Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-01-12


asked Katherine, surprised.
We will not talk of home" was the
reply, uttered sadly. No; you are the
| first person in all the worlu who mas
ever saiu to me, / love you
Il am glad, yet sorry" said the Eng
/ fish girl, slowly,
| \ strange light came over Veronica g
face; her eyes darkened. culver
I passed over her lips.
| yes. you are the first" she said;
/ and because in all my life you have
! been the first to say to me, ! love you,
swear fealty to you; | will be true to
| you until death; | will be a friend more
| than in name. If the time should
ever come when by laying down my
! life. can save yours, ! Will do 1t. II
| the time should ever come when ] can
| take trouble from you, or by suf-
fering myself, save you from suffering
| will do 1t or undergo ii"
Katherine was touched by the earn
est, passionate words
How much you think of kind
words, Veronica she said, quietly.
"Ah, you do not know ! have been
all my long, solitary life without
them. For years heard but one voice,
and II never addressed me kindly. No
one in all this world has ever been
SO utterly alone
1T Is all ended now" said Kathe-
rine you have us to love you"
yes. It is ended" returned Yer
onica "Do you know, Caterina, that
could not believe the world was fair
or bright? 1t seemed to me impos-
sible | knew that the skies were
blue, and that the light of the sun was
all golden, but | did not understand
the glory and the loyeliness that
seems common TO you Once, long
ago, ! found an old book OF poems,
and | read them They We're all about
the beauty and passion and tenderness
Of life | thought the man who wrote
them Alheri-was mad, now think
there was some method in his mad
ness DO You know, Katherina-I like
to give you the soft italian name--that
for long years ! have never had but
one thought, and that was how soon
Heaven would let me die2"
Katherine caressed the dark, shin
ing waves Of hair
such thoughts as those have
brought all those mystical shadows
into your eyes Veronica we must
| have no more OF them she said
Even my name" remarked the
1 girl has sad kind of music In 1t.
/ And SO you love me. Katherine? Tell
me what to do for you how to thank
/ you, how to serve you. ! will see
with your eyes, | will hear with your
ears | shall 90 to sleep happy
shall wake up happy thinking to
myself that some one deems me beauti-
I full and that some one loves me. You
have frightened all my life for me by
! your goodness
Il do not think II Is goodness, %
said Katherine; with me IL is simply
( that | cannot help t.
1T might have been different" re-
/ joined Veronica. You might have
| been angry and yeXed that a stranger
should como into your home the very
| heart of your home, as it We're, you
might have received me coolly, treated
me unkiudly, laughed at me even, be-
cause of my strange dress and strange
manners. but YOU have been m angel
/ Of goodness 10 me For that | will
I give you my life should you need It,
my service always, my life if YOU will
| take it, my heart always
DO YOU know Katherine she con
Unued that once oh long ago II
was arranging an old wardrobe for my
aunt and saw little parcel OF white
paper? opened it and inside It lay
/ long trcss OF shining golden hair
So much like yours I was almost
/ frightened at IL. for it seemed 10 Irvine
round my fingers as though II were
living took 1t TO my aunt and
showed &c to her she grew SO angry
4 Whenever you sec hair like that, she
said always pray that England may
hu ruined by its own gold. by the greed
of It's sons aud the folly OF it's daugh-
Jyrs Ner words come back to my
mind nov as I hold this golden hair IN
my hands,
"rhey were very horrible words
ana your aunt must have been e
wicked woman Co utter them WHAT
harm had the English done herr"
Il cannot ten. but she hated them
She WAS angry that wished 90 learn
English hut I wuuld II was strange
. th1f whom ahn h4f,3 BE- should l,y-g