Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-08-02


clearly realized his condition lie came
home ont Of temper and sat down silently
! in a corner.
/ Katherine came up to him: what now
/ VIII you smoke pipe? Wait; viii fetch
yours Where have you left it' Or will
I you have something to eatl There is fresh
bread just out of the oven"
Florcntn shook his head. so much Is
/ plain To me-what we have thought out to-
gether can't come to anything In addi-
tiou to all our bothers, You cant burden
yourself with husband at whose heels
you must be all day long as if you were
maid. | can't bear to see it. didn't think
fit in that light there in Alsace. where |
had to be waited on like a baby. If you
had only stayed at home that time' Then l
shouldn't have lost my heart gazing at You.
and it wouldn't have been as hard to get
along without you as it is now.
what nonsense you talk exclaimed
Katherine in alarm.
Il am sorry from the bottom of my heart
to hurt YOU" continued Florentin, 'yet !
think a brief vexation is better than a last
ing misery. love you too well to let you
be tormented with me your life long 1t
would be mean in me if let you 90 SO,
| and l will not do it
Can it be that you don't trust me, Do
You think, perhaps, that shall get tired
of you in time' Oh. shame! Florentin."
He replied, you don't understand me.
Katherine, 1t is exactly because l think
the very best of you that l can't suffer your
good heart to have its own way. | have
said to you once that where l was the far
mer | would be the master. And it is
the right order in the world that the man
should take the lead; and where it can't be
like that in a house it is diSjointed state
of affairs and no one feels comfortable
You can see that matters can't be control
ed from indoors. But there would DO my
place Or do you think that after a while
l could tend the children' That again,
wouldn't be my business. However you
turn or twist it. you cant get shoe out
The best thing is, that 90 my way and
| you 20 yours
In vain Katherine expended all her elo-
quence to bring the contrary Florentin
| back to reason. He persisted that the very
best proof that he could give her of his
thankfuneSs and love was in not marrying
her; and the oftener he gave her this as
| surancc the more firmly he believed it him
self Finally, he said they had talked
| IL Il, . a.,
back home. Kilan could help him over
the soft places in the road
Katherine said no more, but went out
with compressed lips and called the boy.
Without once speaking, she accompanied
her obstinate lover to the gate; but there,
as he offered her his hand she fell on his
neck and kissed him violently.
Now gor' she cried wildly ''You will
see SON enough what mischief you have
done with miserable scruples Only don't
hatter yourself that you have done any
thing for my good! If was going to take
delight in making you forget your misfor-
tune. why couldn't you let me? As if one
love didn't balance the other. But 20 along
with your narrow little heart and see
whether it is gay over its work | don't
believe it will be-
Florcntin was far from happy as he hob
bled away on the arm of the boy. But
what he had once said he must abide by.
1t would have been more beautiful if he
had changed his mind at Katherine's cut
ting words No; and if she had been a
thousand times right now it was too latc
A man who yields loses prestige in his own
eyes and in those of others. Now the word
was, to rally his forces and keep on straight
ahead without one backward glance at
what might have been.
But before Florentin reached the edge
of the hedge that separated Katherine's
yard from the road he looked back once
more and just in time to see his dear Kath-
arine jump into the we'll that was i'll the
middle of the yard.
Florentin uttered vigorous cxclama-
tion, tore himself away from the astonsh-
ed boy and ran back with amazing speed
Down in the well it was still and dark
"Are you alive yet, Katherine?' he call
cd down. No answer came. Florentn
had already seized the bucket to descend
| into the deep, when he saw Kathcrinc's
| face simmer above the water. Then he
knew that she had escaped with her life
and that there was no more danger Of
| drowning.
Don't do anything silly, Katherine he
called warningly. II am going to let down
the bucket. Look out that it doesn't hit
you on the head, and then get in and keep
"A firm hold of the chain. DO you hear
IL WON'T" came from below.
KIlian approached.
"What do you want here!" said Floren-
tin imperiously. "You needn't help me;
| can get along all right without you; and
you needn't look on, either. Go about your
business. To begin with, / don't need you
| any more"
The boy stared at him without moving.
"Oh-so you would like to know what
has happened here'' said Florentin say
agely. "A hen has flown into the well;
didn't you hear it squawk If you don't
Ndui 10 DtlicNt IT, bI Ilttull l. Dui lldl lo
what tell you, and if you tell different
story III break every bone in your body in
two. Perhaps you don't know me yet.
Zounds! will you get into the Geldl | see
that you have long felt no master over
you"
lie snatched up a lath that lay on the
ground, and rushed toward the boy, who
still hcsitated to yield obedience But
now that he saw the cripple wrathlully ap-
preaching with unexpected speed, it seem
ed advisable to him to take to his heels
TO be sure he could have sworn that his
mistress, Katherine was in the well; but
after all what concern was it Of his, what
tricks she and Floreutin played on each
other,
The boy having left the yard, Florcntn
chucklcd contcntcdly as he went slowly |
back to the well "Thc wooden leg isn't |
so bad" said he to himself "a little prac-
ticc, and could take up running with 4
stiff buck like Kilian; but its hot work |
any weather"
He bent over the stone coping.
Are you cold Katherine" he asked,
good-naturally.
"Not bit, came back the quivering
answer.