Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-01-23

ings of young married folks" Ifeigned
to overlook her emotion. She might
pine at the heart for the absent mate,
but she did me the justice to be sincere
ly delighted at my coming. would
content myself with that for the pres
emit. and tolerate weakness peculiar to
her position; SO made talk of city
news and the journey. taking pains not
to ask question, until presently she
showed me a sunny face, that was the
prettier and sweeter for the mist, which
was not quite dew, lingering upon her
eyelashea We supped en- tete-a-tete.
and sat out on the porch until bed
time watching the moon rise, and
mount-the crystal-white light driving
back the shadows from the wet grass
and ribbon-like graveled paths winding
away into the shrubbery; enjoying the
scent-freighted air throbbing and cool
ing before the river breeze. and talking,
talking, talking, as only two girls who
have been bosom friends from infancy
can talk after nearly six months sep
aration. Augusta bore her part gallant
ly, and quite forgot the passing cloud
that had dimmed her eyes and shaken
her voice.
When we were ready for bed the
cloud returned and broke. l saw her
kneeling form trembling from head to
foot while she was saying her prayers,
and heard a stifled sob. Arising, with
averted face, she went to bureau on
the far side of the room, took minia-
ture from a drawer, kissed it twice, and
furtively slipped it under her pillow.
When we had lain down, and the light
was out, knew, gentle and gradual
as was the movement, that she drew
the picture from its hiding-place, and
pressed it to her bosom. Passing my
hand caressingly over her cheek, felt
that it was wet
Augusta" I said, softly, ''can not l
comfort you? What is it, my poor dear?
Surely you are not grieving over sor-
row that will be cured so soon as will
Mr.. Deane's absence?"
She chung to me in wild storm of
tears. She was but twenty, and had
not had secret from me in ten years;
so got this one.
Law business, imperative and not to
be deferred, he said, had called Frank
to Richmond. With all her sweetness
of temper, his wife had been spoiled
child in her fathers house, and her
husband had never crossed her. She
especially desired that he should be at
home while I was there, and could not
be convinced that the matter in hand
could not be transacted as well by cor
respondence as in person. From plead
ing she passed to remonstrance, then to
indignant protest. The result was that
reef of horrors to the newly-wedded,
the first quarrel Frank told her that
she was unreasonable and childish, and
asked her how she expected him to
make living for herself and him if
she kept him tied to her apron-string.
"And 1 called him unfeeling and
cruel and-brutalp' confessed the peni-
tent, between her sobs. 81 have cried
myself to sleep for two nights over it.
If could but see him for one minute
long enough to beg his PARDON could
let him go again for six months, if nee
essary. If you had seen his face when
had said that last aoicked word! He
turned as white as death, and bit his
lips hard to keep back the bitter answer
deserved. How could 1 do it? How
could do it?"
1t did seem inexcusable to me-a
slightly prigglsh damsel with a we'll
portment-but 1 lectured her mildly in
consideration of her genuine distress.
''He has generous heart" 1 con-
Guided. ''He will not bear grudge,
you may be sure, and his very soul is
bound up in you"
The neatly-cut plaster did not draw
the lips of the wound together. Indeed,
it bled afresh.
H. I'll 0,,1 10,
in his life, my suffering, patient, ILL
used angel! And 1 wouldn't walk down
to the boat with him, although 1 knew
he was longing to ask me to do it. 1
! didn't even go with him to the door,
and when he kissed me goodbye I just
let him do it, and stood like a dumb
block while he walked out of the
house-oh, Nancy! so slowly and I'M
willingly! 1t wasn't bit like his step!
| 1 didn't stir to go to the window, where
/ had always stood every morning, to
kiss my hand to him when he went
down to the office. But l watched him
from away back in the room where he
couldn't see me, and saw him go down
the path and stop under the honey
suclzle at the gate to look up at the win
dow. When he didn't see me his face
| 0DSOIuGSIy udIh-Guc AOoO 6W1ul
thing! and he rushed off down the street
with never glance behind him. That
was our first parting. We parted under
a thunder-cloud, Nancy. l have lived
| in the heart of it ever since. If you
had not come think l must have gone
crazy, thinking and living it all over"
My sympathy quieted her somewhat,
I hope, but l am afraid the battered
platitudes of which, as is the case with
most younglings of inexperience, had
great store, wrought more specifically
Pausing for breath and q reply, 81
length, I discovered that she was
asleep.
Chilled and chagrined, laid her from
my arms upon her own pillow. Some
thing slid from her lax hand. It was
her husbands miniature, glass and set
ting, warmed by her passionate hold
ing. 1 thrust it impatiently under heI
pillow. The cut was not dangerous,
reflected, with judicial fatuousness,
when the patient could slumber under
the surgeons hands.
/ was aroused in the morning by q
shower of kisses upon my lips and eye.
lids In the slow awakening from the
| c1 hor of hQa1th nd 6roa rna