River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-12-28
JILTED TO HIS HEARTS
CONTENT.

tO1N a I'm IL
Kenneth Warde and Katie Dene had
been boy-and-girl sweethearts; but the
death of Kenneth's parents and his
adoption by wealthy uncle, who took
him away to live in the city, separated
the juvenile lovers, leaving them both
for the time inconsolable. Katie whis-
pered her griefs in her dollie's ear as
they lay with their heads on the same
pillow, and cried herself asleep several
nights in succession and in saying her
prayers when she came to the words,
"Bless everybody" it was q good while
before she could bring herself to repeat
them without q mental exception Of
Kenneth's cruel uncle.
At first Kenneth's mind was filled
with desperate schemes for carrying of
Katie to some undiscovered island,
where, without molestation, they might
play at Mr.. and Mrs. Robinson Crusoe,
and live pair of happy hermits to the
end of the chapter.
But time soon effaces the sorro VS. of
the young. Kenneth was put in boys
school, where ambition to excel, and to
head the rush in every bout at football
gave ample occupation to his thoughts,
and left little time for brooding over
by-gone ills. The Crusoe plan was
either quite forgotten, or its carrying
out deferred till some indefinite period
in the future. And Katie, too, before
month had passed, could play, and
romp, and laugh and shake her yellow
curls as gleefully as in the days when
Kenneth, her devoted knight, used to
guard her pathway home against the
besetments of surly dogs and butting
billy-goats-
Years went by, and Kenneth Warde,
after a brilliant career at college and a
couple of years of travel, returned to fill
his uncle's heart with pride. He must
have quite forgotten the little Katie OF
his boyhood; for not only did he fail to
go and seek her that they might set
about their search for the enchanted
island or some retreat equally romantic,
but he actually courted, and was in due
time engaged to Miss Grace cambridge,
a dashing belle, whose father and Ken.
neths uncle had long been laying their
canny heads together to bring about
that precise result.
Miss Grace had been the idol of Seth
Ransen, handsome cousin of hers, to
whose suit, it was rather more than
whispered, she had lent not-unwilling
ear. But whether it was through filial
obedience, or because she was prudent
enough to discern the superior adj
vantages of match with man OF
Kenneth Warde's dazzling prospects,
Miss Grace reluctantly dismissed her
cousin and accepted the new suitor with
a promptness which poor Seth, like the
deposed Wolsey, thought somewhat
sudden"
When everything had been arranged
between Warde and Grace cambridge,
even to the setting of the wedding day,
Kenneth, who was not so foolish in love
but he could exist brief season out of
his fiancee's presence, bethought him OF
going to spend few weeks in his native
village, which he had not seen since the
day he had been carried off In a fit OF
heroic sulks over his separation from
Katie Dene. OF course he laughed at
that foolishness now.
suppose it was an Accidental any
rate it so happened-that Kenneth's
first visit in the old place was to the
Denes'. He didn't know Katie at first
could hardly realize, indeed, that the
yellow-headed little tom-boy, whose
quarrels he was always taking up, and
with whom he used to quarrel now
and then himself, could have grown in
to so bewitchingly beautiful woman
Katie seemed little hurt that Kenneth
should have so totally forgotten her
She would have known him, she said,
had they met on deserted island. He
hadn't changed bit-only to grow evel
so much handsomer, she was on the
point of adding, but checked herself
with blush.
The time passed swiftly, and Ken
neth's visit was prolonged till prudenct
whispered it was time to think Of re
turning, if he would not be a laggart
at his own wedding. If the truth mus
be told, it would hardly have broker
his heart if something had happened tc
keep him away altogether, for he and
Katie were spending the days very hap
ply, barring now and then regretful
sigh as they thought secretly of what
might have been. But Kenneth was {
man Of honor, and struggled manfully
to maintain his loyalty. He had prom
ised to marry Grace cambridge, anG
must keep his word; and Katie Dent
respected him too highly to wish him t
play traitors part.
It was the day betoge kenpeth's de