The Opelousas courier., 1900-07-28

yD~. tiful robe mn and
down the room, and had looked at hel
reflection in the tall mirror, turning
her pretty head and posing with Q
childish delight.
s"Think of it, Kitty! Think of iti''
she had cried to the white.cat, watch.
ing her with lazy surprise from the
rug. ''He has been away two years!
dear old, honest, stupid, loving Bob!
and I wa SO poor when he went
away-so w~rerchedly poor and hard
working in that awful school. Why,
ae always saw me in shirt waists aud
skirts, Kitten! I never had a whole
dress-never! And now look OF this!
land my beautiful, beautiful home
and money enough TO make any num-
Der of people happy. / was almost
sorry that he had grown rich, Kitty
Cat, but what does it matter? He
liked me when I was poor-and shat
is the TEST, after oil. How glad he'll
below very glad"
And thought of it had set her mus.
ing, SO that she did not even hear the
bell when ne rang, did not know that
he was coming until he was standing
OF the door, big and strong and sun
burned, and holding out both hands.
She few TO him then, forgetting the
pretty home and the dress and all the
rest of it. There was such a flame in
her checks, such o shining delight in
her eyes that he might have been par.
dohed it he had kissed her. Her face
was uplifted-there was a tremulous
smile on her lips. He might SO easily
have kissed her, for old times sake if
for nothing else, and because they had
been companions and chums in pow
erty and misfortune. But he did NOT.
He held her away from him by both
hands, instead, and looked over her
with astonished scrutiny.
Jupiter, Nelli-but you have come
outl' he cried. EFF I had met You
any where else Iwouldn't have known
you-on my word. Iwouldnt-espe-
cially in that dress. Inever saw you
wear anything like that" he added,
apologetically.
"Weil, OF course potin she replied,
gaily, giving him o seat d the fire.
and bringing her own chair opposite.
Fancy on underteacher of Madame
Iully's wearing crepe de chinoi But.
Oh. isn't pretty, Bob? Isn't every
thing pretty. And weren't o glad?n
Wasn't IL cried the man. cor
1T was just like q story. YOU
know. Do you remember how We
used TO pretend you and I were living
story, and that everything that hap
pened was part of it?"
A brighter color had famed nm into
The girls face. Bob paused o little
while to admire it, and to recall slowly
hat in tho old notwithstanding daysf
had been q little pale.
when it turned around that I had
o go out to the mines, You know.
leEfvent on. genially, swe talked IL
'Wk-do you remember that night?
lndgthen after a while we laughed be-.
'aus8 we Rcre only in q story. and
story was bound to come out
light, and no matter how bad things
ooked ! was dead sure to come back
2 Q year or two with loads of money!
Just IS ron have murmured the
1ri. She had turned her chair
round q little, and was looking ct
he fire.
Weren't we foolish youngsters?" j
@ asked. with honest amusement. I
y suppose we had to have a lot Of fun {
9 keep us from losing heart with all
bat confoundcd poverty and hard
INES. But il was you that got it up
mustn't forget that. I'd never 4
thought Of ii myself" :
TO pass away the time,n said the /
III. softly, with the freight making /
aickering CLEAN in her eyes. 3
oh. OF courseT' he responded. /
earthly. Tho only part OF it that 1 !
riglnatea was that I was to come
ack rich. aud after flat you wouldn't !
ave to teach, or to have any more d
ard tiiacs-anl--all tint, yon know" q
Her hands were III her Ian. and she {
not stir; but irsensibly her I'm i
ars frightened over ono another. ID :
eep from trembling. Ho did not see 4
. He was looking ather with amused Il
sminiacence id his eyes. (
II don't know when I'd ever
louglt Of our story before" he went i
Z. "until your letter came. six il
.onihs ago. telling about your Uncle /,
laldeinal ! death. aud how The home 3
ad tue fortune and everything lad i