The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-01

while away his time among the hills and
trout brooks OF Connyville. Now he found
Kitty out and made her acquaintance; and a
Drhiiant, well-mannered fellow such as he
wss just the sort to turn the head of q sim
pie hearted girl like Kitty, who knew but
little OF the life beyond her native village, or
| OF the articles of handsome, reckless men.
Ezra noticed the change in her with panied
anxiety, but he held his tongue, hoping the
young man would soon quit the place, and
mat Kitty would as soon forget him.
Ephralm was madly jealous of such ardent
devotion to his betrothed, and one evening
when he had come down from his farm on
| the hill to call on Kitty he said, in his blunt
way, Kitty, this young man from the city
ls growing too familiar with you. Unjust in
slst on having it stopped"
What silly, nonsensical boy you are"
laughed Kitty in the gayest manner posi-
pie, as though 1t was the very funniest thing
| in the world.
''Maybe am" he said with sorrowful
sigh. But you are not treating me as
ought to be treated, as you would want to be
elbow do you want to be treated9" she
asked, coaxingly.
''Just as you would want me to treat
you," he replied. "Now suppose" and he
| fixed himself as if he was about making a
great and valid point, 81 should run half
my time with Susie Phelps or Sally Brown,
hOW WOulu yOu LING
elbow would like thatw she cried,
laughing in the heartiest and most provoking
manner. "Oh, should enjoy that SO much !
And 1t would be such fun And-oh, dear
Ephraim Bates and Susie Phelps. But,
Eph-" she was very sober and very ironical
-''you couldn't do such thing were you to
try Lifetime. | am the only pretty CIR"
and she tossed her head and looked very
vain, ''who ever had particle of sympathy
for overgrown Ephraim Bates"
Ephraim was stung deeply by these words,
for they were cruel words for her to speak.
Besides, he, like other men, had some con-
ceit, and he believed he could have wooed
and won old Squire Phelps's daughter as
successfully as he had wooed and won Kitty
Potts.
"Kitty," he said, harshly, Cater engag-
ing yourself to me am sure you have no
right to allow any gentleman to be so de-
voted to you as this strange fellow is. Again
l must insist on its being stopped"
Kitty knew as well as anybody he was
right, and it CALLED her to be told Of it,
especially by Ephraim. But for the world
she wouldn't let him know it CALLED her.
''Oh, what queer boy you are, EphW she
answered, pleasantly, and then added, with
Keen touch of sarcasm, ''Don't you know,
Sonnie, that if were confined exclusively to
so tired Of you should never, never want
to see you again as long as 1 liver
Had Ephraim been a shrewd observer of
character, especially of female character, he
would not have allowed himself to be greatly
aggravated, for he would have known that it
pleased Kitty best to have him so.
"Kitty," he said, sharply, ''you don't
love me-you can't love me If you speak as
you Think
sob, dear!" cried Kitty, bursting into an
other fit Of laughing, 'what silly, silly boy
Did ever tell you, did l ever tell anybody,
loved you? Now be honest, Eph, did II"
Didn't you promise you would marry
me~ he asked, sternly.
"No, didn't" she retorted, sharply. 81
may have told you something's presume
did-that led you to believe 1 might some
time, do such foolish thing, but never in
my life have l told you l loved you. But
what has that to do with it, anyway~
"What has that to do with it?" he cried,
fiercely. "Does not that promise imply you
love mep
sob, dear, mop she retorted, with Ian
guild unconcern. at don't imply anything,
only that promised silly fellow something
1 hadn't ought to. That's all"
"Are you in earnest% he cried.
"Never was more So" she answered.
you, Kitty Potts, will rue the day it was
broken"
"Suit YOURSELF" she said, carelessly, and
tossing their engagement ring to the floor,
Ephraim picked it up and left the house.
Poor Kitty burst into tears when he had
gone, for she never supposed their quarrel
would result in such manner. She thought,
however, like all previous qusrrefs, it would
end happily; so she soon cheered up and
gave herself no further trouble, but f1irted
more boldly with her wild and handsome
sutton.
In the past Ephraim had been in the habit
of walking with her to church on the pleas
ornfC Cab afh innc nd hafa %I1.nxx
had reconciled their little difficulties on that
day. Sunday came, but Ephraim came not
with it, and the scalding tears started from
her eyes, and she reproached herself bitterly
for her cruel words, and would have fallen
at his feet and pleaded for his forgiveness,
for she loved him with all her sorrowing
heart.
She walked to church alone that night,
where she saw Ephraim with Squire
Phelps's pretty daughter Susie, and, poor
foolish girl she swore revenge on Ephram
Bates, and the next night it was executed.
In the morning it was noised abroad that
Kitty Potts had gone away with the wild,
handsome fellow, and was married to him
in the city out by the sea.
1t was near a death elbow to Ezra. For
days and weeks he fingered between life and
death with raging fever in his head. But
he mended slowly, and when he could go
about his work again he seemed almost as
sunny as he was in other days, but his heart
-ah, no! the great wound was not healed
yet. From that terrible day he never spoke
her name, and every villager forbore to
mention it In his presence. She had written
him for forgiveness; but some things there
are men are not divine enough to forgive,
and Ezra set his heart hard against forgiv.
ing the cruel wrong Kitty had done her fam
lily and her betrothed. She never wrote him
after that; but more than q year afterward
he heard that her reckless husband, firing of
her charms and beauty, had abandoned her
and left her alone and friendless in the great
unm erciful city down by the sea.
But Father Potts cheered himself up and
wendell his way up the hill, and opened the
great door of st. Johns, and climbed the
belfry stairs, and chimed the fine musical
al than ever, for it seemed to Ezra and it
seemed to all the villagers, that the bells
rang sweeter in the Christmas times. But
hearts are gayer then, and life is brighter
then, and the star glimmers in the East
again and makes Heaven seem nearer and
dearer. l..
Presently Father Potts put on his coat,
shut the belfry door, came down the stairs
and opened the great door to go out into the
street; but just as he was about stepping
from the threshold the light from the Lam
tern fell upon bundle lying on the topmost
step.
"Oh, myl" he cried, holding his lantern
above his head and bending down that he
might more distinctly see the object, "Oh,
myl what now? A present maybe for my
wife, no, no, or for me, no, no! Who'd a