Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-02-16

want to meet men, to know them, be
cause, Dick, I want to be so sure O
my love for you that nothing cal
change it. Will you give me fv'
years? In the meantime we must SCI
each other but seldom, we must MAKE
people believe that we are but ordin
airy friends, that there is nothing be
tween us. We will make no promises
we will be bound by nothing, so tina
if you feel as you do now, you car
come to me at the end Of five years
and ask me to be your wife, just as i
you had never asked me before
"Dick did not speak for long
time. Finally he said, Kitty, YOU
are a sensible girl. I want you to bt
sure of yourself; to think of me as
do of you, but I cannot wait five years
I cannot live ard work as I should
without seeing you frequently.
might wait for short time, but fol
five years-fve years, Kitty-wil
break my hearth
est will be hard for you, Dick; il
will be hard for me, but it must be.
You will work hard. you will become
o famous writer, great novelist. You
will glory in your profession; the
years will soon pass, and, please God,
our hearts will be true to each other!
"'There is no doubt about mine,
Kitty-but five yearsp
"'Dick,' she said, tenderly, it must
be; it must be-
"'God bless you,' he cried. You
are breaking my heart
"Give me fresh cigar" said Raw.
Inns, as he settled himself more com
fortably in his chair. do you want
the rest of the story?"
/ SIS it me your asking?" queried
Delaney.
Gas much as the Others" said Raw,
Inns, laughing.
"Small good it will do them to
hear, the rapscallions," and Delaney
scowled at the circle, "but tell 'ern,
Rawlins, and it may teach 'em les
son. I'm going home"
~ envy you," said Rawlins, smil-
ing up at him.
"Rawlins," said Delaney, with
mock gravity, 81 thought you were
old enough to know better"
ooh, 60 on with the story" cried
Tomlinson, who was feeling easier.
"Well, Dick came close to the truth
when he said that waiting would
break his heart, for he gradually lost
all ambition. Not very energetic
or hopeful ran at any time, he grew
less and less so as the days heightened
into months and Kitty kept her re-
solve to see him but seldom. She,
with womans shrewdness, did not
want the town people to see them to-
gether. AS Dick saw less and less of
her his spirits fell; lie neglected his
work, and, moping his days away,
passed gradually out of our little
circle, away from the amusements.
that lot of us shared together, and in
very short time he lost all of his usual
attractiveness. At the end of a year
he had given up going to see Kitty,
because when he had chance to go
she had always arranged to have
number of young people there, and
Dick, WHO was longing for few
words alone with her, could never get
the opportunity. Then he lost his
position. 1t was some time before he
got another. He did not hold that
long, and drifted and shifted about
uutil he became positively seedyl
kitty knew of it, and asked some
of Dicks friends to cheer him up.
Those who tried were received coolly,
and to one Dick broke loose:
"'Don't you see, he cried, that
life is nothing to me? I cannot keep
up. I want to be near her all the
time
"But Kitty would not send him the
words that would have made man of
him. The five years passed and on
The very day that the time expired
Dick received q note from Kitty, ask
ng him to call. He went haggard
With the dreary years, careless as to
lress and appearance, not at all the
Dick of five years ago. Dimly he saw
1er as she had hidden him good-by.
She was not the same, perhaps lit
lie more radiant and with tinge of
warmth in her voice that he had not
Known before. Her hands chung to
lis strangely as she welcomed him,
md her eyes were dimmed with tears
IS she waited for him to speak.
"It is five years ago, Dick she
aid at last
"'Five years, said Dick"
"'And-you think-you feel that
Kitty ho said, and he took both
Ter hands and gazed deep into her
yes, ever since I told you so I have
lever ceased for as much as a moment
o love you with all my heart and
oul.'
"Oh, Dick she said. 4 am so glad.
,he:e were times when 1 doubted it;
7hen I looked forward to this night
nth fear, for L"
With fear, Kitty?" he asked, with
catch in his voice.
NsVoo door. for in tho five years