The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-31
The Love That Never Died.

The Love That Never Died.
ut may be for years. and it may be
The childish lip quivered. the sweet
voice faltered and the dark eyes OF the
singer filed with bright tears
The moon shone softly down on the up
turned face of the girl, and revealed 10
the dark figure resting against rock
the sorrow she tried so hard to hide.
! The waves rose and fell with unceasing
motion, and seemed to echo the last sad
''Mayourneen, Mavourneen, that noated
out on the air.
at may be for years. and it may be
forever Kathleen, it will not be for
ever. Can't you trust me, Kathie? 1t
viii only be for a little while, and then
I VIII come back and claim my bride.
Won't you trust me?"
Yes; but there are fairer faces in your
home. You will forget me, and then,
Ned, cannot live" and the soft eyes
were fun Of passionate tears.
| 'Kathie, I cannot forget you'll And.
though there may be fairer girls over the
sea, there is none so dear to me as you.
1 will come back, Kathleen. and you must
trust me. Will you? VIII you promise
that when I come back I viii find my
| own bright Kathie waiting?"
| The promise was given, and the CULVER
ing mouth struggled bravely TO smile.
Last kisses were pressed on lip and
brow, and he was gone.
| Back to her quiet life she carried the
sweet knowledge of his love. and though
her heart was sad when she thought of
the many weary miles of land and waters
that lay between them, yet the letters
I'D love hat
the little home by the sea cheered and en-
couraged her.
And far away in herlo ver's old home
girl as fair and young as Kathleen was
| learning to love handsome Ned.
Edward Valare was not a bad man, and
called himself an honorable one; but he
| found it pleasant pastime to call the
bright bushes into his little cousins face;
and he had noticed her at first because
she had Kathleen's pretty way Of droop-
ing her long lashes and giving him such
| shy chances.
Then his proud mother told him Of cous-
| in Edna's broad lands and overlooking
Golfers.
| At first he would not think of It; but
| thoughts of the magnificent fortune that
would be his if Edna was his wife would
! rise despite his efforts.
He had been writing to Kathleen late
| one afternoon, and came out on the lawn
where Edna was with the letter in his
| hand
Cousin Nedr' she cried, 'I do believe
you have been writing to your sweetheart
! Tell the truth have your
She had left the rustic seat and was
| standing close at his side, trying TO catch
| a glimpse of the name on the envelope.
! GIVE it to me. You should have no Sc
| crets from your cousin" she said, laugh
/ ing and trying to gain possession of the
| letter.
| He caught her hands and held them
| close in his own, and something in his
eyes made her own drop, and the crimson
blood tinged over the fair brow.
Edna he said impulsively, II believe
| could love you If tried"
| The eyes were downcast no longer, but
were raised to his, fun Of eager light.
The little hands trembled violently; and
| fiattered by her emotion and unconcealed
! love, and forgetting everything but her
| beauty, he spoke words that could not
! be recalled.
When the summons came for tea he led
! his cousin to his mother. his affianced
| bride.
The letter he had written to Kathleen
to write another, breaking gently the
news of his desertion. But the sweet face
with the pleading dark eyes he had last
/ looked upon in the moonlight on that for
! eign beach would rise up before him. and,
| full of remorse and regret, he turned
from his task, bitterly repenting his
folly.
Weeks past, and Kathleen's eyes grew
weary with watching for the delayed let
/ ter.
81 told you the fine gentleman would
forget you and turn to some fairer lass.
and my words, We see. are true" was the
comfort her aged father gave her.
But the loving mother drew the throb-
! bling head to her bosom, and cheered her
with sweet words of comfort.
| The letter never came. But a newspa-
per came in its stead.
Kathie turned with a sickening dread
to the marriage notices. AS she read the
color faded slowly from her face and her
lips grew white and rigid.
Well she did not die. Death does not
| come for the wishing.
! Five years passed away and found Kath-
leen still maiden. 1t was her birthright,
and she had strolled down to the beach.
where the moon was shining soft and
bright, as it had done when, five years
before, he had left her standing there,
almost heart-broken.
She was living again in the olden time.
when firm, quick step aroused her from
the sad reverie.
! A well-known voice cried
''Kathiei Kathie! I have come baek!
| She turned a cold, stern face to the
newcomer, and her voice was as cold
as her white face as she said:
You have come back, Mr.. Valare, but
too late
For the love Of heaven, Kathie, do
! not tell me thatp
He caught her hands in his, he pleaded
with her but the rigid lines around her
| mouth were slow in relaxing.
Kathleen" he said again, II cannot
give you up. Edna's grave lies far away
and Edna's boy is waiting 10 call you
mother. I have wronged you in the past,
but let my devotion in the future atone
in part. VIII you come TO me?'
There were many silver threads In
the brown hair OF the man pleading so
piteously to be forgiven that told OF his
suffering And Kathie was only wo-
man. So the moon looked down the
same picture II saw five long years ago.
The PecuIirr sex.