Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-11-30

two young sisters had quilted the room.
Then she rrsc, and getting behind her
mothers ,iair to prevent the white
anguish g. her face being seen, she
said In brC thlcss staccato sentences:
Read T., mother. II Is from Capt
BarringtoA Never speak either Of II
or of him . ) me again"
And before her mother had realized
that something horrible had happened
to sever u, lovers Kitty had swept In
the quecnlicst way from the room.
Nor even In the privacy OF her own
room did she for n long time break
down into abject teara She stood rs
though turned to white marble, facing
defiantly the captains photograph
over the mantle piece, as though daring
1t TO repeat the outrageous language Of
tho letter
When her mothers timid knock came
presently to the door Kitty asked In a
dull dead voice;
"Whnt Is tip
"1tsI, dear"
"Well, mother, what Ia it2" she re.
pcated upon her mothers entrance.
TITS some misunderstanding, Kitty
some dreadful Misunderstanding
mischief making OF his aunt's. From
the first dear, never liked"
Don't, mother, asked you not aud
! meant it." she said In tone which ut
once silenced and terrified her gentle
mother.
Turning TO say something not less re-
pellant and stcel-cold TO her mother,
Kitty caught the yearning trouble in
her gentle eyes and was moved TO fold
her impulsivcly In her arms and sob:
Dear motherl Dear, dear motherl"
And soon the poor girl was again
child upon her mothers knee. Yet
even then she would not let her mother
talk OF that letter or It's writer.
"lf struck you In the face, mother,
you would not like ever to speak OF II,
or have 1t spoken Of. Let me try to for.
get II; It's the most can hope for" she
said, with an aching desolntion in her
voice which made her mother press her
almost passionatoly TO her bosom.
But, though poor Kitty would not al.
low her mother to discuss the letter or
Its writer, or the motive OF its writing,
with an Inconsistency that girls will
understand, she permitted. even per
haps encouraged, her dearest friend
Miss Bell Herbert, to discuss the whole
affair exhaustivcly.
ITS the aunt, Of course; and it's Mr.
Rolleston, of course; but nothing you
could do or she could say justiilos such
q letter | should dearly like 10 give
him little lesson with this" switching
her riding-whip viciously In the air.
Need say that little of this vigor-
Gus virago talk OF physical vengeance
upon the rccreant had n rcactionary Of.
feet on kitty2 Her love was dead
murdered, as she thought but she rov.
erenced, so to say, the body OF the
dead, and could not endure its desecra-
tion by such talk.
IA Bell had the tact to perceive this,
she went at once upon the opposite
tack Of trying 10 imagine an adequate
provocation for such letter.
She cross-examincd Kitty upon all
nirtations with Mr.. Rolleston without
finding anything which anyone could
candidly consider disloyalty TO her en-.
gagemcnt
But there's no knowing what shed
think improper" she wound up-"she'
being Mrs. Lyncourt, the captain,
aunt Some OF these prim English,
women are like Neds wooden soldiers
so stiff that anything which pushes
them out of tho perpendicular by q
hairs breadth sends them over al
together"
Having done something by her sym.
pathy at least, II not by her comments
and her counsel, 10 comfort poor Kitty's
narrowed heart, BELL had 10 quit her
TO ride home. where there happened u
be urgent need of her presence q,
lunch.
just rs she was in the act OF mount
ing her mare unaided, and for this
purpose had gathered up her habit
with one hand, she caught sight OF the
recreant captain standing staring o,
her as though turned 10 stone
He had no sooner posted his letter 70
Kitty than he repented OF its bru tally
In the limited mail to ireland.
His intense love coming upon him
with a rush swept everything before IL,
so that in this mood and for the mo.
ment he would believe nothing-not
that Internal photograph, not his own
very eyes-against Kitty's truth and
modesty.
Bell, though she had no idea that
this was the captain whom she had
never seem, was arrested by the stupe-
faction expressed in the face OF this
man who stared at her us at the ghos,
OF some one he had murdered.
Presently he took out photograph
and compared II with her face and zig.
ure-not forgetting her riding trousersl
~ beg your pardon" he stammered,
but is this your"
Yes, II was Bell sure enough, with
Kitty sitting on her trousered knees,
In riding she had overtalten Kitty and
been overtaken by a shower
Leaving her horse with her groom
she scampered across with Kitty TO the
castle for shelter, and as there was
only one sheltered seat available she
took Kitty on her knee.
Kitty had occuited all her person bul
her trousered legs and her close-cropped
head. RICHARD AsuE KING.