Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-06-07
HER RESOLUTION.


the seats were occupied either by the
passengers in person or by their repre-
sentative luggage, and the lampllghter
had just completed his tour. Dick had
disposed of wraps cane, umbrella and
the bundlesome fruit of a days shop
/ ping in town; had exerted himself in
tvery possible and impossible way to Sc
cure the comfort and amusement of his
companion, and then, having failed to
elicit the slightest response, had gone
! into permanent retirement behind the
evening paper.
But Miss Katharine Trent failed to
find anything interesting i'll the new
magazines and was now leaning dis
consolately back in her seat wrapped
in penitent contemplation of the half
inch of Dicks forehead and smoothly
parted brown hair visible above the
edge of the paper. A box of chocolates
and big bunch Of violets in her lap
seemed equally unregarded.
"I suppose" she thought, drawing
together her pretty brows, if newspa-
pers were made of glass, I could see
Dicks eyes, but it's a good thing they
aren't, for I should certainly feel in
| clined to break that one into thousand
| pieces.
The train was going at fair speed
now, and murmurs of contented CONVEX
/ sation reached her ear.
"Dick,' she said suddenly, sitting
bolt upright, ''here we are almost at
Bushey. Are you really going to go as
| far as Watford with me?'
ST am afraid I must - And Dick laid
down his paper with grave courtesy and
looked for a moment straight into her
eyes. "Mother is down there with Bes-
sic, you know, and 1 telegraphed them
to expect me out to dinner. I never like
to disappoint Bess.
But Kate had dropped her eyes when
Dick looked at her. The smile and the
"I'm so gladr' with which she meant
to begin her overtures of peace, had died
on her lips, and she stared with burn
ing cheeks out into the darkness, while
Dick, with hardly repressed sigh,
again took refuge in his paper. But he
read line after line without catching
word Of the sense.
81 suppose [ was an ass to think she
cared for me-, he was thinking. cts
plain enough now that she doesn't and
never did, And Dick spread out his
paper and refolded it with a vicious
punch.
The truth was that Miss Katharine
Trent was bundle of startling contra
dictions. That she had tender heart
or that she was thoughtful and earnest
no one who looked for moment into
her big, serious blue eyes could doubt.
Vo4 Oe% 1ry c,L,0
acted without moments reflection.
Her little Italian singing master was
fond Of calling her his beautiful chord
of the ninth and said that everything
depended upon her proper resolution.
It had begun to rain. A few drops
zigzagged their downward career across
the pane with most fascinating mex
pected movements, but Katharine did
not even see them. She was thinking
desperately of that look in Dicks eyes.
Of course he loved her. She knew that.
! Didn't she love MIN just as much? But
here her conscience awOke with start
and informed her that if she did love
him she had taken every precaution to
conceal the fact from herself and Dick
and every one else "And don't you,''
conscience went on, "don't you treat
almost every fellow you know better
than you treat Dick? And didn't you
this very afternoon refuse even to talk
about marrying him?''
The train was flying now, and Kath-
arine found herself listening frantically
to the measured double slam, slam of
the wheels that brought nearer every
instant the time when Dick would go.
81 know I'll never look at me or
speak to me again. I don't blame him.
can't ask him to forgive me because 1
should certainly cry. and-Oh!' Her
heart almost choked her with it's beat
ing, for the train had begun to slow up,
and Dick was putting Oh his coat. Sud-
denly voice pitched in a girlish So
prano fell on her ear.
"Goodby, WILL, it said, land please
write to us at once, won't you? You
know mamma always worries SO about
you. Goodby'' "a kiss 80 goodbyp'
That was all, but it was enough; not
minute for reflection, but Katharine
needed none.
Dick was beside her, hat and cane in
hand, but Kate was already on her feet.
81 WILL" she said to herself, with a
swift glance around, while the pink in
her cheeks changed to red and famed
clear up to her hair. 81 will The man
at the other side of the carriage was
looking out of the window. mo one
will ever know the difference" she
went on, ''and I can't bear to have him
CO."
81 telegraphed your father to meet
this train, - Dick was saying. 81 really
must hurry
''Goodby, Dick said Kate, her
voice positively ringing with cousinly
Affection. u am awfully sorry I can't