Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-03-23

afterward what prompted her, but she
stepped to the cot, wrapped a blanket
around Thrift, and did not stop to think
till she had deposited him safely in her
own house. 1t was characteristic of
Jean Lawrence that she never reasoned
out why she had done this action. It
was quite as easy a matter to settle the
disposal of Thrift with his father. He
was only too glad to be rid of the bur-
den.
The first clashing of wills occurred
over the same little black frock. Thrift
ungratefully refused to have anything
to do with it. Miss Lawrence was per-
picked. 1t would never do to dress him
in colors on Sunday. She compromised
by making him a white frock, with
broad black sash. 1t set off the child's
fairness, but still more it satisfied her
sense of fitness.
Jean Lawrence always thought of
that episode as an epoch in her life. The
next epoch was the sudden resolve of
Thrift's father to go to America. Jean
Lawrence lived in q state of tension
till he had sailed. 1t seemed incredible
to her that he could wish to leave his
boy behind. She only saw the extreme
desirability of Thrift in any manner
and way. Thrift's father did not
1t was soon after this that Jean Law
rence's old lover returned to his native
village. This caused more thought in
the village than Jean herself gave to it.
1t was ten years since John Forbes and
she had been going to be married, and
ten years is a long time in woman's
life. Since Thrift had entered her life
she was Utterly oblivious of anything
except her work The more money she
had the more she could do for Thrift.
Jean Lawrence had always kept to
herself and no one knew why she and
John Forbes had never married
Her old mother was alive then and
everyone knew she would have liked
the match John Forbes had come
back grayer and older than he had
gone away, but he was richer and even
more able to afford a wife.
Time had not gone very well with
Jean. She was thin and small always
and she had had hard life of work.
Her sparse drab hair was beginning to
be sprinkled with gray. She looked
older than she really was. The village
came to the conclusion that John
Forbes would go by her and seek a
younger, BONNER woman" The two
most concerned gave no cause for gos-
sip.
John Forbes would sometimes stop as
he was passing the little cottage and
say few words. There never was any
allusion to past times between them.
They called each other Mr.. Forbes and
Miss Lawrence. studiOusly. That was
the only clew either of them had that
there was q mutual past between them.
On the Sundays that Jean went to
church-her thoughts were always di-
vided between the bairn at home and
the psalms, to her great discontinue
John Forbes would sometimes Overtal<e
her. They talked of the sermon, then
of the crops and the weather. By de
grees these subjects gained an easy IA
miliarity and only varied with the sea-
sons.
No one was more surprised than Jean
when John Forbes asked her one day
to marry him. She stared at him in
emotionless calm.
-Ye must gle me time" she said.
John Forbes agreed to this quite pla-
cidly. 1t was hard to understand what
he saw in his first love in her faded and
aged old-maidism. Possibly a tenacitv
of affection and the same instinct of
faithfulness that brought him back TO
the little village-the little village with
no pretensions to beauty or pictur-
esqueness-kept him true to Jean. One
was the home, the other the woman lie
had loved. He saw no reason to change
because he had seen many fairer homes
and younger, prettier women.
Jean did not analyze her sentiments
1t was not her way. Besides, love
never entered her head as far as it con-
cerned John Forbes. She merely re-
viewed the advantages as they con-
cerned Thrift. The rumor that a new
and more modern dressmaker was go
ing to set up finally settled =, and she
said John yes.
The day was fixed for the second
time in their lives. Jean had given I'd
her house. She was waiting with tran
guilty for this new step in her life.
She had quite come to the conclusion
that she could not do better for Thrift
One evening John Forbes arrived
Thrift lay contentedly on the hearth
rug looking at him. The last time
John had been at the cottage Thrift
had been in one of his passionate fits.
This had set him pondering
After this there had been several
well-meant efforts at kindness on the
part of his friends. They happened 10
coincide with his own views. They ad-
they said, would neglect everyone and