The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-02-15
.N DICK WON.
BY PERClVAL RIDSDALE.

|
without seeing you frequently. I
might wait for short time. but for
five years-hve years, kitty-will
break my heart!
"'It will be hard for you, Dick; it
will be hard for me, but it must be.
You will work hard, you will become
q 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 otherp
"'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
lins, as he settled himself more COM
fortably in his chair. "Do you want
the rest of the story?"
"Is it me your asking?" queried
Delaney.
"As much as the others" said Raw
Inns, laughing.
"Small good it will do them to
hear, the rapscallions, aud Delaney
scowled at the circle, "but tell 'ern,
Rawlins, and it may teach 'em les
son. I'm going home.
II envy you" said Rawlins, smil-
ing up at him.
"'Rawlins." said Delaney, with
mock gravity, 81 thought you were
old enough to know better"
"Oh, go 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 gra 'ually lost
all ambition. Not very energetic
or hopeful nan 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 woman's shrewdness, did not
want the town people to see them to-
gether. AS Dick saw less and less of
her his spirits fell; he 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 year
he had given up gong to see Kitty,
because when he had chance to go
she had always arranged to have n
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, aud 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? / cannot keep
up. l 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 note from Kitty, ask
ing him to call. He went haggard
with the dreary years, careless rs to
dress and appearance, not at oil the
Dick OF five years ago. Dimly he saw
her as she had hidden him good.by
She was not the same, perhaps lit
tie more radiant and with a tinge of
warmth in her voice that he had not
known before. Her hands chung to
his strangely as she welcomed him,
and her eyes were dimmed with tears
| abo Waited for hin, IN u,naoE
" 1t is five years ago, Dick she
said at last. 4"
"'Five years, said Dick"
'And-you think-you feel that
you---'
"Kitty, he said, and he took both
her hands and gazed deep into her
eyes, ever since / told you so l have
never ceased for as much as a moment
to love you with all my heart and
soul
O." Oh, Dick, she said, Il am so glad.
There were times when doubted it;
when looked forward to this night
with fear, for u"
"'With fear, Kitty" he asked, with
catch in his voice.
les, dear; lof Ill Ine uVe years
that have passed have found myself,
and that l can love only you. / did
not know then, bnt it has not taken
me five years to find it out.
"'Kitty, dear Kitty. Wait; want
to tell you something tirst--some ething.
How love you! But Kitty, cannot
say what expected to say when
when this time came. How 1 have
waited for this, how have longed for
it. At first with longing that nearly
drove me wild. / lost hope, ambition
everything except love and-and-I
oh, Kitty, am not much OF a man
not to have borne the waiting and the
pain, as man should bear up under
the trials of life. am not worthy of
you. You see what ana wreck
a pitiful wreck. Five years ago, dear,
1 should have been strong, had you
married me. could have won my
way in the world; but, why talk OF
this? 1 am not worthy OF you.
Dick she cried wildly, Dick,
you do not know what you are saying;
you cannot mean it. After all these
years of waiting. after all these years,
for me as we'll as you--oh, you cannot
mean it,. Her face was very white.
'He put her away from him gently.
It's too late, DEAR, he said tenderly.