The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-21
By BRUCE KENNEDY.

iau8nlng anu III a papinB FOiCc, sHAfihs to initiate his daughter. Nobody needs to plead for that young fellow" he said resuming his natural tones and with some enthusiasm. Hes a manly young chap. Just said he needed . position because his father had already spent too much money on him. reckon he's got most too much book sense to run a store, but I've got to get somebody to take it,
 The coming of Richard Kane to Ken- sington was not of ordinary interest to Mildred Holmes. She rsmembered him as quiet. peculiar son of family con nectioA of her father, family which possessed more pride than means. She had heard in disinterested way that Dick Kane. whom she had not seen in four years, had been honor man of his class, and she had inwardly reserved a note of surprise. In truth, Mildred Holmes had come to picture Dick Kane as a kind of mental and physical weak ling. whose moraie were just a shade too pronounced to suit the fancy of . mod ern young woman.
 It had not entered the head of Mildred Holmes that this serious-minded young man was to become a member of her household, and was to sit at table with her three times each day. If she had thought of these things she would have
  after years she looked back upon the days when he was at Kensington and numbered each of them as precious jewels in the basket of memory.
 The meeting between the young per- sons was prosaic. Dick Kane thought his cousin Mildred had grown deliciously pretty and his cousin Mildred reserved the mental opinion that would be lawfully jolly to have that big, hand some fellow about the house all of the time." What these two said was decid- edly uninterssting.
 The plantation store of Captain Holmes was long. low building at the edge of grove of fine old elms. which made Kensngton famous for its picturesque ness. The store was about one hundred yards distant from the "big house" Here Dick Kane piled his daily business. He sold the goods, kept the books and managed the store as if 1t had been his own. At the rear end of the building was his bed room. One window, a solitary opening. looked out upon a silvery stream whose waters swept around the hillside, sloping down to the elm grove. and mur- mured on into the deep meadow. Beyond the little creek, saplings and tangled green brush thiexened and shut out the broad fields of the Holmes plantation. The view was altogether pleasing to the artistic eye of Richard Kane.
 At first the young man spent evenings in his bedroom behind the store with his books. But a magnet later drew him to the library of Captain Holmes and Mill dred Holmes invariably invaded the li- brary when he was there examining the volumes. A conflict arising within him, Richard Kane assured himself that Mill dred Holmes was q pleasing picture, hn ad upon him much as the cat regards the | mouse before springing. She admitted that 1t was agreeable to have him there in the library often, even though his ideas were queer.
 Richard Kane did not 'ealize that a flood of passion had rushed into his life until he saw Mildred Holmes by the side of Howard Maddern, young lawyer of Nashville. one of merry party which had come to Kensington for week. A strange fire burned within Richard Kane when he saw them standing there in the | drawing room. A light in the eyes of Howard Maddern revealed something tc Richard Kane. His peculiar ardor made | him believe the light was reflected in the eyes of Mildred Holmes. A new feeling came to him. He had slept away the years and he understood.
 The house party had dissolved and Ken- sington was in midwinter. Richard Kane denied himself the happiness which he had found at the "big house" and tried to woo comfort and peace each evening in his den behind the store.
 Time came when the conflict between the impervious Richard Kane and the yielding penetrable Richard Kane was set- tied. Devotion to an ideal conquered and the impervious Richard Kane stallxed into the gloom defeated.
 Having resolved, Richard Kane went to Mildred Holmes.
 Mildred" he said, simply, T have surrendered; love you devotedly. You | are my ideal. Won't you marry me. lit-
 tie woman." This with a wealth of ten derness and honest candor.
 Then Richard Kane was dealt a blow | that tore his heart.
 Mildred Holmes laughed. It was a sill very laugh but 1t sounded to Richard Kane as irreverent and elfsh, as if it
 had come from the mouldering walls of I a mausoleum.
 Why. Dick" she said arehly, "you sur l prise me. And so I'm your ideal" she
 went on gayly, well. you know 'tis said that the most effectual way to shatter an ideal is to marry it."