Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-01

tfIttt tbtHHtIc te11tt7Np t<Fk1ehtS s<sAt',1sss
evergresns adorned the church, chill
dren strcwed tho brides path with
flowers AMI ell IN honor OF the girl
who only three short months before had
stood shivering on the threshold OF .
hard and lonely life OF toll
II was toward the close Of that event
full day that Kathleen Collingwood
leaned her throbbing head back against
the cushions bf the carriage, and the In
voluntary complaint escaped her hra at
last: 81 am 80 tired
Paris in August was endurably hot and
dusty. 80 the travellers hurried through
its streets withouta halt, scarcely pausing
in their journey until Lucerne was
reached. Here they rested through long,
sunny days, and Jack tasted the full en-
joy;nent Of his new happiness. II was
the very delight Of bis heart to surround
bis Katie with every conceivable plea
sure, and he found her delightful per-
son to pet and make much OF, for shee
was bright, easily pleased. end grateful
for every most trifling attention.
They sailed the lake by sunlight and
by moonlight, climbed the Rigi by half
a dozen different routes, defed the storms
OF 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 on to the bal
cony of her room in the big Ipterlaken
Hotel where Jack had taken her che
turned pale with excess OF delight. Be-
fore them the Jungfrau and her attend
ant giants rose maiestically into their own
calm region of silent beauty, their
silhouettes sharply defined against the
back ground OF azure sky, closing in
the lovely Lauterbrunnen Valley with n
mighty rampant of peak and glacier
Kathleen watched the sun set that night,
and saw the famous colonization steal
slowly over the dazzling snow-felds.
changing their silver radiance to a ten
der, pearly flush, like nothing else in ma
ture.
Cant we get nearer TO them. Jack ?"
she asked in whisper of hushed de-
light. 81 would sleep in a hut and live
on crust, if need be, Just to be for
awhile III the very heart Of these noun
tains."
So Jack took her up to the valley, and
for few days they we're very happy In
little inn at the foot of the Staubbach.
But before long Kathleen said the giant
cliffs on either side of the valley seemed
pressing on her like prison walls, and
begged to be taken cup higher
Her word was law to her husband so.
after two or three hours OF 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 hamlet rose "horns"
beyond all power of counting or rsmem-
bering, and below them pine forests
clothed the mountain sides with man.
tie of sombre verdure. Here they de-
cided to make halt of several weeks.
1t was during this stay at Murren that
Mr.. Collingwood was first puzzled by a
certain indefinable change in Kathleen.
Not toward himself !; to him her manner
was gentle and afiectionate as ever; but
she grew quieter as the days went on,
fonder Of solitude, and often absent
minded.
Jack asked whether she found the
place too dull.
Certainly not" she answered, with
out hesitation. "'How could / be dull,
Jack, with you ?"
The glow on her cheek and the clear
brightness of her eye vouched for bodily
health not being in fault, SO Jack told
himself that the little change could only
exist IN bis over-anxious imagination.
One thing, however, was plainly no fan
cy-Kathleen was fast losing the timidity
Of girlhood and assuming the self-reliant
dignity Of her matronhood. When her
husband one day proposed, half teasing
", to undertake difficult ascent, which
Would necessitate his leaving her for at
least two entire days. TO his surprise she
not only made no objection to being left
alone in the 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 success
full One-so the guides pronounced it at
least-occupyiDg five or six hours less
than the usual time allowed for it. But
to Jack, undeniably the pleasantest mo-
ment OF the whole excursion was the one
in which he once again caught sight of
the wooden balconies of the long, low
hotel at MuIren. Involuntarily he
quickened his tired steps in his lmpa-
tlence to see Kathleen's flush of happy
surprise at their Unexpectedly speedy re-
turn.
She was not to be found, however,
either in the garden or the salon. SO he
fastened up to her own room. Neither
was she there, though there were traces
Of her recent presence in the writing ma
terials spread out on the table. The
windows stood open, and the summer
breeze had scattered some of the papers
about the floor. As Mr.. Collingwood
stopped to gather up the flying sheets his
eye was caught 10y closely-written page
of Kathleen's pretty writing. All things
were common property now, and his eye
rested on the page, at first for the plea
sure of seeing her hand again, then in
awakened curiosity, then in utter Devil
derment
The letter was without formal COM
ment, and ran thus:
cit would be wiser and better not to
write this at all. but / cannot any longer
bear the pain of knowing that the news
of my marriage will find you wholly I'M
prepared. Max, you will say, l can never
have loved you, and if 1t will spare you
one useless pang Of regret it is well you
should think 80. Yet l did speak the
truth when / told you no other could
ever be to me what you were. | know l
spoke the truth by the very difficulty OF
forgetting now that it is a sin TO remem-
Der. But was friendless and penniess,
and long years must have gone by before
we could even have dreamed OF mar
riage you confessed it yourself.
How was l to live through these
years Some women. no doubt,
would have been strong enough
to fight the world alone and wait but it
was not in me. l was weak and fright
ened, and when good man offered me
his hand and home 1 resolved TO forget