The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-09


and would be 50 glad if dear aunt ae
would excuse her
Il am awfully tired, Auntie.n she said
Il hope every body won't think am
very rude. No, Leonard, you
really mustn't come with me It is only
a run across the orchard, and can SUP
through the side gate in the kitchen
garden ana be in the house in five min
utes."
Melinda crossed the room to me. and
held out her hand. Her face was al
most as white as her dress, and when I
took her hand I found that it was burn
ing.
Good night" she said, and I noticed
that for once she had forgotten the II
resistible snnile5 'I-suppose you won't be
going yet %
She spoke in a low voice. and I star
ed Surely she didn't mean-
Il am going by the gate in the or
eyes on the ground; and I was speech
less.
You ought to know it" she said
rather sadly.
could not be possible that she meant to
ask me to meet her there Even A1elin !
da could mot behave 50 badly 50 very
soon. And then I remember
ed the letters. OF course she only want
ed to make another attempt to regain
that telltale packet.
l let her hand fall had forgotten
for the moment that 1 was holding it.
Yes, 1 said, F ought to know i'll
did once. But have forgotten it now
Perhaps Leonard Crewe knows it better
You might ask him.
Again those violet eyes filed with
tears.
How can you be so unkindl" she
whispered %CsOod night Then you
won't be going for a long time yet,
suppose
Probably not I said calmly; and
with a last glance of wistful appeal
Melinda went into the hall, to be care
1uliy cloaked by the devoted Leonard
l heard his boiSterOus voice for at least
nVe minutes begging to be allowed to
take her home; but as usual Melinda
tTiumphed, for he came back presently
with glum look on his jolly face.
Melinda seems pretty well knocked
up" he remarked gloomi1y.
She hasn't looked at all well the last
week on two" said the rector TT m
afraid the poor child has rather a tough
time of it at hone'
My heart pricked me. Perhaps I hal
been too harsh. Melinda had behaved
very badly to me-she was an incon-
slant and mercenary little firt-but, ali
the same. 4 loved her better than anv
one else in the world, and would have
done anything to prevent her from be-
ing really unhappy.
Come and have a game of solo, said
the rector.
We played a hand or two, but my
thoughts We're not on the Cd ne. Was it
kfCI-A-@-t
at the gate2 I felt that at all costs I
must go and see
I'm afraid you must excuse me-"
said 4 have letter which simply must
go by the 10 o'clock post I will come in
again for an hour, if you viii allow me,
when I have posted it,
So I left them, and they settled down
happily TO three handed nap-LeOnard
liked nap better than sOlo-and slipped
through the orchard to the lane at the
other end, which I knew so we'll. There
was a little old worm eaten gate in the
lane, leading into the kitchen garden of
Melinda's home, and this was where
half hoped, half feared to find her
When found that she was not there,
was ashamed TO own that I felt little
pang Of d1sappOlntment had spent
many pleasant half hours with Melinda
at that gate. I felt almost sentimental
and a tender parting scene in the proper
stage manner would have been, in my
present frame Of mind, rather pleasant
than otherwise. 1 turned with q sigh
to go home.
1T was too good to last told myself
dolefully- Melinda is the most charm
ing person in the world, but i ought to
have known that pretty little mouth of
hers meant weakness and Inconsistency.
/ wish I had never gone away.
was a fool TO trust to her
promises What mercenary
beasts her people must bel Poor
little thingi No doubt she had an awful
lot to put up with / suppose might as
well be generous and burn those letters.
1t is all 1 car do for her now.
I will have a tragic bonfire of
all my hopes ard happiness in the sitting
room CRATE when get in, and say good
by to love for once and all.
I was staying in the end cottage of the
long red row which made UP the village,
and my sitting room was a pleasant lit
tie place, with a lattice window. I pull
ed up the blind and drew my basket
chair in the fading light.
Il might as well do the thing properly"
said glOomily, "and make myself thor
oughly miserable while / ara about it,
win read them all through before I
burn them there must be
quite a hundred I can't go back to the
rectory tonight They will forget all
about me if they are playing cards" 7
knew the rector, and i knew Leonard.
/ flung my hat viciously into corner,
1t was unlocked-nobody ever locks