Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-05-08

and cold by turns 1 could not sit still
Nine o'clock.
Still / had not asked my question.
Many times had opened my mouth to
begin; then something seemed to grip
my throat, and could not utter word.
Five minutes past nine.
1 was in agony. l looked out of the
window; took out my watch; played
with the chain; crossed and uncrossed
my legs; 1 blurted out:
Are you sorry am going?"
s'Of course You have been very
pleasant company"
1 thought she spoke coldly, and saw
again the metamorphosis of cat into
curate.
MAY hope that you would be pleased
to see me again?"
''Oh. yes!"
Silence!
Ten minutes past nine.
''Dorothy?'
s.Yes!'
"Will you-can you-are you engaged
to the curate?"
'sOh, no! How absurd
Can you-w1ll you-do you-would
you like to be married?''
Il don't know she laughed.
s'Would you-could you-Dorothy-I
must tell you"
SEs-s-sh.! A prolonged hiss
startled US both. had come close to
Dorothy. and my right hand was ap-
preaching hers. felt sharp pain in
my foreinger; and the white cat flew
out of the window recess, glared and
spat upon me, and sprang into Dorothy's
lap. I stood up and cursed that cat;
Dorothy uttered a little cry; Lady
Pownceby awoke, and said: Dear me.
Have been asleep?" and servant en-
tered and said: THE dog-cart is waiting
for Mr.. Oswald Jones'"
Ihad time only to see my boxes car
ried out and to take hurried farewell
of my hostess and her niece, and then L
was driven away to the station. And L
had not asked my question.
For the next two months / devoted
myself exclusively to my work. heard
no concerts, saw no plays, ate nobOdy's
dinners but my own; but took my guineas
as they came. / had leisure to reflect.
1 mathematical the white cat, and re-
garded myself as one with whom the
gods had dealt hardly. But for the cat,
l might now have been the happiest in
stead of the most miserable of mortals.
1 began to see dimly that 1 had made a
fool of myself l had had months in
which to say my say to Dorothy; and
then what an exhibition had made of
myself at the last moment!
A week before Christmas received
kind note from Lady Pownceby asking
me to give her and her niece-and her
a,iece!-the pleasure of my company dur
ing Christmas week. l laughed at the
thought of it. 1 replied by return of
post, excusing myself very emphatical-
~, and made up my mind with some bit
terness to spend Christmas in bachelor
solitude.
On the morning of Christmas Day, I
found awaiting me when 1 came down
stairs from my bedroom a large hamper.
With fervent benediction on the kind,
thoughtful soul who had shown prac-
teal sympathy for my forlorn condition,
l cut the cord. What pictures in my
mind of mince pies and other Christmas
delicacies. What anticipation of the
delight of teeth meeting teeth in the
seasonable turkey! 1 raised the lid
but drew back with almost scream, for
out of the basket sprang, not vivified
mince pies or resuscitated turkey, but
my sworn enemy, the white cat!
What surprise! What disappoint-
ment! What disgust. What my still
greater surprise when the cat, instead
of splitting and swearing at me as was her
wont at Darlington, now raised her inof-
fensive tail and arched her graceful back
and rubbed her irreproachable white fur
against my legs! The cat had become
friendly towards me. / OWNED that it
was hungry, and placed some milk be-
fore it, for which it purred its thanks.
When thought of this strange event
came to the conclusion that deliber-
ate insult had been intended. grew
exceedingly wrathful. And felt skep-
ticaI of the love that could consign its
object to the tender mercies of railway
guard. But second thoughts induced
me to believe that Dorothy must have
had an object in sending her cat to me.
She would hardly insult me so gratu-
itously. And SO 1 gradually weaved in
my mind an explanation Dorothy loved
me, and wanted me, and had sent her
favorite to me as a messenger of peace
and good will She had placed the cat
unreservedly in my hands: what could
she mean but that she preferred me far
above the cat: My timidity disappeared.
CHANGING at the clock, found that I
could just catch the 1915 train. 1 hur-
riedly threw some things into my port
manteau, consigned the cat to the care
of my astonished landlady, and rolled
off in a cab to Waterloo. 1 had only
time to scramble into the first compart-
ment the guard opened for me, when
the train started
As soon as collected myself looked
to see who my one fellow-passenger was
Dorothy exclaimed.
1t was she. She had herself brought
up her Popsy; she told me thai she had
expected me to come by the first pos
sible train l was delighted. and when
she begged me not to think her unmaid-
emily in the course she had adopted,
I gave her oscular demonstration how
content l was. What need to set down
what we said and did? The guard kept
our compartment sacred to us, and
passed the window with averted head.
In a month Dorothy and I were one,
and we get on very we'll with each
other, and with our mentor, Lady
Pownceby, and our most familiar friend
is the white cat-The Argosy.