Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-10-31


brown eyes. He had kissed her, then
a white frocked little maid OF ten, as
he went OF TO don his first gray coat
at West Point. Some way the tiny,
wide-eyed girl never quite forgot the
beautiful, manly boy, although she had
never seen him since, as their schools
and travels had confriyed TO keep
them apart. But she remembered very
well that when she was a sweet girl
graduate she was confiding In maid
enly shyness 20 her dearest friend her
Ideal husband, when that friend
gayiy and cried:
why, how funny. You've been de
scribing young Capt. Doane, who was
here visiting his sister, Mrs. Wilmarth,
only last week"
Poor Hetty blushed as red as though
she had been really guilty, and now
that the famous, dignified Mai. Doane
had actually come 10 see her tiny Miss
Hetty grew pink 10 the tips of her lit
tie ears until Mrs wilmarth found her
self wondering IL 1t could be possible
that Miss Hopkins were really pretty
after all. While the clear-eyed matron
watched the delighted hostess and her
biz, handsome brother as they quite
forgot her over their tea-cups and the
iAtiouH ptthuTtn "a huuutn NEW laSuA
came into her eyes and the match
making spirit inherent in every happily
married woman quietly began its dex-
ferrous work.
Things went on famously. Ii was
| the major who advised that the collec-
! ton of paintings be kept for time
I and exhibited one day in the week for
the orphans. When Miss Hetty shrink
ingly demurred he pointed out that the
| children would be the gamers In the
! end, and so she relented. That winter
| found the whole neighborhood in the
throes OF an extrayagant social whiri.
1 for there was an unusual number OF
/ pink and white debutantes, with the
\ still more unusual accompaniment OF
| handsome. eligible men. Before she
/ knew IL Miss Hopkins found herself in
\ the very midst OF the mad jollity. even
/ laying aside her all-black gowns for
I those with hints OF violet about the
throat and wrists. No tea was quite
! perfect without the dear little artists
| presence; no girl felt quite satisfied IL
she had not had chat with Miss Hop
kins between the dances, and even the
broad-shouldered, fresh-voiced boys
liked 10 creep into the softly-shaded
little studio 20 accompany its owner
home ut dusk Her Monday after
moons grew famous and the orphans on
the corner had enough new shoes and
quilts and real puddings for Sunday
dinners TO make them eyeriastingly
grateful to the happy hearts In the tiny
brown house ON the next street.
Miss Hopkins always had the pretti-
est girls IN town TO pour on these occa-
sions, and generally someone with q
really good voice or an unusually SIKH.
full touch ON the violin could be found
To make music. Then, too. the pictures
themselves could bear repeated visits,
for tile poor. sweet old man grew very
dear 20 them all. now that he WAS moi
there In the flesh 10 trouble them. Fur.
thermore, II was almost as good as go
Ing TO confession 10 creep up, Silly
aud gently, before the last OF them all
where Miss Hopkins always kept Q
bunch OF fresh yiolets standing be
meath the sweet little canvas, with lis
live morning glories and its sleeping
man.
And then. the best thing of II all e
little Miss Hetty, was the major, ths
tail. courtly major, who was SO attent
i've to her and seemed to enjoy beini
with her more thar any man in all hei
-
until she is thirty.six before she loves
the result is going to be terrible In III
Intensity. Mrs. wilmarth saw II, ant
tremhled. excepting for the fact tina
her brother really seemed TO see no ont
else but Miss Hetty, except, OF course
. the giris-all that seasons buds-wh'
|. fiocked about the major because b.
wns so different from ordinary men
, Miss Hetty knew 1t, and held he
4 breath. The boys and girls saw Il
! and smiled glcefully. In fact. every
! body seemed TO recognize IL except III
man himself, who went blindly on
!. hcaplng poor. fiuttcring Miss Hett
q with compliments and making ope
: love to all the young iris who CAV
I, him his tea. and sat In open-eyed nc
!, miration as he related his thrilling ste
!, rles cf army life on Western plains.
4 But at last, even the major knew !
and his great, manly, innocent heal
!. felt like lead. II was one blusterin
!. evening late In the winter, and tins
: mighty military man was tramping va
!, iantly along the street on his way
i Mrs. Wilmarth's. But as he passed III
~ little brown cottage he noticed I'll
: light within and, turning up the III
!, even board walk. he rang the old-fasl
N toned bell bravely; for the puzzled M
4 Tor had all Mt once made mighty +
y solve, and when he once decided TO
h n thing he never retreated, whether
= was to take an cnemy's camp or BRAY
~ woman.
"a Strange TO say. he found Miss Het'
=, alone there In the warm, rosy lit
N room. with its queer old china. glistc
10 ing silver. odd pictures and rich, ri
~ set.bonnd books The tiny little hos
"a css saw the detcrn nation In her ca
~ er's face. aud sunk into her deep cha
"a knitting her beautifully-kept fingers
:. gcther in desperate hope and fear.
i. The major refused the proffered &c
. almost grufily, thrust his hands In
he his pockets. thied another chair, Al
sn finally strobe across TO the tiny. IL
~ window. and with his back brave
10 turned toward her. he began:
ha ..,Iy dear--friend, l--cr-I want
NJ ask you something tonight feel til
he we have known each other well enou
iio for me not to be afraid now. My de
90 Miss-Hetty," and he wheeled abo'
In facing her so abruptly that she almt
~ gasped. tell me honestly, as thou