Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-26

Il
rails spread out on the table The windows stoot
open, and the summer breeze had scattered som,
OF her papers about the floor. As Mr.. Collingwoot
| stopped TO gather up the flying sheets his eye wal
caught by elo5ely-written page OF katnleeni
| pretty writing. All things were common property
and his rested 6 on he page at st Just TO-
| awakened curiosity, then In utter bewilderment
The letter was without formal commencement
at would be wiser and better not to write thi,
| at all, but cannot any longer bear the pain Of
knowing that the news OF my marriage will IND
you wholly unprepared. Max, you will say car
never have loved you, and II II Will spare one use
less pang OF regret, 1t Is Wen you should think 80
| Yet did speak the truth when told you no Other
| could ever be 10 me what you WERE know SPOKE
truth by the very difficulty OF forgetting that
! 1t Is sin to remember. But / was friendless and
pennies, and long years must have gone by be
! fore we could even have dreamed Of marriage; you
confessed II yourself How was to live through
been strong enough to night the world alone and
walt; but 1t was not ia me. was weak and fright
| ened; and when good generous man offered me
| his hand and home, i resolved TO forget the past
! and the foolish promises had given. Blame me
as little as you can, Max better STILL forget me
altogether. l am not altogether unhappy. Ny
by hope to love him as he deserves GOod-by.
Max! May you win the love Of q better woman
The letter fell from Mr.. Collingwood's unnerved
hand, nuttering quietly away again beneath the
table as he left the room and slowly, In halfdazed
| fashion, made his way TO . quiet nook In the
garden where kathleep and he had spent many q
happy hour together.
The discovery was a terrible blow to him. Like
] many men who had married rather late in life he
had found special charm In the idea that the
very nrst emotions OF his young wife's heart had
Deen awakened by his own wOoing. A hundred
times he had eXuitingly said 70 himself, as his
eyes rested on her fair girsh face-"she is all my
own! No man before me could ever boast posses
sion OF one tinest corner OF her heartl Never has
she even dreamed OF any other love than miner
And he had been SO certain too, that she stood on
| pedestal OF unworldliness which raised her far
motive! IL was very bitter to awaken from his
sweet dream 10 ind that after all. he had been
married for home; and for a little while his
wrath ran high against the woman who had de-
ceived him. Thoughts OF his sisters repeated
warnings crowded upon his mind In unwelcome
number. Why had not he Needed them more?
But never in his whole life had the squire been
able 10 Keep his wrath at boiling point through
two consecutive hours, and before the last Of the
cigars In his case had gone the way OF all tobacco,
/ he was hard at work trying to frame excuses for
Wonder s had sbrn so he IRE "s so
and dependence which lay before her through the
years OF waiting? This Max" too, who was he
after all, that she should sacrifice herself for his
\ sake? Some staggering, beer-quaffing German
student, who had sung sentimental 'Standchen"
under her window by night, and filled her school
| girl head with romantic Tubbisl-rubtish which,
however, even now stood In the way OF her return
| ing the love OF an honest man. How willingly
| would he have taught the fellow what sound
| British horse-whipplng meant!
! When Kathleen at length returned from her
walk, the squire had thought out his future plan
| prepared TO meet his wife with calmness, II not
/ with cheerfulness.
on a sunny afternoon some six weeks later in
| the year, Mr.. Collingwood was lying on his back
| under tree In the chestnut forest which clothes
| the lower slopes OF the Dent de Morcles Below,
on the right, lay the little town of Bex, and in the
distance beyond that the cleaning waters OF Lake
Leman. To the lett stretched the broad valley OF
| the khone, rich in vineyards and orchards with
the Glacier du TRENT rising into the sky for a
background. The turbid waters OF the Rnone
hurried along their channel almost at his feet, and
on the other side OF the valley rose the cleaning
| peaks and pinnacles or the Dent du Midi.
