Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-02-27

n3gn cenUy. WnfeI II. MAY
nj gh be Q,t9hd Of hi4 voices I'D
HHstN to lod1E at IA A4nsic IA Nke
rack, and there was moments silence,
broken suddenly by low sob. The
doctor turned ana saw Queenie cnrled
up in the recess Of window. Never
before, during all his acquaintance
with her, had Ne seen the child in tears.
He crossed the room, ana took her in
his arms.
"why, little Qaeenie! What is it
dear?" t}Sf = I
All, naughty Queenie Why dia you
not tell him how Lismusic. stirgs1 youxr
willful heart? But, no; she gasped and
buried her face in her white apron, as
she answered. ~ ''.''
why, you see, Tom has goue of
ceiling and wouldn't let me 60. though
l wanted to SO much" ....t..i
The doctor laughed. @.l....
Queenie, you are an incorrigible
sinner. Who will be responsible for
all your fibs? i.'F". ''. -'.'' ..
"You will-wont you. doctor?'
turning her soft cheek to his.
For moment he held her close
in his arms; then, putting her
away from him. he went silently to his
own room.
THUS the days went. Sometimes Dr..
Gersham half hoped that Queenie was
learning to love him; but no sooner
did he endeavor to win one serious
word from her than she was Oft, with
her head full of some new mischief.
Mrs. Hyde looked on, not daring to in
terfere, for she sympathized with the
doctor, and knew, in the depths OF her
womanly heart, that he was just the
one to guide and protect her wild little
niece. But she was also aware that if
Queenie yielded herself to him it
would not be through the dictation of
third person. .,..: t..p....i
One morning, in the early part Of
June. while Queenie was busting and
arranging the parlor, Mrs. Hyde
looked in at the door and said, regret
fully
"Queenie, dear, Dr. Gersham is 60
ing to leave us next week. He will re-
turn to his former home in Virginia. ]
do not suppose We shall ever see him
again. '',.,- 49,. .,..t:I
She ceased abruptly, for Queenie,
dropping her duster, had vanished,
with flushed face and quiyering
mouth; and moment after Mrs. Hyde
heard the sound of the girls chamber
door as it closed behind her. The lady
raised the buster and went on with the
work, while significant smile lowered
about her lips. .aut e.. ... 1i
"Strange CHILD! She loves him,
and will not confess it, though there is
not the shadow of reason why she
should not
That afternoon, Queenie, wandering
along the piazza, came upon DR.. Ger.
sham stretched at full length on
settee. He appeared to be sleeping,
and Queenie paused to look at him,
showing, for once, all her earnest little
soul in the expression of her eloquent
eyes. She bent over him, her cheek
! flushing, her breath coming quickly,
and '"'
DR.. Gresham, lying in half dream,
felt the pressure OF warm, tender
mouth full on his. He opened his eyes
suddenly, and saw Queenie's white
dress just futtering around the corner
of the house. He went up to his room
quite happy.
"She loves me-" he said, with a
quiet smile. And he remembered her
words of few months before "The
man whom I kiss of my own free will
will be my future husband" DR..
Gresham laughed softly to himself,
"Ah, my little lady, you and I will
have reckoning this evening y
But he was mistaken; for Queenie
was missing at time. Mrs. Hyde
informed him that she had gone to visit
girl friend ia the village and would
not return for several days.
Not until the evening before the doe
tors departure for the South did she
make her appearance, and it was n very
solemn little face that he saw when he
confronted her in the June twilight
and led her into the garden, where the
old apple tree was dropping its tinted
blooms. Little Queenie seemed sud-
denly to have lost her ROBUSTNESS aud
self possession, and looked the very
| picture of shame and discontinue,
with her crimson face and heavy-lidded
eyes. The doctor evidently had no idea
of letting her escape hin.
"Queenie, am going to tell you
about strange dream / had the other
day." ,....
81 guess-I think-that is, auntie
will want me now" she stammered look.
ing wishfully toward the house."
"Auutie cannot have you now, be-
cause propose to keep you myself, al
least. until l relate my dream and get
your opinion OF 1t. You must know
that was asleep on the piazza, and it
seemed as though somebody kissed
me with two sweet little lips, and fur,
thermore, I dreamed that it was the
same little girl who made the remark
some time ago that the man thus ia.
vored would be her future husband
He paused, holding both her hands
in his, and looking at her crimson,
dropping face. o Queenie, Queenie
how your face did burn ! And how the
old apple tree seemed to whirl about
And how your heart did pound and
pound in its prison, trying the best it
knew how to make its voice heard in
that dreadful silence
"Queenie," the doctors laughing