The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-09-14
A KISS In THE DARK.


man one. feminine, particularly-that
of not being satisfied with good thing |
and leaving we'll enough alone, well |
enough" being in this case a first lieu
tenant of more than ordinary attrac- |
tions. There are very few women who |
are satisfied when only one man is the
captive of their charms; they prefer a
dozen soupirants to one, even II they
are themselves enamored of the one.
The name of the gallant soldier
whose good fortune it was to have OBJ
tanned for his promised own the WIN
some daughter of Capt Foster was
Appleton. His fortune was his own
good saber and his pay OF one
hundred and twenty-five dollars
month; his character the full ideal OF
an officer and gentleman; as for his
appearance, it was all that even Miss
Foster, who might have had the pick
of seven or eight others, could desire.
The only excuse to be found for the
first error is that Miss Foster was very
Young, rather spoiled, and not in the
habit of being denied anything upon
which she set her rather uncertain
little heart.
Therefore, when a very stubborn Sec
ond lieutenant by the name OF SAKE
let her distinctly see that he was not
to be captivated by charms that had
allured every one else, she determined
that his pride should be humoled IN
the dust, even in the alkali dust of the
plains. That was the said first error.
What she should have done, as seen in
the light of future events, was to have
been happy in the complete possession
of such a man as Appleton, and to have
let all others drift with their own par
ticular current of life. But then, she
was just eighteen, and the regiment
had made much of her.
Now Appleton was not a jealous
man; even if he had been, it is doubt
full if he would have suspected what
was going on in the mind of his pretty
sweetheart, for she was something OF
a flirt and quite able to have two
strings to her bow She certainly gave
all the time that he had any right to
claim to Appleton, even more, per-
haps, and impressed him with the idea
that he was the sun of her universe,
which, indeed, was the case, only there
were also a large number of more or
less bright moons and small stars
which competed with his glory. For
Kittie was not untruthful in the least.
She was in love with Appleton. and
il she had not been, would never have
made him think so; the trouble was
that she was just little in love, as
we'll, with a goodly number of others
And how could she have helped 1T
They were ali SO awfully nice to her
and seemed so fond of her. All excep
SAKE. He did not appear to care IL
the least, and was devoted to no one
and nothing except his commanding
officer and his troop Miss Foster was
piqued and meant to get even.'
Which was quite right, according t.
her lights.
The second error was unconscious
The commanding officer committed i
when he sent Appleton off on I
months special duty, and thereby
left Kittie like kite without string
very likely to plunge out of its prope
obstruction. kittie cried little ant
was dreadfully sorry when Appleton
left; she watched the ambulance, witt
fearful eyes, until it was almost on
of sight; but as soon as it began t.
grow smaller, she turned about, as
would be bad luck to look until tn
last. Her eyes were very dewy an
were exactly the kind that look wei
in that state.
When she wheeled around, she cam
almost face to face with SAKE, and onl
raised her lashes long enough to CIV
him a glance of such delightfully."- b.
witching sorrow, that any other ma
would have tried to console her the
and there, and ran as fast as she coul
:. into the house. SAKE went on his wa
with new admiration for Kitti'
whom he had always considered yer
heartless child. lie was glad to sc
that she was capable of loving som
one to the extent of crying over his d.
parture He did not wish he were II
lucky man. however; that stage W;
yet to come.
The third error was very serious, AT
it was the usually unerring SAKE WI
committed it. He deluded himse
with the fallacy that fire.will not bun
if you put on the asbestos gloves OF i
difference when you handle it. i
felt sorry for poor, bereaved lit
Kittie and conceived it his duty to {
over and console her. II it had been
disagreeable duty he would not ha'
summed it, but it was not disagreeab
duty. IN the moonlight before tato
he went to sympathize with Miss Fo
ter. That was the error. When
left he was glad that he listened to Il
promptings of conscience, it had seem
to do the girl so much good.
She was really a far more earnest Al
womanly little person than he had su
posed, not as shallow as one would il
agine. She was bearing up against h
troubles bravely, and he admired h
- L. l~ft