Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-05-07
81 amt going home" said he.

II amt going home" said he.
Look here, old chap" said Graves.
Don't you think you're paying that
girl too high compliment altogether?
No woman in the world is worth a
mans life, and that's what you're Civ
ing in this case"
do you say shall die?"
eyes, if you stop here" For the life
of him Graves could not keep his voice
quite steady, and afterwards he ad-
mited that he had never felt so helpless
or so lonely in his life as he did at this
time.
"Well, then, I'd just as soon,' said
the invalid, tenacious of his one idea.
Graves jumped up and went out of
the room. For the life of him he could
not have spoken at that moment. He
went out on the veranda and winked
the scalding tears back from his eyes,
and swOre little under his breath,
and then he took a resolve. 1t was
that he would write again to Lady
Kiddersleigh. And so, that same even
ing, he did, laying bare his whole idea
efforts to persuade her son to go home
Il am breaking sacred confidence"
he wrote in conclusion, "but 1 am sure
it Is the only thing to do, the only way
in which can serve him. Dear Lady
Nddersleigh, the bottom of it all is
some grill don't know her name, but
he told me she was in love with an
other man, and he came out here to be
out of the way. He never told me her
name, but last night, when he was thor
oughly off his head-which he is most
nights-he kept calling 'Tita-Tita'
From what he told me she must be
married by this time, but think if you
were to send out the papers with the
accounts of it he would feel that it
was really over, and resign himself to
the inevitable"
1t was exactly three weeks after
Graves had planned his second epistle
to Lady Kiddersleigh that he received
a telegram from home. Coming at
once, Julia Kiddersleigh," it said, and
Graves showed it into his pocket with
a long breath of intense relief, know
ing that whether his friend lived or
died he had done the right thing, and
could never be reproached with having
unduly kept his people in the dark
At last he went to meet the train
which would bring her, and stood there
scanning the different carriages with
eager eyes. Yes; there she was, a tall,
slight woman; nay, very young looking
to be the mother Of big fellow like
kiddersleigh, and with her was a very
smart-looking maid and a courier.
Graves went forward. Lady Kid
dersleigh knew him by instinct and
came forward, too. "You are Mr..
.Graves?" she said. 81 can never, never
thank you enough. How is hep
Every ill, but not worse than the last
few days." he replied. I'm so glad
you've come, Lady Kiddersleigh. You'll
do him more good than anyone"
Lady Kiddersleigh smiled. 4 don't
know about that" she said. 81 fancy
my niece here will do more than any of
us. Mr.. Graves, this is Tita, about
whom you wrote to me, otherwise Miss
Vallence."
Miss Vallence blushed a fine scarlet
color as she returned Graves bow.
you have come none too soon," he
said, gravely. "Shall 1 take you to the
carriage now, Lady Kiddersleigh?
She put her hand upon his arm in
stantly. eve had journey and a
half, Mr.. Graves" she whispered rap
idly. There's been a mistake-she
adores Kiddersleigh, always has done.
She has almost broken her heart
and Oh, yes," with a quick change
of tone, sit will be nice to be settled
down for few days. It's horrid
Journey
They only uttered commonplaces as
they drove toward the bungalow which
kiddersleigh and Graves shared.
'Fd better go and prepare him." said
Graves, as he helped them to alight.
He found Kiddersleigh lying in his
long chair, staring blankly at the cell
ing. He was not smoking, for he was
too ill to care for his pipe any longer
Graves heart smote him as he noted
the sharp outlines of temple and wrist.
''Old chap" he said in a voice that,
try as he would, he could not make an
ordinary one, don't be startled Your
mothers come to see you"
"My mother! Did you send for her?
Am u
"Old chap" said Graves, 81 don't
want you to croak without making an
effort to straighten things out a bit.
She's come, too. There's been a big
mistake somewhere"
But the girl Tita waited no longer,
there was rush of light feet, sob
and a choking kind of laugh, and she
was down on her knees beside the
long chair. "Keddie! Keddier she
cried. "I've almost broken my heart!'
"But the other Johnnie?" he asked.
"There wasn't another Johnnie" she
cried, the tears running down her face
and almost drowning the smiles in her
eyes. I don't know what you mean,
Keddie. There never was any one but
you"
Tiffany Titav' he murmured; and
then he quietly tainted away. Then,
when they had brought him round
again, he said with a weak chuckle:
Don't let Tita go. 1 want my revenge
on the other Johnnie. st. Louis Star.
Burdette's Idea of Hospitality.
Robert Burdette once said: 81 do not
90 to nv friends house for the meal ba