The advocate., 1894-02-07


all toldp'
"I am sure one might manage, by
strict economy, to keep out Of the poor
house on even such tritie as $4,000,
all told"
"Yes, he might live in a sort Of half
genteel poverty, but a man not worth
more money than that don't amount to
much now days. Is this DR.. CARING
ton friend of yours? If you say so,
III be easy on him."
"He is not an enemy of mine at any
rate, and if you leave it to me, shall
say be easy on all of them in such times
as these"
"What do you know about such
times as these?" asked he mimicing
her. "YOu don't seem to suffer for
want of pin-money. What do yOU
know about hard times?"
81 know more about them than you
imagine" said Kate with truth. care
you certain you will be in Golden dur
ing the holidays?"
"Unless l get done up in a railroad
wreck, or forget myself and die some
other way. l go home from here to
spend Christmas, and then l shall HE
me straight to the city of Golden. /
wish | could go when you go, but
Fanny would never forgive me if !
should not be home Christmas. Pos
sibly Fanny may come with me and go
out and visit you until l get through at
Cobden," said Clarence, expecting
Kate to clap her hands in delight at
the suggestion. But instead she be-
came faint, and greatly worried Clar-
ence lest she was about to be i'll.
"YOu are i'll, dear" said he tenderly,
for the first time using such term of
endearment.
81 have not been feeling well to-day,
and l felt faint just then, but am bet
ter nOw," said Kate. "Will you ex-
cuse me? 1t is my music hour, and l
fear | am already late"
Certainly" said he. "But take
some rest, my dear. You are working
too hard. You are too ambitious. You
do not look at all well, and really you
ought not to go to your music lessons
to-day"
"You are kind" said Kate gently,
"but l think had better go. Good
bye." And she offered her hand. He
held it moment Clasped in his when
she withdrew it and they parted.
Clarence spoke truly when he said
Kate was too ambitious. When a girl
of seventeen crowds into fourteen
months course of study meant for
the diligent labor of two years, she GER
tainly is ambitious, and if in addition
she spends an hour or more every day
poring over solid books from the col
lege library, she may, without exag-
geratiOn, be called too ambitious; but,
constantly haunted since September
with she expectation of being driven
from the college by the discovery of
her past history, Kate had, during this
term, which might be her last, been
still more ambitious, and had carefully
reviewed the common branches of
knowledge upon which applicants for
teachers certificates are examined. OF
mental temperament, her self-impoSed
tasks added to her ceaSeless dread of
discovery had preyed upon her health,
and she had been growing care-Worn
and thin. The tension was already too
great when she was called upon to
to bear the additional strain of Clar-
ence's startling announcement, and she
was now threatened with serious ILL
ness. That first caressing expression
she had ever heard from the lips of a
lover was sweet music to her loving
heart; but, alasl in the very moment Of
its utterance the same loved lips had
unwittingly heralded her doom. He
was going to Golden, and on business
with DIR. Darlington, and in few days
he would certainly know all, and her |
sweet dream would be broken and
ended forever.
Forever" Or is there some where
world of the "might have been"