All this Mr.. ColllngwOOd might have seen from
one of the forest clearngs where he lay But he
seemed 10 care for none OF these things He lay on
the close soft turf peculiar to the chestnut woods
gazing up into the great tree overhead with q
troubled cloud on his honest face.
"After all, what else could / have dOne?o he
muttered, half aloud, at last, as though In hope
that hts perplexed thoughts might grow clearer by
giving them utterance. "IO "a woman who had
Just written another man such a letter as that
any great demonstration OF affection, even from a
husband, could be nothing but an annoyance. 1
quiet and ODD at Murren? AT first, no doubt, the
very novelty OF the thing carried her along all
right, but as that wore OF she began to feel the
chain drag a bit. SO / thought I'd keep more in
the background for a ume-give her her head a
bit-and then she'd see didn't want to bother
her, and get TO feel more settled in her mind"
The squire f1dgeted restlesSly on his sort warm
couch, In vain efforts after an easier posture
"But somehow IL doesn't work as well as ex-
pected. Work rettF Why can't be honest with
myself, and say plainly that It a miserable fail
ure? We are Just drifting farther and farmer
apart every day we live! Ever since the hour I
read that confounded letter-I wish I'd tumbled
over precipice FIRST !-everything has gone wrong
between Us. She gets reserved and depressed day
by day, and I-well, do what / may, I'm forever
thinking OF that wretched piece OF paper and
wondering where her thoughts really were lust
then. II could but forget The thing, and see In
her my own true-hearted little Katie again!'
Mr.. ColtngwOod made another fruitless at
tempt at comfort, then suddenly sprang 10 his feet
with strong exclamation.
| m ha
said aloud as he paced impatiently to and fro be-
tween the trees. "Why can't say right out that
I've seen her watching for the post SO eagerly of
| late? II only could be sure that scoundrel had
dared to write TO her I'd shoot him, If knew /
| should hang for IT,"
As he uttered the words Mr.. Collingwood per-
ceived at little distance the TALL slender figure
OF ms VILE Sne wore a dress Of some soft gray
81 III, which fell around her with almost nun-like
enecI; her head was covered only by a little lace
kerchiel for the forest close up to their little
hundred yards OF its door. AS the SQUIRE himself
unseen, watched her slow, languid steps and pen
slve face great longing TO take her into his arms
and Kiss the color back TO her pale cheek again
! awoke In his heart, and he advanced quickly to-
ward her. But as he did so he saw in her hand an
open letter, ,, and with sudden misgiving he
| caught her ear. and he saw her hurrledly return
the .., letter 70 her PICKET as she came forward.
met. There is something 1 want to ask you,
| but-but-
Inc pause was more eloquent than words. The
squire took his courage in both hands and resolved
TO face his fate bravely.
"COme and sit down here he said quietly.
pointing TO seat beneath one OF the low wide.
spreading chestnuts, and placing himself beside
her. There were few minutes OF uncomfortable
silence, broken presently by Kathleen.
II have wanted to tell you something for some
days past Jack -, but 1t never seemed the right
time"
"Have / made myself so very formidable to
your" asked JACK, with sorry attempt at
smile.
.Not formidable, -but-difrerent, very
different" Kathleen paused again, and then
went on in broken, hurried tones:
IL know / am not half worthy OF all the love you
gave me once, Jack, dear-but, oh! don't take It
quite from me- for IL is all have In the world, y,
There were tears In her qu1vering voice, and the
squire felt an answering lump In his own throat
as he replied:
.My poor little Katie," That was all he could
get out for a minute; then he cleared his throat
and went on:
.'No fear OF my love being taken from YOU
Katie II only you Will be open with me. But try
met.
keep back my confidence? What do you mean
cept one thing"
Except one thing" echoed the squire in his
turn "But 10 keep back one thing Kathleen is
more than enough 10 work mischief between hus-
band and WIFE,"
Kathleen hung her head, blushing like scolded
schoolgirl
al didn't mean any harm, Jack. always meant
70 tell you all about 1t some day, only you have
been so distant and cold"
she paused again.
Her husband took pity on her confusion