, 1897-11-02
A ~CONQUERING HERO.

1t was such a pretty scene. The trees
had the abundance of verdant foliage
that belongs to happy June. The grass
seemed more than usually rich and
green and the wild flowers more album
dant than ever before-there was q rural
bridge over a deep, rushing stream that
fed u mill dam some distance beyond,
and roses clambered over the broken
rails Of the bridge and twined their
wild tendrils about an old tree near by,
against which was a rustic seat. On the
rustic seat was another rose-a very
sweet and fresh and lovely rose in white
muslin, with a Marie Antoinette fichu
across her breast and knotted at the
waist, and a wide leghorn hat on her
head that shaded her eyes so ~cleverly
that no beholder could guess that tears
were rising there from time to time and
dropping on the white null kerchief.
And this had happened so often that
the rose might very well be said to be
washed in dew.
Her name was Kate, and she was very
angry with herself because the tears
would fall despite all the indignant
things she was saying to herself in her
effort to stop their flow, till at last she
started to her feet in q dreadful pet and
began to walk up and down, crushing
the wild flowers under her feet. But
that could not continue, for she was a
very sweet little woman and could not
even hurt o flower without regretting
1t, and presently she bent her graceful
figure and pulled the wild anemones
and the few late violcts and, having
or two and sat down.
Its a perfectly lovely morning."
she murmured and pinned the flowers
among the folds of the null kerchief.
II wonder where she has taken the
child, because
She stopped and looked anxiously
about till she saw in the distance the
maid and the little boy rambling among
the trees and apparently absorbed in
gathering wild flowers and chasing but
t~erflies, and the music Of the child's
laughter was borne to her on the soft,
perfumed summer breeze. 1t was q
heavenly sound-a sound to gladden.
any mothers heart. but Kate Selden
sighed and drew from her belt a closely
crumpled piece of paper. which she had
thrust there in fierce Impotence, and as
she looked ut it the tears, which had
not retreated very far. again rose to her
eyes
"Oh, I'm just a dreadful fool" she
thought. "a silly, silly little simple
ton. And I'm glad he is late, for l
wouldn't have him know for anything
in this world that l cared enough to
cry And smoothing out the crum-
pied paper, she began to read the writ
ten words once more, though she al
ready knew them by heart:
III you will see me on Wednesday,
we can talk the matter over. l have
spoken with my lawyer. and he has
consulted with yours, and q separation
car be arranged without any public
scandal-at least, I hope 90. l would
call at the house, but ! know your
mother hates me worse than ever now,
and it would only cause q scene. So il
you will come to the old rustic seat
close by the bridge-you know where
we used to meet in the old, happy days
-ah, Kate, If you would only let me
tell you everything, you would find that
! am not 80 very much to blame. But l
won't speak Of that, because, Of course,
! know you wish to leave me, and l
will make no defense. Yes, you shall
keep the boy, though / believe the law
would give him to me if l chose to fight
for my right-no, in that ! yield to you
entirely. believe q child belongs to
his mother first and before all others
Therefore l give him to you without
asking what the law might say about
it., but I do aaak Tint you will let me see
him us often as l may wisk. / love
him, dear-yes. though you may not
believe it, Kate. l love him next to his
mother, who is still the dearest on earth
t o me. There, I didn't mean to say that,
but 1t is written, and let it stay SO. l
will mo- offend you again, but be there
on Wednesday. any time before noon. ]
won't be later than IL, and we can ar
range all the business details-the law.
yers will do the rest.
And by this time the tears were brim-
ming over, but she wiped them softly
away, and instead Of crushing the paper,
a. before, she folded 1t very smoothly
and slipped 1t inside her corsage, where
.she could feel it rise and fall beneath
the hurried beating Of her hnart-
ssI'm glad he's late, " she repeated
.'l'm very glad he's late" And then
she looked at her watch and found It
was not quite half past 10. "Oh. he
ln,t Iafee after all. must have been