The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-01-14

cohsioer you guilty OF piece of
great impertinence, Mr.. Tremaine, in ask
ing me to come here to listen to such
speeches. | don't know what You mean
by it. You will allow me, if you please.
to wish you good evening"
But he springs after her, and detains
her with his encircling arm.
Don't, don't be angry! Kitty, dear
est, forgive me! l only mean-am l
wrong, all wrong, in thinking you cared
for me %
You must not hold me-" she saws.
breathlessly. She is pale and trembling.
and her eyes flash into his with speech
deeper than words. "Oh, Jack. YOU
have stabbed me to the heart! Let ,ne
go away, now, and hide my wound. Let
me go'' She breaks into a sudden pas
sion OF tears. "What does it matter now,
whether cared for You? You-if you
Had ever loved me-you could never
speak such wordsI'
L do love YOU" he CRIES almost wild
~. ou are not going from me in this
way. Kitty, before God l love you! 1
ask You now to be my wife. Let us be
married this very night-before we part.
Come with me now It you love me his
voice breaks in hurried pleading" if
you love me enough TO take me for your
| husband"
But her impassioned sobbing does not
check itself In answer to his continued
urging, she says, at last, brokenly:
| Oh, don't! What is the use?
know what you feel for me. Only pity,
Jack Only sorrow because you have
hurt me! You are kind-but | can't
marry you on that feeling. Oh, how
little you bave known me, Jack! How
| little we have known each other? Will
| you do something for me, dear-the
only thing in Gods world you can do
| now 2"
ooh, Kitty p
Well, go.' she says, vehernently.
Go! Give me a few minutes here by
myself. | have to face the public -
drying her eyes quickly" have to face
the public, and | must have time to get
quiet. Jack, al's over between us. All,
as much as if we had never met And
| If you will only leave me 20
Dear, will. am going. To-mor-
row | shall come to your house. All.
Kitty, if you think we two can ever part
AiIt cc clid!iGcfe-
=" won't see you, Jack" she answers,
| quickly; "you may as well know that
| Will never see you again, if | can help
it,"
But you can't help it," he retorts,
laughing almost joyously; and then he
takes her in his arms and kisses her, but
his face falls only on her braided hair.
| Her face is averted, and she struggles
| from his clasp
And Jack Tremaines His journey
| downtown, when he parts from KITTY,
Is more like wild flight than the usual
progress of a gentleman of leisure He
is going to his home full Of an mpend-
ing change in his lifc-excited, elated,
now that his mind is at the utmost alti-
tude of a generous lover However, at
the very doorstep, almost, Fate meets
him with a sudden check, a. he divests
hisasef of his overcoat, in the lower hall,
his sister Lydia, always his favorite, de-
scend> to meet him, pale and fearful and
lays her pretty hand agsinst his shoul-
| der
Dear Jack, such sad news !" she whis-
pers. Poor grandfather is dying, and
we have all been sent for. We must start
at nine O'Clock tonight"
"For Cleveland 2" asks Jack, in a tone
that plainly adds, impossible" But
there is no help for it. He takes time,
however, to write long, impassoned let
ter to Kitty 1t will reach her in the
morning, be- thinks, tendery, as he depos-
its it in tue nearest pillar-box. "In any
case, | shall only stay a few days in Cleve-
land"
But the few days lengtheus into few
weeks, and more than month has passed
before jack returns from the sad duty to
which he had been summoned The
death of his grandfather has left him a
large estate in Cleveland, aud with it
hundred new cares and responsibilities
but he has come back to New York full
of one care, of one responsibility, that
has grown to be a sacred trust He has
heard no word from Kitty in all this time,
no news except that the Company she
sang in has gone "upon the road" At
the house, in Ninth avenue, the poor,
shabby rooms, where the careworn moth
er greeted him kindly and the children
welcomed him. with shouts of joy, he
learned that they had heard from Kitty
| dS l'tT rs IloCueStcT SHS nau WTlLten @ailu
sent money, but it was almost ten days
ago.
And I'm beginning to be uneasy"
the mother said. "She mostly sends us
two or three letters week and it Is not
like Kitty to be neglectful. I'm hoping
there will be word tomorrow"
Mr. Tremaine replied with hopeful
words of encouragement, and, distribut-
ing little shower of silver among the
boys, was off to look for Kitty.
| At Rochester he learned that the
troupe had gone to Montreal, and at
Montreal that he would probaly find
them at Ontario. He finally caught up
with them at St Lawrence, and read,
with delighted eyes, the posters at the
depot announcing that--Opera Troupe
would sing "Patience at the Grand
Opera House that night The perform
ancc, he knew, must be nearly over; it
was 10 o'clock as he stepped from the
train; but he hurried at once to the
theatre, and made his way to the back
door How natural it seemed, going
round to wait for Kitty, and wondering
how long it would be until she would
step ont, shawed and yelled, and see him
| standing there But he could not wait
After moments dchberation he entered
the passage way, and was met, at once,
| l. Al ~, - IS