Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-02-16

~ SSe'Ne-i N
ly:
i will be glad, Mrs. Kramer. II you
will leave me quite alone with-yith
Fred for few moments; give me just
FIVE minutes! ] know you have never
liked me, but surely you will not re-
fuse the last request will ever make
of you.
What could she mean! Could Kit
ty have been so heartless as not to tell
her that Otto knew that was still
alive? Kitty and she were not good
friends, for my sister showed plainly
that she did not think Lima (whom
she alway spoke of by her full name,
Feroline) half good enough for me-
but l was of different opinion. In
my eyes Lima was not cold. but only
full of pure maidenly reticence: that
she was at all mercenary was, to me,
disproved by tie fact that Harold
carter, the matrimonial prize Of our
town, had not been able to win her
from me, though everybody could
see that he was head-over-heels in
love with her,
Very well, answered my sister, in
the tone of woman convinced aginst
her will, Il will leave yon now, and
return in FIVE minutes.
AS Kitty shut the door behind her,
| felt a glow of pleasurable antIcipa-
tion come over me; said to myself
that surely the warm kiss which Lima
would give her dead lover would
break this strange thrall that held me
as IN wise, and that | would seem TO
come back to the life had never left
Fancy my surprise, then to find,
that when she drew near my bed 1t
was not to give me any kiss, but to
gaze calmly upon me and say, in a
quiet audible whisper:
Free at last! Now. if | can only
get those idiotic letters of mine, can
easily convince Harold and the world
that | never, even at first, returned
any of the wild fancy Fred bothered
me with. | wonder if, had I never
seen Harold, l could have ever
brought myself to care two straws for
! Fred Montieth? But time passes.
So saving, she drew from her pock
ct little key which at once recog.
/ nized. In the earlier days of my
courtship, when Lima was as yet moi
quite won, | had two oaken boxes
made and fitted with very peculiar
locks; one of those | had given tc
Lima for her to keep her treasures
(my letters, a lock of my hair, etc.
| in, and had used the other myself fol
a similar purpose. as well Sue knew
She only could unlock my box, for nj
other key but my own would have an!
effect on il. She quickly went to m.
table where the box was placed, ant
opening it, she hastily snatchcd iron
it the thick packet of her own letters
bow of blue ribbon, an old glove
and one or two pictures, and thrus
them in her pocket. Then she cam
to me, and taking my hand in hers
drew from 1t ring she had once Civ
en- me, and In its place put the on
like 1t which | had given her; tn
only difference in the two was in tn
inscriptions within them.
l was so astonished, so curious, tina
l
[ l forgot my disappointment in regar
to the kiss, but listened with eagernes
to what she should say now that Kit
came back TO the room.
Il suppose you have wondered, Mrs
:. Kramer, to see me so calm about you
. brothers death; but the truth is tina
! we came to the conclusion, only thi
very morning, that we were unsuite
to one another-you knew that b
was coming away from my hous
when he was run over, did you moi
/ Yes, | thought so. Well, he had ju:
returned my letters to me, and in h
| presence | had burned his to me. b
q had been pleased for some time to
q Jealous Of the attentions Mr.. Carte
| paid me, and I had at last owned thu
a if / were free I should accept NJ
/ Carter. Of course under these Gil
: cumstances you cannot expect me
. bewail Fred's death nor wear mourn
{ ing for him; indeed, | don't see why
need 90 to his funeral. 7 believe |
d go and visit my cousins in Alban
i until it is all over. l speak thu
s plainly to you because know the
n has never been any love lost betwee
n us two
d Now, there was not one word
truth in what Lima had said Az
r you may imagine how her story su
q prisei me. What with being CO..
. sidered dead wien l was keenly ali,
d to all that was going on around In
h and with hearing such remarkab
q tale, l had no chance to be broker
). hearted over the detection of my lad
o love.
dI So | had been run overl Well,
was something to have learned th
much. / had faint memory of star
| ing to cross street, and then oil
# shout, a rush, blow and then not
| ing until / heard my brother in la
k utter the words already quoted.