The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-08-12

hide the happiness In them, then !
ma may confess that she loves you, better,
1T possible for anyone to love"
me Major sprank from his place be-
joyfully:
"Oh, my dear Miss Hetty, how dc
you know? Has she told you? Whom?
Tell me just what she said, 80 that !
may be the happiest, proudest man on
All tho light burned out of Miss
hopeless des pair. Then she asked:
she? Whop"
| "Why, Kittie Harper, OF course
| You surely know that / meant herP"
| Kittie Harper, the gayest little
black-eyed debutante that had danced
| that season and the foremost OF the
| ilattering cOquettes that had practiced
their budding Establishments on the
gallant old Major.
Yes, OF course, knew, but you sec
tlied Mt last, with u laugh that would
have wakend any moro sane man.
Then she wont frantically on In reply to
the unsuspicious mans eager ques-
! tions.
mo, she never really told me-but
but know when woman loves"
All this time the elated Major was
putting on his coat and gloves and at
last he asked, with return OF his old
time courtliness:
II want to thank you, Miss Hetty,
for you have done me the greatest
favor woman ever did man. it Ia old
fashioned now, | know, but both OF us
arc old enough to remember, are wo
not, hen a gentleman showed his re-
spect and homage to o lady by kissing
her hands?"
Without, q word she extended hor
poor, trembling little hand and he laid
his lips reverently to her cold fingers.
But sho co,lld keep in no longer, and
tho startled Major heard first stiflcd
sigh, then moan, and 1T last q great,
cruol sob rose to her palo, quivering
lips and Miss Hotty had betrayed her-
self.
Major Doano staggered back and his
face grow terribly whito.
"l beg your forgiveness a thousand
times, madam" he said ut last in
strange, low voice, ~ mover dreamed
until this instant
But Miss Hetty sat bolt upright in
her high-backed chair, clutching tho
carved lion heads on lts arms, and
raised to him her poor, hurt eyes, wild
with desperate appoal.
VIII you please go, Major Doanc?
And as for droamiug-you are mis-.
taken, for there Is nothing for to
dream" Then she roso from her deep
chair, still holding the lions heads till
her nails bit into the hard polish, and
said:
And plcase tell Kittie that Miss
Hetty sends hcr--hcr-blessing.
lie closed the door behind him as
1l 90 ,rl,
dead in the little brown cottage.
The fire In the shallow CRATE had
died to low, even glow when Miss
1letty finally stirred from the high
backed chair and took from its place
the dear little painting Of tho dead
owner OF the house which now shel
tered her. Propping it up on the low
table in front Of her, che SGT the vic.
lets beneath and then knelt down be.
fore 1t, bending her tired little head to
her quive"ing hands. The last embor
on the fire turned black, the light In
the rosy-shaded lamp burned lower
and lower and finally ilickered out
The servants up at the big house felt
no apprehension at the non-appearance
OF its mistress, as she had told them
she would spend the night with q
, friend further down the block. The
hours crept on, the storm wrecked the
little brown;cottage, and dawn revealed
the crooked old steps drifted high
with snow.
They found her that morning, with
the lin light falling icily on her tiny
gray face. just above was the canvas
with the other dead eyes and lips, but
there was no CLEAN like the morning.
glorie5 in the swoot, pathetic, fragran,
loneliness Of the violets against which
the silent woman's cheek rested.