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

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the excuse no was framing for her.
81 want to tell you all about 1t, Jack,
she said presently. "And / want toshow
you a letter, and ask how ] ought to an
swer IL"
"Don't answer it at all, /" said her hus-
band, sharply.
"Oh, Jack! / must send some an
swer; what will he think OF me il / do
not?
al don't care what he thinks. I dis
tinctly forbid you 10 answer it,"
The bright eyes filed with tears rs she
vainly looked for some token OF relent-
ing in the Squire's set and grave counte-
nance.
"He is q gentleman, you must re-
member, dear-and it is such nice let
teri"
Her husband gazed at her, half bewil-
dered by the GOODNESS with which she
placed the open letter in his hand.
"Am to read this 2" he askt d coldly.
"Of course you are, Jack.
This was the letter the Squire read {:
"DRAB MADAM: have much pleasure
in informing you that your story, "A
Bed Beginning, has been accepted, and
will appear in an early number of -.
] shall be glad at any time to read any
story you may wish 90 submit to me.
Would you be disposed to try your hand
at a serial am, etc. :"
A sudden blaze Of light broke on the
Souire's periurbed mind.
"Tell me, Katie, isn't there some fell
low called Max in your story" he de-
manded so abruptly that Kathleen jump
ed with surprise.
MAX? Yes; Nj the hero-the
tender-hearted. absor genius who falls
in love with frivolous, mercenary little
wretch of a girl. she half breaks his
heart and nearly wrecks bis life. But
I've paid her out for it all in the end"
Mr.. Collingwood toe his wife in his
arms and covered hen with penitent
kisses.
chow could be such fool how
could be such fool ?" he reiterated a
dozen times as he held her close to his
heart. But when he saw that Kathleen
was looking really anxious he forced him
self into some degree of calmness and
spoke coherentlY again.
"Oh, my darling, | owe you such
words OF penitence and shame 1 can
never, never humble myself enough be-
fore you If you never forgave me at all
for my miserable folly, it would only be
exactly what deserved. But you must
forgive me, my Katie; indeed, | have
been punished enough by the misery OF
the last six weeks How could | be so
foolish? But, oh, Katie, what did pos
SEES you to write that letter on your own
note paper, and leave it lying in your
own room for me to find
What letter can you mean, Jack ?"
"The letter in which that girl tells
your oMax OF her marriage. That was
the paper found +"
"And you thought. Oh, Jack 4"
Kathleen's eyes met her husbands for
one moment in reproachful establishment,
then they fell again in shame for the man
who had so little faith in his own chosen
love. She was silent for some few
minutes, and these minutes were as bitter
as any the Squire had ever known.
Presently she spoke again, very quietly.
81 wrote out that letter on note-paper
Just to see what length it really was and
how it read III that form. When did you
find it ?"
"The day came back to Murren from
that long expedition"
$50 long ago as that? Oh, Jack, if
you only had asked me about it at
once
Didn't 1 tell you was the biggest
fool alive ?"
But, womanlike, Kathleen would let
no one blame him but herself.
"No; it was partly my fault, too. l
ought not to have had even so little
secret as that from you. But l knew
you would laugh at me so dreadfully II
you knew L had been trying to write.
II the tale had not been accepted /
should never have said a word about it
toIany one"
'Tbank Heaven, then, that it was ac
cepted !" said Jack. fervently, pang
darling through his heart as he remem-
bered the gulf which had steadily been
widening between them.
am very glad, you may be sure, !"
said Kathleen. with her old merry smile.
" You can't think how intensely L long
TO earn some money
"What on earth for You know II
your allowance is not sufficient you have
only to say 60!
"Yes, but that is not one bit what |
want You've no idea, see, what a
proud little monkey l am, and how It
CALLED my pride to the quick to take all
these things touching her pretty gray
costume" from you even before we
were married !"
"My darling | hoped you had
never thought about it at all
81 thought about it constantly, Jack.
/ knew it was no good making fuss.
Your wife must have such things, and
there was no possibility of my getting
the money TO pay for them. If the beg
gar maid was so mean-spirited as to let
Ring Cophetus put her on his throne,
che must perlorce submit to be tricked
out at his expense. But vowed | would
save every possible shilling out Of my
allowance and pay you back for them as
soon as L could. And then, when We
we're living so quietly at Murren, the
idea struck me that | might, perhaps,
earn a few guineas by the turn have
always had for story-writing. And you
see / have succeeded, Jack Now, what
may l answer to Mr., Editors question
about the serial story "
"You may write new Percy We're,
in forty volumes, if you like, you witch !
What must you have thought of my
idiotic behavior ?" asked Jack, as he
kissed the little hand lying in his big
palm.
Il just thought you were finding out
what mistake you had made in marry
ing poor little penniless nobody. All.
Jack. ] have been very, very miserable.
Put it is all over now, and will soon be
all forgotten.
NO." began Jack, 81 can never for
get what blind, stupid"
But his wife laid her soft lips to his
and sealed her forgiveness with long
kiss.
"You shall not abuse yourself any
more, Jack. Afterall, your mistake was
a very natural one"
"But why could / not have bad the