West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-12-18

mark. Did the widow think ne meant
10 make Lore TO her? He was a chiyal-
o u soul. and would no more have
fostered such a mistake than he would
have perjured himself. Besides. ~
had a great respect for Nannie's
mother, as such. He east about him
for means To e'.Gcate himself from the
difficulty, but the widow. still with
tears in her eyes and a quavcr i'm her
voice, went on:
I'm sure / know how 10 feel for
you. Ever since dear james died I've
been so lonesome that, but for Mamie
and your visits, | must have lost my
senses; and o that Mamie is going
20 leave mo-
or cried Officer Kyle. relieved,
thinking that after all She might not
nave misunderstood him, that needn't
be. I'm SIRE; no one would think of
separating you" But the widow was
uncOnsolcd. She drew in her breath
with a sob. "He may take her away
any day, and then what ShaH | doP"
You don't mean that she's engaged
TO that young fool with the spotted
necktiel'' calculated the desperate
sutton. with unmasculme intuition.
Mrs. Trussel threw herself back i'm the
chair.
There, now she cried. II told
Mamie you wouldn't approve of it,
You told her that?' he roared.
Then a sense of his own helplcssness
came over him and he said quietly, with
grim humor; ''Wcll / don't
Its agreat pity sighed the widow.
that when were so happy otherwise
we should have such a trouble as this"
The visitor rose.
"Well, he said, between his teeth,
''under the circumstance | don't see
Us there is anything left for me to do
He was going, but Nannie's mother
clasped him about the arm and held
him there.
"Don't be angry with the poor
child she cried. ''She's always been
an obcdient daughter to me, and |
hope she will be tn YOU The un-
fortunate officer positively staggered
as he felt the full force of this blow.
But, Mrs. Trussel-' he was be-
ginning when the impulsive widow
threw herself forward and leaned
against him, sobbing.
al don't-know-how to thank
you for being--sO kind she managed
to say between gasps. You'll never
repent it-no, never. You wouldn't
mind kissing me, would you, George?"
There was no use in Officer Kyte let
ting his arms dangle by his side. Nan
ME, the go!den-headed, tender-hcarted
little goddess of his dreams was lost to
him forever. The future seemed to
him as bleak as a December day and
well. the widows eyes were black and
her lips were rosy. so he kissed her.
Then he rushed from the house.
S He was Obliged to hurry back to his
beat. He walked with his eyes on the
ground, unconscious of everything but
the incoherent agitation of his mind
He could have struck a brother officer
who stopped him with a p~leasan
''Howdy' dor
There's a mighty pretty girl allow
in to you said his friend. land |
couldn't be mean enough to let you
lose it." Officer Kyle looked back.
why, it's Mamie TrusSel!' he ex-
claimed, with an embarrassed blush.
"She looks smilin' enough" his
friend continued. II suppose it's be-
cause she's thrown over Dick Smith.
They say a woman's never so happy as
when she's breaking somebody's
- ~ 'N'hA go "a NV
"What! That little dude with the
spotted necktie?' he cried, trembling.
| don't know nothin' about his neck
ties, the other man was beginning in
a humorous tone, but officer No. 1,4l4
was in hot pursuit of the escaping cul-
prit, who walked unconsciously down
the street. She looked as rosy as a
June sunrise when she saw the tall fig
ure in the blue uniform looming up be-
side her.
Mamie blurted out the big fellow.
81 went up to your house to ask YOU to
marry me, but somehow | proposed to
your ma instead. don't know how it
happened, but really it wasn't my fault,
and If can get out of the scrape 'front.'
you have me?''
He looked like a blubbering, over
grown School-boy. Little Miss Mamie
peeped up at him under the droopinp
rim of her hat. "Well / Declare she
said, and she stopped right there on
the pavement and laughed till the
cherries that she carried i'm the paper
bag i'm her hand burst through the bot
tom and jostled each other out upon
the pavement like n crowd Of bows es-
Gaping from school. Officer Kyte was
glad Of the eXcus 10 hide his face by
picking them up, and he had excuse
enough. for the harder she laughed. the
faster they dropped. Then compunc-
ton seized on her tender soul and she
set 20 work with him, holding up her
starched skirts daintily from the dust.
But the mirthfulness seized her again.
20 what q larkl' she cried. What
will we do?'
DO You mean about the cherries. or
your mother asked the piqued police
q lie felt utterly contemplate and
wa, sure She must think him so. but the
fact b. she felt nothing of toe sort.
20. she said shifting the air, ''IH
manage ma II YOU manage the cher
rice They got toe cherries up finally
and Kyle zaid
I've got 90 go back 10 duty. Miss
Mamie. n YOU must laugh az an old
fool hAe me-. wal, Hll you get home. /
see there uo hope for me. Having
tortured him to Der heart content. the
merry maiden wa ready 20 make rep
ariti1u
Wei She said. 81 wouldn't com
mIt suicide n J. were you. I-I-
-he looked down lud hlu-hsd a- red us
The rherIe- .I Hiut ma can boz
talked out 81 it a smile broke
through DIS clouled face. like the
sun through the fox
DO you mean ita ho asked eagerly,
hardly 1hle tY believe his ears Nam