Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-04-11


"For no other reason am l so glad
as that l now have no hesitation in
asking that question which l so long
have desired to ask VIII you be my
wife?'
Expected she would quietly and in
happy tone, reply: Eyes" To my
surprise. she fairly gasped:
"Your wife?''
"Yes, darling; you know / have al.
ways loved you, that am now amply
able to support you in that style which
you are SO we'll qualified to grace"
Your proposal is SO sudden, so I'm.
expected"
You knew l should ask you some
time?"
Honestly. don't think l had an
idea that you loved me SO very, very
much as you do"
Il thought l had manifested my
love in every possible way; that we
fully understood each other, though /
have never preached the subject of our
marriage. simply on account of my
poverty"
81 must have time to consider this
matter" she said.
Certainly. dearest; take all the
time you DESIRE" and, after brief
conversation, left her.
This interview was on Wednesday
evening.
During the two following days I was
so busy had no opportunity to call on
her. Saturday morning l received an
invitation from my ''friend'' to be pres
ent at his house that evening, on occa-
sion of wedding that was TO transpire
there at seven. The names of the con-
tracing parties were no: mentioned.
and it was a mystery to me who they
could be. dispatched note to the
..young lady," informing her what
was to occur, and that would call for
her to accompany me at GAS.
l did call, as per notification, only
to find the house where she resided en-
tirely deserted. What could it mean?
In no enviable frame of mind wend-
ed my way to my friends" He an
swered my ring in person.
''Why didn't you come sooner?"
were his first words on seeing me.
''Seveu was the appointed hour"
1T is quite half-hour later than
that now, ! Think" he said.
'Our times must differ very materi-
ally, them" l replied; and looking at
my watch found it indicated $50. the
time had supposed it was when l left
my home. My watch had stopped, a
thing I had never known it to do before.
But come in. and let me present
you to my wife"
Your wife!'' said I, astonished,
never having known him to be atten-
tive to any lady.
YES" smiling. ''Ah, here she
comes. My DEAR" he continued, adj
dressing richly-attired lady who was
ths place where we stood,
'.let me-
An exclamation, by no means pious,
hat fell from my lips. stopped him at
this point in his remarks. And we'll
might 1 use profane expletive. The
lady, now his wife, was identical with
he idol of my affections. What would
be fame, wealth, any thing the world
could offer to me, without her. dearer
10 me than all else, but whom had
ost forever? Gone were the anticipa-
ions of aught but future of sadness
and desolating misery. And then,
hat she, in whom l so thoroughly
,rusted, should prove faithless. Oh!
t was crushing blow! The lines of
rushed to my mind:
''As for woman, she can claim
name and title all her own-DeceIt"
Here was a living exemplification
If the truth of the poets words.
My '.friend," whose restorer to life l
had been, must have known my long
attachment, and had I'M
won her from me to himself
n some unmanly manner. So he, too.
vas false to me. His '.gift" was in
to make up for such treach-
Try. In a voice tremulous with ILL.,
passion, shrieked:'
MAY my eternal curses be"
At this instant ! awoke, to find
he fire nearly burned out my
in fragments on the
ioor and the first rays of morn
ng light trying to force a pass
.ge through the curtains. l shook
myself once or twice to satisfy my
mind that it was all a dream, and
hen entered the room where the
corpse lay as quietly as when I had
asst looked at it. My doubts were
dissolved.
The gentle GIRL" blue eyes. and
10 forth, will become my wife next
profession or no pro-
ession.
We have settled that matter. Fred
!. Foster. in Ballou's Monthly.
C>L~@l G:,lse E~:%.~L