The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-02-03

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ly down the steps and slipped her hand
through his arm.
"Then I must 60. You will not let
me stay here with you?" he asked in
a disappointed tone, casting one longing
look back at the cozy porch, dimly light
ed by the rising moon, and another at
the fair, sweet face so near his own.
Kate flushed hotly.
"You know I would like to have you"
-reproachfully-"but if what you say
is true it would not be just right In
you, Horace"
She drew him gently away as she
spoke and together they strolled slowly
across the lawn.
you see, it is Lydia's birthday" he
says, alphabetically, "and I half prom
Used I would come over there tonight.
She is to have some friends in and will
expect me, I suppose. But I don't care
about it at all. I would much rather
stay here with you. Won't you let me,
Katie?"
He turns and looks pleadingly into her
eyes, but she shakes her head at him.
mo, no. You have promised and l
would not have you break your word
on my account. 1t would be very SELF
ish Of me to keep YOU
Horace knows of old that Hates mo"
admits Of no protest and so, with a
sigh, relinquishes all hope Of staying
and turns down the shaded street, feel
ing the girls eyes follow him as he
goes. He has been very much in earn
est just now about wanting to stay,
much to his surprise, for he had been
rather anticipating Lydia Longs birth
day party and had not had the slightest
intention Of absenting himself. His way
however, lay by Hates house, and see.
her on the porch he had just dropped
in "for a moment'-a moment long
enough to make him wish he had moth
ing else in prospect but a quiet evening
with her.
The influence Kate had over this
young man was one which he realized
reached the higher and better part OF
his manhood. Ever since she had first
looked at him with those shy, serious
eyes when they were mere school chill
dren together he had been drawn more
and more closely to her until, though
no words had passed between them,
each felt and believed IL the love OF
the other.
All this was in Horace's mind as he
strobe along in the gathering dusk n
like a silent reproach weighed heavily
on his heart a he thought of the girl
for whose sake he had not only given
up this M evening Of Hates society,
but, alas, many others in the. last few
months. But he shook off the feeling
which had stolen upon him
~, - ,vnrn and ho.r1,n RI SnoCnlnta on
the pleasure of the evening before him.
"Bewitching little Lydia!' He was fond
of her, too, in a way he told himself
and smiled as the memory of some of
her mad FRANKS and saucy words came
to him. He felt in his pocket for the
pretty trinket he had bought for her
birthday remembrance, and wondered
how he could have thought Of fore
going the pleasure Of seeing her eyes
dance when he gave it to her.
A man of many moods! Yes, but at
the bottom Of all was his love for Kate,
%unrealized as yet, but steadfast and un-
changeable in spite of bubbles on the
surface. A guilty feeling that he wa
to some extent deceiving her, who had
always known even his" thoughts, made
him hasten his steps. A radiant vision
in white waits for him at the little sum-
mer house he had lately become sc
familiar with and two white hands held
out in welcome make him forget for
a time all else.
Kate swings in her hammock quite
alone. She is very glad that no n has
come in to disturb her, for tonight she
had much to do to keep her hands from
trembling and the tears from her eyes.
Only tired, she tells herself, and a bit
nervous. She will go in pretty soon
and try. to sleep. But she does not 60.
The moor shines down clear and
steady on the lawn without and casts
broad, deep shadows. among the trees.
All is SO still, 50 beautiful. She calls
to mind other nights like this when
Horace had been there with her and
then she falls to thinking Of Lydia
Long and the change that has come in
to her life in the last few months.
To be sure, Horace was just the same
but before he had never seemed to need
to want any one but her. or late, too,
he had seemed restless at times, quite
unlike himself, and she wonders it af-
ter all she is not the woman to meet
the requirements of his nature. She
has often watched him and Lydia and
noted with a pang Of wonder and jeal-
ousy how very gay they were together.
And yet Horace had always spoken so
disdainfully of the dashing sort Of girls
which surely Lydia Long was a type.
And so her thoughts fly backward and
forward, into the happy past and dip
ping into the shadowy future which al
ready she thinks Of with dull forbod-
ing. Any rate, there can be no more
days like those that are gone. OF this
she Is quite sure and she tells herself
that she must be quite brave and ready
for anything Horace may tell her. For,
of course, he will tell her first.
At this point she breaks down ut
terly and sobs like a child. The moon
looks down in plying silence and the
soft night wind sways the hammock
gently to and fro. All at once a quick
familiar step sounds on the gravel walk
the gate clicks and some n walks
across the lawn whistling in careless
boyish fashion. Yes, it is Horace and
Kate shrinks into the shadow that he
may not see her tear stained face. She
can see that his face is flushed and his
eyes bright with a new found joy. She
feels instinctively that the moment she
has just been dreading has come and
nerves herself to meet it with true wo-
manly courage.
/ kate" he said, his voice trembling
with eagerness and the joy Of making
known his happiness. Il could not
sleep until / told you, for I have had
nc friend like you in all my life. I am
so happy, dear. You cannot know how
wonderful 1t all seems to me--for she
loves me, Kate, and has promised to be