Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-11-07
THE CHAPLAIN'S STORY.

Jim Bourn and were boys together
Hf Westminster; we went to Oxford to-
s,xther-to Balliol; we took our degrees
fDgether in the classical (honors)
school, and were ordained together by
the bishop of L, as curates for b is
diocese Here our paths separated for
=4one years, and when next we renewed
-zszr old friendship L was the vicar of the
Ea~n. Still single at "a, and Jim was
the chaplain of the famous Jail in the
=sazne town, and married.
We were talking in my study as in
4o71en times. Somehow the converse
s5oa drifted to the subject of a recent
newspaper article: Ought Married
People to Have Any Secrets from Each
sotzcer?'' 1 said NO Jim said yes"
We both smilingly stuck to our text.
Why. JIM" said /, you would have
bern the last person l should have ex-
Eoscted to take that line, for I am sure,
from what / have seen, that if ever two
folks were happy and loving. they are
Ella and yourself. 1 can't conceive of
your having any secret which you
would not want Ella to know
-Ah," >retorted he, with peculiar
smile, that's just it. Well, Howson Ill
te3I you one, if you like. though he
zLlI2e<l, 1T must remain a secret between
TIE two 1 have never spoken of it to
anyone il the world, and never shall.
except TO yourself"
Thanks, Jim, you need not fear me,
rs you know. 1 am only DESTROYS to
know the CASE and assumed an at
tiftadc of eager attention to Jim's story.
Il was the chaplain at Low market, as
sDH are we'll aware, before L came here.
III is n pretty place, and one wonders
~Ehafever made the government build
IL 5as3 there However, there it is, and
there was l. The amount of society
tat one got in Lowmarket was perfect
" astonishing. Had L had the time and
fuciination for it, 1 might have turned
out a regular society clergyman. As
e was, / had full amount of lectures,
sssHses, parties and entertainments.
Among the people L got in with Lone
<xere nicer than the Yorks. Miss York,
maiden lady of so. lived in q large and
Beautifully furnished house called
TIC Cedars,' in the best part of the
town She was known all over the dis
txHct for her charity. kindness of heart
and pure life. Everybody had good
vszcd for her. Nor was her niece, Miss
Fork, any less popular. People in Low
market fairly worshiped both of them.
Il was rs when first saw Ella York,
-Eor wrecks her praises had been in my
'&zaES, and now, on acquaintance, found
bx>r beauty, her manners, her kindness
Of heart, not one whit less than report
sSatked. L loved her. Of course, could
not say SO at once; and whether, after
two or three meetings in the course of
my .Fork-for Miss York the elder took
Eyrsat interest in our sphere of labor
she guessed my love, and reciprocated
IT. L could not then say. l found, upon
5ss13icious inquiries, that Miss York
sZl2a-iived with her aunt from child
hood, that she was now "a; that her
mother was dead, and her father lived
u the continent for his health; also
chat she was her aunt's sole heiress.
These facts were of course only learned
By degrees, rs one cannot go to the
fountain head for such information.
AFTER much heart-searching and &c
,-elsalng within myself, L thought / saw
vszzs4 Ella York was not wholly indiffer-
, emf to Inc, and l resolved to ask her to
be my wife / need not go into details
rs TO how ] did it, beyond saying that
; tf was one summer morning rather
zncre than five years ago, when, having
gone to see her aunt, who was out, | met
Ella IN the grounds; and after talking
az we walked along on various subjects,
somehow it came out unexpectedly, and
almost before L could comprehend What
sSt all meant, Ella York had promised to
izoe my wife, subject to her aunt's con-
sent.
-But her aunt didn't consent. L re-
zSeived q, dainty note that night-how
sEEnIierly L regarded it, HowsonI-from
EEa, saying that she had spoken of my
visit to her aunt, and had told her was
CoIniDg tomorrow for her approval;
Miss York had been very kind, but &C ted
rather strangely, and said she would
Eex me, but she could not consent, as
she did not wish to lose Ella My dear
girl went on to say that she had in vain
tried TO get from her any more than
this
~as in a curious state of mind as
IL went next morning to see Miss York.
What could her objection really be :?
Surely not to me! My position, my
Family, my life here were, I hoped, be-
gond reproach. Even were it qucs-
SSoa of money, L had enough private
zucSns, as you know. AS for Miss York,
~ss3l. of course, it would be lonely with
ozzt Ella at first, after so many years
<zomPanionship, but surely she didn't
expect her never to get married., TWAS
RErosferous.
II was destined to know her objec-
SION AS L approached the lodge the
DoEteTess met me.
Oh, MIR. Bourn, this is Shocking!"
Iyas more puzzled than ever! Why
my engagement to Ella should be
Shocking couldn't see; and no doubt