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

l m not the cheerfulest ~personv'
Poor officer Kyle grew yet more con
fused under this ELUSIVE style of con
versation, but, finding il necessary to
make a plunge into Tie talk. he he
marked boldly that Mrs. Trussel was.
indeed, rs cheerful a person as he ever
remembered TO have met.
Mamie, who had as kind a little
heart as ever beat beneath n muslin
kerchief, came TO the rescue. She
played not only .'What Are the Wild
Waves Sayingp' but other melodies
more 10 the taste of the stalwart visitor,
n sang in n clear. modest soprano.
Officer Kytc's head was completely
turned. lie felt he had rushed
upon his destiny. In vain he looked in
the direction OF the widow in the hope
that she might retire. The widow APP
propriated the chances with a battered
smile and chatted on. She showed her
own aUtograph-album and her daugh-
tcrs she exhibited her collection of
stcrcoScOpic views, and gave him the
biography, So far rs she knew, of every
person whose portrait had n place i'm
her photograph-album.
At II page. from which looked the
face Of a youth with "a wcll-nurturcd
black mustache and a polka-dottcd
necktie. Mrs. Trussel was discreetly
silent.
is this another cousin of yours?''
asked the visitor, inwardly wishing 90!
how devoutly) that it was Nannie's
shapely fingers turning the leaves for
him. The widow shook her head i'm
reply to the questions.
"A nephew, p%1rhaps?' ventured Of
iicer hyte, not in the least caring what
the relationship might be.
mo relative mt all-yet,'' the
unctuous widow returned, i'm the fullest
enjoyment OF the mystery.
YETI repeated the guileless man
blankly.
" You'll have to ask Mamie how
soon he UiH be- continued Mrs. Trus-
sci, coming out of her shade of mvs-
ticism into the blandest sunshine of
confidence. There arose. a throb from
the simple heart Of The listener that
lodged hclplcssly in his throat, choking
him. He dared not lift mis- honest ewes
from the book, but kept them fixed on
the page with the young face. How
he hated pOlka-dottcd neckties! As for
Mamie, she caught the last two sem
fences and turned about with flaming
face.
''AIotherl'' she protested, ..what are
you sayingg' Her eyes fell on the
PANIED face Of the distressed, foolish
Greatheart on the sofa by her urbane
mother, and she lost the power to say
more. There swan a mist before her
eyes. Officer Kyle forced to look up,
caught a glimpse Of her flying blue
skirts rs she tiirted them out Of the
room. The realization that she was
gone aroused the co"mbativeness which
circumstances had cultivated to so high
q degree IN the sturdy policeman. He
determined to fight. He began a SEEM
ing retreat.
Il have kept you up long enough"
he said, rising with a decision that
checked Mrs. Trussels vehement ex-
postulations.
Say goodnight to Miss Mamie for
me. And may j come tomorrow ut
one o clock and see you alone for Il
moment? want TO see you about
some particular business"
The relict Of the late Captain James
Richard Irussel, being of "a mind that
no time was so good as the present.
queried; why not nowP'
mo, not now returned the deter
III zAN'ts Ailus ltlONNfN~lIlH nlllNtlI
OF his helmet and the lightest and most
useless of canes, marched out i'm the
moonlight with a stride as martial as
II he were leading an onslaught against
a barricade.
A middle-aged lover is the most i'm
fatuatcd of his kind. The hitherto
practical brain of duty-loving Police
man Kyle was as full of visions. for the
nnnnn UL a V.AaFf. HI -.- -.
night after he left the widows house
were broken by floating phantoms OF
gOlden-headed, dOve-eyed maidens.
They loated about the lumber docks.
they Owed into the rivcr-legions of
them-and he was positively relieved
when morning broke, even though he
awoke to the consciousness Of a rival
for his love. The days familiar mo-
notOny seemed strange and unreal.
This inward tumult was something
quite foreign 20 Officer Kyte's ordinary
placidity, but at last the hour for din
ner came and he hurried to the home
Of Widow Trusscl.
She was waiting for him in the par
Tor, dressed in q morning gown Of tan
colored brocade, and She wore some
geranium leaves in her hair. She
looked very large 10 her guest as he
entered. and very overwhelming.
II hope I'm on time he said. sit
ting down coruer-wise ON % very un-
comfortable chair.
Take this rocker, do, cried the
widow.
80, I'm quite comfortable. said the
officer, crossing his feet |ueryously and
increasing them aba-hcd. IF can't
H-- go