !
o death. AT the expiration of the con-
ract Jane had taken a situation at Mrs.
Cranes, where she had comfortable $
lome, and though she worked hard she |
vas never badly treated. Mrs. Crane
vas harsh in manner and severe in
Judgment, but she tried to be always
ust. To Leila, Jane was very much /
attached. for the child of fifteen looked 5
lpon the girl of twenty-five as dear f