Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-05-26

Ne widow"
sES SN 81 thought you
admired her, Tom.
said Hilda.
$50 do, immensely; she's the jolliest
little woman that I know, but I mean to
leave different sort of widow"
"One whose appearance will be better
adapted to weeds!'
zone who will show little more feel
ing when 1 am gone" said Tom. sMrs.
Morton's husband can scarcely be year
dead, and yet she is the gayest and the
merriest of you all.
"Rose, just imagine Toms ideal
widow! A broken-hearted creature, all
Grape and pocket handkerchief, who
will be forever talking about her lost
darling"
''My DEAR" said my mother again.
''The mater thinks it unlucky to talk
about my widow. How do you know
that it is not who am to be the bereav-
ed one, bewailing the loss of my sainted
wife, and expecting sympathy and con-
ISOLATION from my sisters Z"
"Well," said Hilda after a few min
utes' reverie, 81 admit that it does sur
prise me to see Freda Morton, loving
and warm-hearted as she certainly is,
appearing to feel the loss of her husband
so little"
'Perhaps she disliked him."
"Rose disliked dear Mr.. Morton + +"
sob, that is merely little convention
al way of speaking Of him; she evidently
considers it the correct phrase. It is
quite compatible with Indifference, if not
dislike"
81 think she was fond of him." said
Hilda. 'She avoids speaking of him,
as if it panied her to do so; sometimes
even her voice chokes when she men
tions him.
Sand at other times she makes the
most fippant remarks about him and
his tastes and habits. She certainly is
q puzzle to me-"
81 am sorry you do not care for her,
Tom; I often thought how pleasant it
would be to have her as sister-in-
law"
s'Your visions may be realized without
victimizing me"
sDo you mean Edmund"
81 do; think Edmund is very mnch
smitten, and that she knows it, and does
not object"
81 never thought of that" said Hilda;
they never seem to speak to one an
other"
"No, but when either speaks to some
one else, the other listens. Watch, you
will see."
81 would rather she was married to
YOU than to Edmund"
Sorry I can't accommodate you.
Goodbye, mother, I'm off.
care you coming home to tea, Tom,
asked my mother.
Certainly, mother. I wouldn't miss
Mrs. Morton on any account.
Mrs. Morton and her sister, Mabel
Heath, had now been settled in Long
mede for some months. They had
brought letters from an old schoolfellow
of Hilda's and mine, who had now mar
ried and was living in Liverpool Ma
bel Heath and her sister were dear
friends and neighbors of hers, she wrote,
and she was very sorry to lose them,
but they had now no reason for remain
ing in Liverpool, and their means being
diminished by their recent loss, they
were anxious to find some quiet country
place where they could live economi-
oslly. She had advised them to try
Longmede, having heard much of itfrom
Hilda and me, and feeling that she
might trust to our kindness to make them
welcome. The letter was hastily writ
ten and seemed to take for granted that
the circumstances of the two sisters were
already known.
However, this was Ethel Fordham's
way; her letters generally were some
what incoherent. So Hilda and went
at once to call upon the newcomers,
whom we found established in pretty
rooms In the house of the late doctors
widow, who had managed to retain her
old home by letting part of it.
We were somewhat surprised to find
both sisters mere girls, Mrs. Morton, al
though in reality the elder, appearing
the younger of the two. They were in
striking contrast to each other. Mrs.
Morton being small, fair, and childish
looking, while Mrs. Heath was tall and
stately, with dark hair and eyes. Both
wore deep mourning, Mrs. Morton's very
becoming little cap constituting the chief
difference in their dress.
We soon became very intimate with
both girls. They refused our invitations
ct first on the plea of deep mourning,
but after little time they consented to
t.. and later on to quiet game of tan
pis. Mrs. Morton soon proved herself
n excellent player, and shs and Tom