Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1899-05-18

its pretty girls. The fact that she was
is and was 40 may have intensiiied
her beauty to me, for can remember
now that on one or two occasions
came very nearly marking three or four
persons Off my list of acQuaintances
because they had spoken rather slight
ingly of my taste In feminine beauty.
AS have stated was 40 and Kitty |
was twenty-five years younger, but
what Is little thing like time In the
consideration Of a matter when lasts
for eternity, as love surely doesF Not
that | was In love with Miss Clarke,
but held her In such lofty esteem
that love itself could not have been
very great Improvement upon the con-
dltlon OF my feelings. AS FOR her
beauty, must confess that masculine
eyes 40 years old are possibly some
what more susceptible to feminine
beauty aged Is than would be true OF
the reverse proposition.
had known Kitty about year, ana
being rich, as wealth Is computed In
towns the size of Brandon, and Kitty
being poor, as poverty Is computed al
most anywhere, l was received with
more enthusiasm perhaps than might
have otherwise obtained. Even then
there were times when have seen
Kitty smile on nephew OF mine, who
was my cashier, In fashion which
forced me to wonder IL she would have
done so had he been 40 and rich, In
stead of 25 and nearly as poor as she
was. But l did not permit tritles or
that sort to worry me long, for felt
with the sublime faith of u man In my
position that when l was ready to ask
Kitty to be mine, Kitty was going to
be ready and waiting to answer affirm-
atively.
There was not another girl In Bran
don who wouldn't have been glad OF
Kitty's opportunities, and why not
Kitty?
"Why not, IndeedT" chuckled. well
satisfied with myself; and went about
my affairs whistling with much con-
tent.
On such occasions my nephew was
wont to look up from his desk as
passed along. but he would say noth'
ing.
| Next after Kitty my most particular
admiration was the widow Price, hel
aunt, with whom she lived, and In con
junction with whom she taught sinai
private school. whereby they managed
to exc out fairly comfortable exist
, ence In a community where existence
came cheaply.
c Many is the time have intimated t
: aunt Price that some day life would b'
: easier for her, all on account OF Kitty
c and 1t was only necessary that sh'
:, walt a little longer with the same beau
{ tiful patience which had characterize
her life even when the shadows wer
heaviest. Then / felt an oveTwhelm
ing desire to put my arms around he
!; plump and pretty waist and let her res
. her tired head on the bosom OF her dc
voted nephew-in-law-to-be but l a.
e ways restrained myself, though ther
;' were times when there were tears !
her eyes, and have observed tina
y when women weep they weep NOR
10 satisfactorily II they have a mani
bosom to sob their sorrows out upon.
y incidentally might say that Kitty
l. chaperon was dozen or more year
older than her charming niece an
~ showed very plainly In every line
her face and graceful curve of her III
ure where Kitty got her beauty, an
a this was comfort to me, for ! wa
fairly possessed Of good looks, as ha
been my father and mother before m
and their brothers and sisters. SO thi
had an ancestral predIsposltlon
hereditary traits along the beauty line
as 1t were.
One evening called upon Kit
Iia with my mind fully made up that
would propose to her on that oceasio
as had been growing more and mo
frequent about the Price cottage, or
peoDle would soon begin to talk Ope
ID; ly, as they had already begun to Will
per. Dick, my nephew, was the
when arrived, but as he had been the
many times previously and alwa
ID; obediently arose and departed when b
uncle came, I gave the matter
eei thought and cheerlly told the boy
ne, might take my trap and go driving wi
D. some OF his friends, as l would wa
home. When the front door closed al
shortly thereafter we heard the mol
"a Of wheels dying away down the sire
m | thought saw look Of pain In X
tvs face, but I did not speak Of
24i That trap would be hers In Il
months, and then the dear girl wot
on, never have to sit at home for lack
her own vehicle.
ooi For an hour or more talked to X
dS' ty much as I had done on other eve
'm' ings. and then asked her TO be !
ui' wife.
-, I waited moment when had ask
this important question and was s
-, prised that Kitty did not throw hers
~. In my arms, or. at least, with
blush, walt for me to take her the
On the contrary, she began to cry, a
asking me to excuse her, she went
M, Of the room.
IL do not know that any man v
reads this story has ever asked We
an to marry him, and then have
Nv walk out and leave him sitting all
,,,tth bto thou0htg TO him | need