Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-02-25

1
Even that wouldn't tell a fellow,
though, whether she has gone to her
friends in Montreal. I'll have to chance
it-and when do find her"
The look in his face as he left the
sentence unfinished BODIED no good to
the object of his thoughts were success
to crown his wishes. Then he also
pressed Zone time" but with persist
ent emphasis that brought a GREATNESS
bell boy rapping at his door before he
removed his finger from the button.
Gruff1y he ordered himself called for the
morning train for Montreal and quart
of brandy. For the unavoidable delay
in the temperance of the boy with the
bottle the mental got roundly cursed
for his trouble and no silver as a
salve for the brutal affront to his sensl-
bilities.
Leaning against the side of a window
in No. 81, in the dim light OF the
turned-down gas, seeming only a deep
er and denser and darker shadow than
that of the heavy curtains themselves.
was the weary figure of a young wom-
an. Even seen at this disadvantage
one could but feel the witchery OF a
rare and loveable presence, rendered
doubly attractive by the fact, which
half-lights and shadows could not con-
ceal, that she was in sore distress-that
| she was fighting one of those battles
| which all of us must sometimes fight,
and fight alone. And yet for her it
seemed cruelty hard and unnatural
thing that some knight, as of old,
| should not do brave battle and win the
| victory.
Indeed, if you had seen Miss Eggle-
ston as | have seen and known her,
fearless ana leal, you might have put
the facts in more elegant phrases; but
the kindlier and better chosen your
words the less cause would you have
had to regret the hopeless poverty of
the language in what might have been
your glad duty to say of or for her.
With sigh that bravely tried not to
be sob, she said softly to herself:
..Oh, my dear! You were true and
noble and good. How could l have
ever, even for one minute, believed
him when he softly insinuated the aw-
full falsehoodS he was too treacherous,
too base to put in honest words? He
|
if he thought it would serve his base
ends. | sent you away-we are parted
forever-I. only, am to blame. /, too,
must-I do-suffer for us both-and
yet, the pain would be harder still to
bear if thought, if / could think, you
do not care at all. Heaven bless you
bless you-wherever you are!''
Presently she, too, pressed Zone
time" and asked that she might be
called for the morning train to Mon
treal.
| II.
They had, indeed, parted "forever."
Those who part themselves forever,
though, have more or less awkward
habit of meeting, sooner or later
usually the former. The world is small
when we would, or think we would, es.
cape any one human being. 1t is only
when we say ''Good night-I'll sec you
tomorrow" "Good-bye-we'll meet
next week. that tomorrow never
cOmes-that next week is swallowed up
in eternity.
Why these two had parted forever"
as she said and believed, is quite an
other matter. Perhaps the gentleman
in No. 4S could have explained if he
would. But have nothing now to do
with causes. Effects are about rs large
a contract as the majority of us in this
life are able to concern ourselves with.
But to glance once more at the three
rooms in the Down East Hotel in which
we are at this moment interested:
In No. AZ was an honest, whole
souled-but far from whole-hearted-
young fellow, who could not sleep. He
had not vet comprised the frozen and
pitiless philosophy that lit is better to
have loved and lost than never to have
loved at all"
In No. 4S was treacherouS wretch
who was rapidly replacing the quart
bottle as Il congenial receptacle for its
fiery contents.
In No. 81 was the pall-like shadow OF
the figure that still fingered at the win
dow side. half lost in the carcssin9
outline of the curtain, while pale face
was upturned to the cold moonlight
with sleeplesS eyes that seemed halt
closed in prayer.
A PRAYER that good old st. Valentine
heard. if it went no higher or farther.
For the morrow was st. Valentines
day, and already was the spell of his
enchantment abroad in the world.
III.
They don't ring midnight bells in the
metropolis of Maine to honor the ad
vent of any saints day. but the clerk
on duty at his principal hotel might
have been pardoned for thinking thai
: Prof. Widows in 1876 made
: himself noisily known to Centennial
, visitors-or some other artist il
chimes. had suddenly materialized, by
the perturbed condition of the an
: nunciator. The performer certainly
} succeeded in making music for all con.
cerned by his impartial and bewilder
ING per,stency. as he scandalized the
hour and the proprieties by ringing al
the changes on the nine electric
calls" In rapid succession he CAV,
| l. - H.