Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-07-10

luton until her thread was exhausted. The
reoi was ready at her side; she took il up fol
q fresh supply, and innocently rested her
head against the leafy and fiowery wall OF
the arbor. Was it thought that gradually
closed her eyes again, OK was Ii sleep? In
either case Susan was lost 10 all sense OF
passing events; and Susan's breathing be-
came unsteady regular, emulous OF the mus.
zeal regularity OF the brook.
AS a lesson In patience the art OF angling
pursued In a shallow brook has its moral
uses. Kitty fished and waited, and renewed
the bait, and tried again with a command of
temper which would have been a novelty in
Susan's experience, il Susan had been
awake. Blu the end which comes to all
things came also 10 kitty's patience. Leav-
ing her rod on the bank. she let the line and
hook take care OF themselves, and wandered
away in search of some new amusement.
Lingering here and there TO gather flowers
from the beds as she passed them, Kitty was
stopped by a shrubbery, with a rustic seat
placed near it, which marked the limits Of
the garden on that side. The path that she
had been following led her farther and far.
ther away from the brook, but still left il
well in view. She could see on her right
htft biO NAhtI'N OVh NVphCh vi iuAc WHICH
crossed the stream and served as a means of
communication for the servants and the
tradespeople between the cottage and the
village, on the lower ground a mile away.
The child felt hot and tired. She rested
herself on the bench. and spreading the
flowers by her side, began to arrange them
in the form Of a nosegay. Still true to her
love for Sydney, she had planned To present
the nosegay to her mother, Offering the gif
as an excuse for returning to the forbidden
subject of her governess and for asking
when they might hope to see each othe:
again.
Choosing flowers and then rejecting them
trying other colOr and wondering whether
she had accomplished a change for the bet.
ter, Kitty was startled by the sound Of a
voice calling 10 her from the direction OF the
brock.
She looked round and saw a gentleman
crossing the bridge. lie asked the way ~
Brightwater cottage.
There was something In his voice that at
tracted her-how or why, at her age, she
never thought of inquiring. Eager and ex.
cited, she ran across the lawn which Law b..
tween her II the brook before she answered.
the question.
The gentleman approached her and sud.
denly stood still. Kitty said: This is the
cottage, sir; do you want to see mammag'
The last words fell family from her lips;
she hardly knew whether she was frightened
or surprised. There the stranger stood with
his eyes fixed on her, thinner and paler, and
not looking happy-and yet like, oh, so like
her lost father!
His s0rrowful eyes rested kindly on her.
The child ventured to say: do you know
me slrg.'
he answered I'm the saddest voice that
Kitty ever heard: my little girl, what
makes you think know your
She was at a loss how 20 reply, fearing to
distress him. She c@ild only say: you are
so like my poor papa"
lie shook and %shuddered, as IL she had
said something to brighten him. lie took
her hand On that hot day his fingers felt
as cold as If it had been winter time. He
led her back to the seat she had left. I'm
tired, my dear" he said. 'Shall we sit
downy' Ii was surely true that he was
tired2 lie seemed hardly able to lift one
foot after the other; Kitty pitled him. II
think you must be ill.," she said, as they
took their places, side by side, on the bench.
"No; not III. Only weary, and perhaps a
little afraid Of frightening you" He kept
her hand in his hand, and patted 1t from
time to time. MY dear. why did you say
POOR papa when you spoke of your father
just now?'
my father is dead, sir"
He turned his face away from her, and
pressed both hands on his breast, as il he felt
some dreadful pain there and was trying TO
hide it. But he mastered the pain; and he
said q strange thing to her-yery gently. but
still il was strange. He wished TO know
who had told her that her father was dead.
"Grandmamma told me-"
DO y remember what grandm3mma
said?'
"Yes-she told me papa was drowned at
sea-"
He said something to himself. and aid Ii
twice over. Not her mother! Thank Cad,
not her motherw What did he meant?
Kitty looked and looked at bin, and won-
dered and wondered. lie put his arm round
her. Come near to me-" he said. Don't
be afraid OF me, my dear" She moved
nearer, and showed him that she was not
afraid. The poor man seemed hardly 10 un-
derstand her. His eyes grew dim; he sigh
Cd Ike . person In distress: he said: Your
father wonld have kissed you, little one, If
he had been alive. You say / am like your
father. May l kiss your
She put her hands on his shoulder, aud
lifted her face to him. In the instant when
he kissed her the child knew him Her
heart beat suddenly with an o~verpowering
delight; she started back from his embrace.
THAT'S how papa used to kiss me p she
cried. 'Ohl you are papa! Not drowned
not drowned!" She flung her arms round
his neck and held him as il she would never
let go again. Dear papa! Poor, lost pa
pap His tears fell on her face; he sobbed
over her. my sweet darling! My own lit
tie Kiftyr'
The hysterical passion that had overcome
her father filed her with piteous surprise.
How strange, how dreadful, that he should
cry-that he should be so sorry when she
was so glad! She took her little handker.
chief out OF the pocket Of her pinafore> and
dried his eyes, Are you thinking of the
cruel sea, papaq mol the good sea, the kind,
bright, beautiful sea that has given you back
to me and to mamma-w
They had forgotten her motheri and Kitty
only discovered 1t now. She caught at Que
Of her fathers hands hanging helpless at his
side. With sparkling eyes, with flushed
cheeks, she pulled at his hand as II her littlc
strength could force him TO his feet Come"
she cried, '%nd make mamma as happy as ]
amp
lie hesitatsd. She spang on his knee; she
pressed her cheek against his check with tho
carcssing tenderness familiar to him In the
first happy days when abe was an infant
sOh, papa, are you going to be unkind TO me
for the first time In your lifcy'
His momentary resistance was at an end.
He was . weak In her hands now a II he
had been the child and she had been the
man,
Laughing and sinsing and dancing round
him. Kitty led the way 10 TIE window Of the
room that opened on the garden. Some one
had closed Il on the inner side. She tapped
impatiently on the glA~r Her mother heard
tho tapping; her mother came b the win
dow,
Aud they cav each other asainl Since re /