Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-14

uMe; tnen 6ne rose ana went 10 the WINDOW.
sounded thin and unnatural
NEARLY two weeks"
She did turn. Mr.. Farwell rose
You win send In your resignation them"
1t was q somewhat awkward interview to
close BE besitated, then said stinly,
"Then will say good-day."
GOOD. day." she said, without turning.
She did not move till she heard his steps on
the gravel outside, then she went up to her
down on the floor, and lay on her face, her
clasped hands lying Imply, thrown above her
head. She did not cry, Whist was the use In
crying? She only lay still till the room flushed
little with the sunset reflected from the east
and then daTkened, and the brown dress and,
thin white hands on the red carpet grew indis
tinguishable. Mrs. Farwell, at the door, begged
her to come to dinner, and had no answer.
The room grew darker, and then the moon rose
and great patch OF white light overspread
f the PROSTATE girl; there were shadows of
leaves on her hair from the cherry tree By the
stone step. Nellie Farwell came and sat on
the step to recite Scripture lesson to her
father, for Mr.. Farwen was a religious man,
the sole Elder Of the little Presbyterian Church;
her clear childish voice came up 10 Kate.
For a small moment hare forsaEen thee;
Odt aoth great nsercies actu gather thee
U thOit afflicted, tossed 1rith tempest and not
co1nforted! Behold scH lay thy stones ,rith
ar colo,'s, and lay thy foundations 10Th sap
She did not know 1t very well, AMI kept re-
40 hou afflicted, tossed ,ctth tempest ana
not com torted' behold 1 ,rM lay thy stones
acthJ at' coIorS, ana lay thy foundations tcih
SdpphfreS."
Kate rose up from the floor, drew her cur
TAIN, bathed her eyes and lighted her la np.
aver Ter al what was there to despair over? Was
to Mr.. Graham and have everything straIgnt-
ened? She knew his address; she could write
as we'll as Mr.. Martin.
Mr.. GRAHAM-They say that SIN some one
" nY1toy hat ~1oA
go away from here; But yoa wont beIieve It. viii
won't leave me now Forgive me if I oagatn's to to
wat Wit shs 81 is because you are 50 kind and
She thought she had made an irresistIbly
strong appeal; it was the first great transgres-
sion OF her habitual Teticence and shyness that
she had ever made. And 1t was so impossible
to regard Graham as anything but a source Of
all good; that she met peoples looks, after M all
ing her little note, with a triumphant con-
seriousness OF secret resource.
-Four days was ample time for an answer but
none came. She was fairly Ill with suspense
every time the mail came In. One week passed,
and two weeks; and no letter."
Miss Bruce looks ten years older since that
story came out" people said. Indeed they did
went about IL dead silence, without the least
effort to disguise the expression Of her face,
and let her eyes and lips wear as Wild and
strained a look as If she were under surgeons
knife. She was not SO much willing that others
should see her feelings. as absolutely indi1er-
ent to the existence almost unaware OF the
existence, OF any one in the world except Mr.
Graham; she stared at the passer.by with the
same open Darkness Of misery as at the chairs
and table in her room. She left the FarV ellis,
and went to the little hotel, where she was
under no obligation to be civil to any one
There she covered In her room from morning
to night, and waited vaguely for Grahams
return. One evening some one spoke her name
close under her window.
What caa oe Miss Bruce's, or Mrs. Wilkin-
sons, idea in staying in Farweil?"
It was Mr. Martins voice that answered.
Why, she's waiting for Godfrey Graham, OF
course; but he knows all about her now, TO my
knowledge, and he won't come back as long as
she's here. I've let him know she's hanging
round, and 1 shall let him know when she
They passed on In the twilight; they had not
known it was her window they were near.
inside the room, Kate sprung up from her
chair, and threw up her arms with an abandon
that solitude and elimination OF feeling will
betray the most undemonstrative people into.
She felt So overwne a hurt that she hardly
the room half the night. 1t was evident
enough that she must 60; but where? To the
bottom OF the bay? She played with that idea.
OF perfect Indifference to her. WHAT had girl
to do with self respect who had written such a
letter and had 1t depised? She pictured that
woman meeting Mr.. Graham some time, when
she herself had been years dead. and then he
would know that it was not she. and he would
be sorry for her. But she knew very well that
she would never voluntarily leave the world
| Bible lesson was repeating itself Ia her head to
the time OF her pacing leftover and over-"C
thou afflicted, tossed Nth tempest ana not COM
fOrted!-toSSed Nth tempest and not fOrted
behold loiN tag thy stones oCtth far cOlOrS
and lay thy foundations lrith SdpDhireS.''
The next afternoon Kate was ready to leave
FarWell. 1t was SO nearly time for school to
open, that she Was seized with dread OF their
coming to ask her to go that Mr.. Graham might
come back, and she hurried to be away before
they should come; but, just as she locked hel
trunk, Songs soft step Came along the passage @,
and his rap sounded at the door. She opened
to the clean, white drilling-apron and smiling
face.
Well it did not matter much after ALL She
| walked down the narrow passage and into the
stuffy little par,or-all in dark gray, with thin
lows under her eyes. she looked IKE an Invalid
| thirty.f1V years old. She came languidly into
| the ROOM and did not raise her eyes Some one
| turned around from the window aud stepped
| quickly forward-some one with kind brown
| eyes and both hands extended.
Ibid you think l had settled In Shasta? Such
| q time as l have had chasing that man through
| post officeless wilds ana trackless mOuntains
| County,"
lie must have deliberately ignored her ap
| But when, instead OF answering, she shrulB
back and stared at him wildly, It was impossi-
| Die to pretend not to notice 1t, He dropped his
| air OF not knowing that anything was the mat.
| ter. and came close to her. He took her tWo
| hands in his, very softly, and held them.
81 did not dream should be gone so long, =
! he said giving the words an 1ntonation that
! implied that there was great deal OF meaning
| In them somehow. Kate stood passive fol
| nearly minute. and Kept her eyes on his
| while the rigidity OF her face slowly relaxed.
Suddenly eoloring painfully, she pulled away
| her hands.
| Have you heard? " she said, almost In a
| whisper.
| Helooked straight into her eyes and smiled
81 heard something at the station that made
| me come straight To find you" he said. 81
| always knew you needed somebody to take care
Of you, and Pm surer than ever now"
| She looked at him in DeWildered way.
"But-Mr. Martin wrote"
I've been out OF reach of post-officeS. Ills
letters Will bring up at the dead-etter of1ice.''
| She stood and thought 1t over q moment
and then she suddenly broke down, and sank
| Into a chair, trembling and sobbirg.
sOh. thought you believed II, thought you
believed 1t! she cried, You didn't come-an6
I wrote to you. couldn't bear it,
| this? And was away OF In the mountains!"
| He came closer to her, and, as she rose In
| Stinctiveiy, he took her In his arms. "Yor
poor little GIRL" he said; ''you poor little girl!"
She chung to him tightly. and drew lone
breath. He stood and looked down at her
| few moments.
"Child, will tell you the TRUTH" he said
81 could not make up my m1nd-I had moi
made 1t up when l got of the train to-day
| But when the men there came to me With thei1
foolish story, the thought OF my little CIR