Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-14

night" answered Nora; Eat least. this
evening, mean, and she did not leave
word where she was gone.
Nora understood, / saw. l felt ter
ribly injured, and made up my mind to
evenge myself by spending the revening
with Sally Gray. She was at home,
the servant girl said, and found her
waiting in the parlor for me. We had
it to ourselves. Mrs. Robins never
came in, nor any of the other boardcrs;
indeed, it was now growing late in the
season, and they were almost all gone
away. If / never knew how to t1irt
before, Sally Gray taught me how that
night, and when | took leave of her
was imprudent enough to tell her l
should like to kiss her.
'.Do it, if you DESIRE" said she.
And then! Yes, l kissed her; and as
I did it the door opened, and we started
apart, and there stood Dolly. She had
seen it all.
Il left my bonnet here" she said.
''Mr. Isaac is going home with me,
and 1 came to get it. Sorry to disturb
you
She was very cool and contemptuous.
She tied her bonnet on at the glass.
threw her little mantle over her Shout
ders, and went out Next day she broke
our engagement and sent me back my
ring. The next week l left home and
went away to sea. Some one had told
me that Dolly was going to marry Ike
Robins. Mother wrote to me often.
and never mentioned Dolly and never
asked about her. l lived with men,
generally on the sea, and had no
thought of liking or caring for any
woman. l always intended to 90 home
and see the old folks, but they died of
fever within two days of each other,
and stranger sent me the news.
Lawyer Dredgers saw to the estate.
and did what l asked him to do with
the money. l did not need it then, but
it would keep me from being beggar
in my old age. And still l sailed the
sea, until when forty years old an acct
dent happened to me which came near
being my death. 1t did not kill me nor
cripple me, but was no longer fit for
sailors life. and there was nothing
left for me but to settle down on land
and live on my money; and SO went
home at last to talk to Lawyer bred
gers and get his advice. felt very
sad as l walked through the village.
NY parents were dead, no one remem-
bered me; l had not a friend in the
place.
The lawyer had done his best to
make my money profitable to me, and
was richer than l dreamed. When
all the business was over l took a
moonlight stroll through the street. 1t
was twenty years since the night l
kissed Sally Gray, and lost my love by
it; but nothing had altered in the out
ward aspect of the place.
People were sitting on their porches
as of yore; the same flowers seemed to
bloom in the gardens; the same loun-
gers to stand about the tavern door;
the same young men and girls to hang
upon the garden gates. 1t was odd
to think that the girls might be the
daughters of those l knew. There
stood the church; there the parson-
age. walked toward it. The win
dows of the sitting-room were open. l
drew softly near and peeped in.
The old clock licked in the corner.
The old rag carpet was either the same
or another just like it. There was only
one blue vase on the mantel. l sup
pose the other had been broken: but
there were the profles of Grandpa and
Grandma Wheeler over the escritoire.
There was Dominic Wheeler, looking
very much older, sitting exactly as he
used to sit beside the table, his red
handkerchief over his knees, cup of
tea in mis- hands.
Dolly he said.
And from an inner room came a
woman, large. handsome and high col
ored, who said:
"Well, father" ,,.
Could it be my slim, young Dolly?
Yes, it was She was very fine-look-
ing now, and she looked so matronlv
that Immediately concluded that she
was Mrs. Isaac Robins.
Still, | could not leave the window.
ut was my one glimpse of her," l
said to myself, .'for years past and
years to come"
''Well, father" she said.
And turned smiling toward him.
i've been thinking it over, Dolly"
he said. 81 think it would be best tor
you to marry. am eighty. l can not
live long. You had better marry Mr..
Braham. He is very fond of YOU. You
like him, l am sure. Is it for nv sake
you say MOP"
She bent over him and put her hands
on his shoulders.
Father" she said, 81 am going to
tell You the truth. thing woman
seldom does in these matters. l should
not have to leave you; SO it is not for
your sake. much as 1 love YOU. But |
do not care for Mr.. Braham. have
only cared for one man in nv life-my
first love, James Gardner | sent him
away from me, and he had done very
wrong; but think now that we both
loved each other. l know that. even
now. l can not forget him, and that l
never shall forget him while 1 live
There were tears in her eyes: she
brushed them away. In another mo-
ment l was at the door: she opened it.
l held out both my hands. Those were
Dolly's giriish ewes that looked at me,
and | caught her in nv arms.