Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-16

and the flowers and the trees, and to
wander farther off, down the sharp cut
In the cliff, where the trout brook ran
into the sea. Here there were no trees to
whisper about her and no brilliant flow
ers to assert their purity over hers
nothing but the abrupt cliff and the dark
pool below. And the little falls that
splashed into the pool did not mock and
scon her as the trees and the flowers
did. They talked to her as Joey talked.
softly and soothingly. Oh! if she could
but feel as calm and happy as the water
seemed; If, perhaps, she could 60 tc
sleep down there in the deep pool-with
joey!
And, after awhile, Joe always knew
where to find Lydia when she was not in
the house. It was always at the gate, as
he called it, because it opened into the
sea. Neither the tall pines nor the sunny
gardens to hold Lydia.
"Et's purty't the gate, ter be sure,'' he
said one evening, "but theirs Other
places purifier. Seems ter me ye're get
tin more'n more noshunal, amt ye
Lyddyw
"It's SO quiet and peaceful like, joe
answered Lydia, II love to come here
and-and think"
Joe looked anxious. 81 don't believe
thinkin's SO good fur ye, Lyddy, ez
gard'nin' or-egg huntin'. I've noticed
lately that ye want SO smart as usual. y
He sat down by her side. The SUI
was sinking into the sea, blushing asst dis
appeared, and the old mountain at theil
backs caught up its last glow and grew
rudy also.
"When I think, Lyddy"-t enderly
lifting forlorn little spray of lace from
her neck-"when I think how lonely tn
old place was n then It you an me to-
gether yer, why ct seems's tho I'd been
better done by than was right"
Lydia threw herarms over her head
and swayed her body lightly.
"Joe'' she said, II don't like to hear
you talk like that. Nobody's been good
to you. Why do you keep saying SOP
"Ter be sure, ter be sure,' he answer
ed, hastily ''Thet is, p'raps Tn little
over ratin' et." He remained silent for
a minute. Sim afeard, Lyddy, thet
thet's my fault, over ratin' things. When
I begun ter talk up the clearin', tho't
then that p'raps 1 was overdoin' it. But
faint preachin' that brings things true
cts the showin'."
Joe picked up twig and broke it in
pieces, trying to conceal a trembling of
bis hands. "Pm afraid Lyddy," he be-
gan again, ''thet I hewitt done right by
ye. / talked up the clearin' nigh, n
p'raps I misled We. But sho /! don't take
on So Ez sure as ye live it'll be all
right in time. Why you hewitt seen the
big tree or the lighthouse even"
Lydia threw her arms around his bent
shoulders. "Oh, it isn't that, Joe. I
love this place in my way, because-be-
cause it is yours, and you are so good.
1t is that She hesitated.
"Joey," she said at length, gently re-
leasing him, ''when you asked me to be
your wife, if you had known that I was
holding back from you something I
should have told you, would you
"Why, Lyddy," broke in Joe, "a lit
tie holdin' backs nothin'. Now for in
stance, when I preached up the clear
in"
'Yes, yes, I know, but it was worse
than that. II deceived you, Joe
just a little" She plucked nervously at
the fringe on her dress.
''Oh, didn't amount to nuthin', reck-
on" Joe looked away rehectively.
''Talkin' about deceivin', Lyddy, there
was opcst woman right yer'n this corn-
try, n She deceived a Frisco man.
N one night she KEN up yer'n jumped
int the pool-this very pool yer-so's
ter be drownedr'
''Oh, don't, Joe; don'tr' moaned Ly-
dia, covering her face with her hands.
"Sho! I was only instancin' Lyddy.
Why she was wicked, you know-awful
this woman!'
Lydia withdrew her hands. "Joe, if
you thought I had deceived you bad
like that would you-would you drown
me?" Her face was quite pale.
"Drown yeF-looking up-"why,
what's the matter, Lyddy?"
"Oh, I was joking" She laughed
dryly.
Ill wish ye wouldn't joke that
way"
mo, no. I won't Joe, any more
(plucking again at the fringe), but,
speaking of this woman, but-perhaps
her heart was good, she may have had a
hard, cruel life. There are such women,
Joe; perhaps you have met them Joe
shook his head), or-seen them some
where. I have. I have seen women de-
ceived and betrayed and abused And
this woman, now, maybe her life had
been made hard and wicked for her; she
might have have had warm heart even
if she did do-bad things"
Joe did not answer. She caught his
arm. perhaps, Joe, this woman had
been abused, illtreated, you know; had
black and blue spots on her as-as had
once-beaten, beaten, Joe, by cruel
father!''
She clutched him with both hands.
"You never met my father? I didn't
want you to. I wanted to get away from
him; and SO I married you. mean ICON
vulsively,) I loved you just the same,
but II wanted to get away. Don't you
see You deceived yourself, you know
(laughing.) You never asked me any
thing, and-and why didn't you? You