The herald., 1897-10-10

please come back with me. have
something to say to you."
She was very much surprised, it was
easy to see that, but she turned back
without asking questions. and we went
into the library. There was no one
there, and I closed the door.
Half out of breath, for I had been
running part of the way, I told her all
the things which had happened. I did
not try to put them in order. I let
the things had to say come in their
own order and the strongest pushed
themselves to the front. Everything
had done, everything I had thought,
everything I had suspected, I told her
hurriedly and hotly. had had a feel
ing that I would keep her father out
Of the matter, but I could not help
speaking of him. Allusion after allu-
sion forced itself from me in company
with something else, and so I might as
we'll have told her the whole of the
talk Of the town. But this did not
seem to affect her more than anything
else. She must have heard something
of the talk of the town or suspected
it.
they were different kind Of tears from
those I had seen before. She said
scarcely anything; in fact, I gave her
no chance to speak. I feared some
body might interrupt us and now that
L had her here, I must tell her every
thing. She was deeply interested in
all I said. Sometimes she flushed a
little and sometimes she turned little
pale; and once or twice she looked at
me inquiringly, but still went on gal
Looping and plunging ahead with my
story Not thought of the night or a
deed of the day did leave out, even
when 1 had to go back for them and
bring them up from the very begin
ming.
When I first perceived how she SYM
pathized with me and how deeply was
her interest, I had taken her by the
hand and this she did not appear to
notice; as l warmed up with the de-
scription of my feelings when the con-
viction forced itself upon me that was
the man who had done the deed. took
her other hand, and this continued to
hold as I went on.
When reached my statement in the
sheriff's room, she leaned forward a
little and said,
"And it was for my father?"
Then it was that 1 released one of
her hands and put my arm around her
Then l kissed her once, twice, don't
know how many times.
Eyes, it was for your father" I said.
I did not attempt to depreciate any
thing had done; l accepted her graf
itude just as she evinced 1t which she
did not with words, but with her eyes
and with the parting Of her lips
There is nothing in this world which
can give a man such rapture as to
press to his heart and to his lips a
beautiful woman whase father he has
saved, or intended to save, which is
the same thing. She asked me to go
on and tell her the rest. I told it as
quickly and as briefly as I could. 1t
all seemed Of such little Importance
that l could not spare the time for it,
Suddenly a thought flashed upon me.
Here l was holding a beautiful woman
to my heart; I was kissing her eyes
her lips, her cheeks, was holding one
of her hands which tightly clasped my
own, and l had never proposed to her!
had intended to do that before 1 be-
gan my story, SO that she might better
understand It,
/ drew back little and told her
what it was that 1 had forgotten. She
looked into my eyes with a smile.
Il think we can easily dispense with
that" she said. At that moment felt
as if I could dispense with the whole of
this rolling globe except that which
held tightly clasped in my arms.
1t was not long after this that her
mother came in, not knowing that
there was anyone in the room. She
was very much surprised to see us, and
of course under the circumstances,
everything had to be told to her. do
not mean told as I had told it, for it
was Natalie who did most of the tel
ling; and she did it so-clearly and put
some things in such strong relief that
all I could do when she finished was
to ask Mrs. Kefford If she wondered
that had come there and that I had