The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-09-13
FOR HALF A MILLION.

~ iCCNN0 ASh
indignant eyes-great, brown eyes
w. tn a golden light in their depths
which made the small. colorle,s face
at times positively radiant.
We we're sitting on the stairs at
Mrs. CramptCn's last ball. There was
always a crush at the CHAMPION man
sion and Kitty and l had made our
way ont Of the whlrling vortex uf
dancers at imminent risk OF life and
limb, and mad gladly sought this last
refuge. Every ether corner, every
room. every niche seemed Overlooking
with gayly dressed people In groups,
but more often liz pairs. laughing,
chatting, firting. Aid sitting here,
lust behind the marble statue OF
Psyche. | had accused Kitty Hatha-
way OF being a i'!rt.
Well. ii looked like it, must con =
fcS, for she was always surrounded 10y
an adEirng group, upon whom she
lavished impartial sweetness, looking
all tile time So demure and innocent
as t. almost deceive me. l. Alan
Gordon, aged 80, had never been IN
love in nv life. II were one OF the
cavaliers who knelt at sweet Kitty
Hathaway'> feet. il was only because
she was So altogether Dewitching that
| had no choice in the matter. To-
night her tlirtation> had exceeded
their u,ua, limit.
M SIS Kitty assumed my most
maglsterial eApreSSlon-"dOn't you
know mat 1t is wrong TO iiirt:'
is it, with a swift glance.
quickly withdrawn. ''Who-who
tiirtS? Oh. YES, l know. You are re-
ferriug to Annie Merton. l must
c Mess she does, or rather tries, to
ilirt successfully, but l don't believe
she understands the art"
"Annie Merton, indeed'' l feel
myself getting indignant. IAN Old
maid OF forty at least. You know
perfectly well that | am referring to
a certain brown-eyed maiden sur
named Hathaway Miss Kitty, it is
a shame for you to break all these
loving hearts"
She laughed a clear, ringing laugh.
''Bah' Nonsense You men have
n, hearts to break. Your hearts are
petritied, o>sihed, fossil!zed and all
the rest OF it. loG do rot kn W
what it is to love a woman truly,
steadfast!y.'
KITTY, stop. You are wrong. and
you know it. You know that | am
not a 100 i>h, Il rting fellow. You
know-Or you ought to know that |
love-
Miss Kitty beg ten thousand
pardons, Gordon. but this is my
dance. The Manola. Miss Kitty; and
you did promise it TO me"
felt like aDnihilating the tall
young man who had made his way
with ditficUlty to our secluded cor
ner. But there was no hope: she
must 20. She rose. and | fancied a
regrcttul look in the lovely brown
eyes Is she turned 10 me and de-
posted he7 bouquet--a magnificent
collection Of orchids-in my hand.
"%eep 1t until 1 return" she whis-
percd. II | survive this walt l
will be back here: SO don't 90 away"
My eyes met hers; | smiled and
nodded and then she was gone. And
all at Cuce ii occurred to me how
dark and dreary the place had s'owu-
what a dull affair the Champion ball
had become aud how | missed Kitty
Hathaway.
Aud then something else occurred
to ms also-Something that came
crushing down upon me with sud.
den force. nearly d%epriving ne Of my
senses | awOke all at once 10 the
fact that | loved her-I, Allan Cor.
don. who had long looked upon love
and marriage as a remote oOntin-
gencl-and accident which must be-
fall ME some time, Tut not now. IN,
no.
1 was quite my own master: a for.
tune Of half a million had fallen t.
me a year ago and | was quite alone
in the world save for my mother.
she had given up the hope OF my
falling in love, for not the slightest
fancy had ever troubled the peaceful
waters of my existence. But | was
awaAe at last to the knowledge that
while | had been dreaming love had
stolen in at the door OF my heart.
and l aroused myself to a realization
OF the truth when it was too late 10
bar the intruder out.
While l sat there, with kitty'S
orchids in nv hand. my eyes dreamily
watching the eating. white-roOed
flgure-she was all in white. a feecy,
gauzy diaphanous material. striped
with silver threadS-and occasionally
interceptlng a sly glance from over
her narfnar,S Sh0uldeI. Mrs. Cramn-