St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-11-26

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doubted him but now the village was
full of rumOrs concerning his attentions
to Madge Sullivan, a Chicago beauty
and heiress, his sisters school friend.
| Plying glances were cast upon Kitty
as she passed her girl friends at places
of amusement where her rival received
the lions share of her lovers atten-
tiOns. She felt that she was neglected,
and Aunt Sabrina's rude touch had
torn open a raw and quivering wound.
Ross walked homeward moody and
indignant. He had been treated with
gross disrespect, he meditated as he
| went along. Kitty was assuming a
new and uncomfortable role, and to
punish her for her impertinence, much
as he enjoyed her cookery, he should
absent himself from her Thanksgiving
dinner unless she made him a suitable
apology. That evening he relieved
his feelings by dashing off some sar
castle verses, for which he had special
latent, and, inclOsing them in a blank
envelope, tossed them into his desk,
fully persuaded that next morning
would bring him penitent little note
in Kitty's clear chirOgraphy.
But the note did not come Kitty
was too deeply hurt to offer any flag of
truce. She went from room to room,
putting the curtains into more graceful
folds, re-arranging the books and trit1es
on the mantel and tables and filling
the great blue vases with masses of
snowy chrysanthemums. All the
while she was listening and waiting
for the advent of her lover, and a
chance step upon the walk sent the
blood SurUiuU tn her cheek
The evening came at last. Ross had
not come, he would never come again
something told her, and going to her
room size gave herself up to agony of
weeping. II Ross had cared, if there
had been the smallest remnant of the
old love remaining he would have been
with her before this, anxious for re-
! Cancellation, taking the blame upon
himself in his old, frank, generous
way. No, it was as the neighbOrs said
another had supplanted her in his re-
gard, if indeed he had ever cared fer
her as she had so fOndly imagined.
"Here's a letter for you, Kitty" call
ed Aunt Sabrina up the stairway. Its
| from Chicago, and must be something
pretty important. | guess, for IT'S got
two stamps on it. Read it quick, and
let us know who it's from"
She took the letter. thankful for the
dim light which concealed her tear
stained cheeks and swollen eyes, and
read as follows:
CHICAGO, November 26, 1S-.
My Dear Cousin have been trying
to think whom | could call upon in the
present emergency, and find there is
no one but your own kind, helpful,
cheerful self. Your persistent refusals
| to visit me will not be accepted now,
for happen to know that our ancient
Aunt Sabrina is at hand to take your
place ut the household helm. But to
begin at the beginning. Coming ont
of the theatre a few evenings since |
had the ill-fOrtune to sprain my ankle.
The physician warns me that | shall
be close prisoner for several weeks,
and the thought appalls me. Fred is
at the Office the livelong day and the
loneliness of my lot is unbearable. My
only hope is that You will be mindful
enough of your cOusinly duty to come,
like the beneficent fairy that you are,
and save me from dying of ennui.
Here followed several pages of fam
lily and personal matters. in which the
reader has no interest. The letter
closed in this wise =
Taking your assent for granted in
close a check to defray travelling ex-
penses. Never mind about your ward
robe there will he time enough for
that after You are here. Don't wait to
write but telegraph me and start at
once. Your afiectiOnate cousin,
RUTH HEARNE.
Another Jay had passed, and think
/ ing Kitty uthciently punished Ross
adorned himself ia his best ard leis-
urely prac-eded to tina rmhOuse.
Aunt Sabrind, meIger and belligerent
as ever, answered his knock.
sis Kitty at home ?" he qneried
anxiOusly, something in the spinster's
appearance daunting him.
"She went 70 Chicago this morning
on the o'clock train" CURLY answer
ed Aunt Sabrina, watching with de-
lighted eyes the effect of her cOnlmUni-
cation.
"Kitty gone! and without consult
ing me ?" sksped Ross, forgetting him
self in his aAOnishment.
"And why should she consult you ~
asked his tOrmenter. "What claim
have you on Kitty Payne, or what
right to control her movements ?"
Ross grew pale he drew himself up
haughtily, and, without deigning to
answer, secured Kitty's address and
beat IA precipitate retreat. He went
directly to his room, and seated at his
desk indited a manly and tender epis-
tie to the absent one, blaming himself
severely for the misunderstanding be-
tween them aud making her the formal
offer of his hand and heart.
Forget and forgive" he pleaded.
~ know my own heart at last, and it
tells me that without my little friend
and sweetheart, life has no happiness
| for me-"
He folded the letter and slipped it
into the envelope. The entrance of II
younger brother disturbed him, and he
tossed it unaddressed into his desk.
Had it but REACHED its destination, this
letter with its freightage of love and
penitence, what burden of pain and
grief would have been lifted from the
young girls sOrrOwful heart How
many years of hopeless waiting robbed
of their dreary desOlatiOn But it was
not to be. When in the dim morning
light Ross went to his desk he took up
the envelope containing the heartless
verses written in his anger whose ex-
istence he had already forgotten. Adj
dressing it in his bold, free hand he
sent the missive on its way. A few
hours later he had said his good bys"
to family and friends and started for
his new home on the Dakota prairies.
Sheltered in the great bay window
Kitty rocked and sung, the golden
curls of the child upon her lap blend
ing softly with her braids of brown