Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-12-07
The Cause of Her Death.

As often happens in such cases.
there was a rare difference in their
temperament tastes and personal APP
pearance.
This has always been a subject OF
much and varied speculation with stud
ents of biology as it doubtless al
ways will be. for science. with more
than her usual reserve. closes her
mouth and refuses to open it on this
question. aud who among her adorers
Is strong enough or bold enough to
filch her secret from her!
Kate Aldr.ch was a blonde, tall,
willowy and merry. while Fred was
short thick set with melancholy brown
eyes which were a true index to the
hopeless We N in his otherwise sunny
nature.
They were all in all to each other.
She was jealous of every girl he looked
at, as they grew older. and yet.
strangely enough. she was the first to
experience lasting passion after all
II was not until she met me that she
really fell in love, nor did he until
some time later Kate always said that
IL he did succumb TO the charms OF
some woman, it would DO matter OF
life and death 10 h m, and suppose 1t
was IN that way the despairing vein IN
his nature was to show itself. Certainly
II must be fattering TO any man to
have so pretty and bright a girl as
Kate was. manifest a preference for
his society. wasn't much drawn to
her at first
am blonde myself and don't you
think we generally choose our oppo-
sites? Not through any process of
reasoning, but nature has put the true
instinct with us. to prefer which is be st
for us. in this one matter, il in no 9TH
er, and firmly believe # the men and
the women of the world chose mates
entirely thout the consideration of
wealth, position or policy. each fair
haired Adonis would claim his black.
eyed charmer and each blonde-tressed
maiden her dark-haired knight.
But man must be a stick who is
impervi0us to the sweet courtesy and
gentle insistence of girl Ike Kate
Aldrich, and so, after few months
courtship we were engaged in the true
orthodox fashion, and every one knew
of it in quiet way.
All was serene until went out to
spend the Sunday at Bethesda, and my
friend Ward introduced me, on the
train, TO Mss Gbbon Her name was
Leah and she was tender mite of a
thing, w til iustrous black hair and a
pathetic look in her brown eyes which
went right TO your heart if you had one
And / had one, Heaven help me.
though of course l ought not to have
had.
A woman reading this cannot under
stand how there could be the space OF
a straw 5 width IN my heart for any
woman except the one l belonged to.
but man will readily see how, with
out for moment losing sight of my
obligation. i most intensely enjoyed
the society of this sweet little thing
i believe if l hadn't been engaged. l
should have proposed TO her before we
ended our journey.
/ never saw any one who Just suited
me so completely as she did; so little,
so feminine. so round and Astounding
in delightful little curves. and such
hands! Why l could cover the two of
them with one of mine and lose sight
of them both. And she was so 'taiUe.
She sat quite near me and looked up
at me with those dear eyes. In the
main I'm not poetic. but something
which some one said about the shadow
of an early death lying in the brown
eyes of some woman, came to me as
i looked down at her. For all of her
innece nee and her almost CHI ldish APP
pearance, she wasn't fool. and.
loved to see her speak; watching her
lips, and knowing that what she said
would be different from what any
other woman would say on the same
subject
You may call It magnetism or an in
dividuali;y or what you will, but there
was an element in her which made ii
impossible for you to forget, havin &
once seen her,
Everyone wanted to do something
unusual for her. Every man want
ed her to be remem pered by some IA
vor shown her. the meeting between
them. In that respect she was certain
" the most remarkable woman l ever
heard of.
She liked me the moment she saw
me.
1t was the master-passion OF her
life. or SO it proved. should have
told her at once that l was engaged,
suppose but how absurd 1t seemed ia
me! Don't touch" "hands off.
sold" might as we'll have placard
ed myself like the vases in bric-a :
brac shop. You might think / needn'
have soughs her the next day.
On my word of honor our meeting
was pure accident
But l was exqu sitely. foolishly hap
py when / saw her at the spring at 1C
o'clock on her way to church.
As 1t happened. / was going &c
church. too, that morning. though
didn't generally go, aud Fate decreed
we should have decided on the same
place of worship. When started fol-
town Monday forenoon there she was
going in TO do some shopping.
What a nerveless girl seemed Kat,
when l next saw her.
Beautiful, yes much handsomer thar
Miss Gibbon but her eyes looked fla