Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-10
and lonely life Of toll

throbbing head back against the cushions Of
the carriage, and the involuntary complaint
escaped her lips at last: 81 am so tiredI'
Paris in August was unendurably hot and
dusty, so the travellers hurried through its
gay streets without halt, scarcely pausing
in their journey till Lucerne was reached.
Here they rested through long sunny days
aud Jack tasted the full enjoyment Of his
new happiness. It was the very delight Of
his heart to surround his Kate with every
conceivable pleasure, and he found her
delightful person to pet and make much OF,
for she was bright, easily pleased and CRATE
full for most every trifing attention
They sailed the Lake by sunlight and by
moonlight climbed the Rigi by half dozen
different routes, defed the storms It Mont
Plate, visited every shrine Of William Tell
and explored every corner Of the quaint old
town before they babe farewell to the Lake
of the Four Cantons and took their way
over the Brunig down to Interlaken.
When Kathleen stepped to the balcony Of
her room in the big Interiaken hotel where
Jack had taken her, she turned pale with
excess Of delight Before them the Jung
frau and her abundant giants rose majesti-
cally into their own calm region Of silent
beauty. their silhouettes sharply defined
against the background Of azure sky, closing
in the lovely Lauterbrunnen valley with a
mighty rampant Of peak and glacier. Kath-
leen watched the sunset that night, and saw
the famous "colorizationr steal slowly ever
the dazzling snowfelds, changing their silver
radiance to tender, pearly flush, like moth
ing else in nature.
Cant we get nearer to them, Jackg' she
asked in a whisper Of hushed delight II
would sleep in hut and live on crust, if need
be, Just to be for awhile in the very heart Of
those mountains"
So Jack took her up the valley, and for a
few days they were very happy in little
inn at the foot Of the Staubbach. But be-
fore long, Kathleen said the giant cliffs on
either side of the valley seemed pressing on
her Ike prison walls. and begged to be taken
''up higher"
Her word was law to her husband, so, after
two or three hours Of a steep and rugged
mountain path, they took up their abode at
Murren, thousands Of feet above their late
dwelling place, and level with the untracked
SHOWS of the great range across the valley.
Behind and above the narrow green shelf
which affords room for the tiny Alpine ham,
let rose horns beyond all power of count
ing or remembering, and below them pine
forests clothed the mountain sides with
mantle Of sopber verdure. Here they de-
cided to make a. halt Of several weeks
It was during this stay at Aurren that Mr..
Collingwood was first puzzled by certain
indeinable change in Kathleen. Not toward
himself. To him her manner was gentle and
afectionate as ever; but she grew quieter as
the 6aEs IN fOr,Iar Of SNfit11J, ND
often absent minded
Jack asked whether she found the place too
dull
Certainly not" she answered without
hesitation. How could l be dull, Jack,
with your
The glow on her cheek and the clear bright
ness of her eye vouched for bodily health not
being in fault, so Jack told himself that the
little change could only exist in his over anx-
ious imagination. One thing, however, was
plainly no fancy: Kathleen was fast losing
the timidity Of girlhood and assuming the
self reliant dignity of her matronhood When
her husband one day proposed, half teasingly,
to undertake difficult ascent, which would
his leaving her for at least two
entire days, to his surprise she not only made
no objection to being left alone in big hotel,
but so urged him TO carry out the idea that
he was at last obliged to give way and
depart.
The ASCENSION was most successful one
so the guide pronounced it, ct any rate
five or six hours less than the
usual time allowed for it. But to Jack, IN
deniably the pleasantest moment of the
whole excursion was the one in which hs
once again caught sight Of the wooden bal
comics Of the long, low hotel at Murren. In
he quickened his tired steps in
his impaJience to see kathleers flush Of
happy surprise at their Unexpectedly speedy
return.
She was not TO be found, however, either
In the garden or ct the salon, SO he fastened
up to her own room Neither was she there,
though there were traces Of her recent pres
ence in the writing material spread out on
the table. The windows stood open, and the
summer breeze had scattered some of her
papers about the floor. AS Mr. Collingvood
stopped to gather up the flying sheets his
eve was caught by 3 closely written page of
kathleen's pretty writing. All things were
common property now, and his eye rested on
the page, at first just for the pleasure of see
ing her hand again, then il awakened curl
oelty, then in utter bewilderment.
The letter was without formal commence
nent, and ran thus:
1T would be wiser and better not to write
this at all, but l cannot any longer bear the
pain Of knowing that the news Of my mar
riage viii find you wholly unprepared.
Max, you Will say can never have loved
you; and, If it viii spare one useless pang Of
regret, it is well you should think so. Yet
did speak the truth when l told you no
other could ever be to me what you were.
l know spoke truth by the very difficulty
Of forgetting now that it is sin to remember.
But / was friendless and penniless, and long
years must have gone By before we could
even have dreamed Of marriage. You con-
fessed 1t yourself How was TO live through
these yearsl Some women. no doubt, would
have been strong enough 10 fight the world
alone and wait; but it was not in me. was
weak and frightened; and when good, gen.
erous man offered me his hand and home
resolved TO forget the past and the foolish
promises had given. Blame me as little as
you can, Max. CT, still better, forget me alto
cether. l an not altogether unhappy. Ny
husband is very kind and good TO NE, and
by and by hope TO love him as he deserves.
Good-by, Max! Nay you one day win the
love of better woman than can ever beI''
The letter fell from Mr.. Colliagwood's IN
nerved hand, hutterins quietly away again
beneath the table SIS be left the room, and
slowly, in half dazed fashion, made his way
70 quiet nook in the garden, where Kath-
leen and he had spent many happy hour
together.
The discovery was terrible blow to him.
Like many men who lad married rather late
il life be had found special charm in the
idea that the very first emotions Of his young
wifss heart had been awakened by his own
wooinr hundred times he had exrrItirCTv I