Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-05-23

She saw the fine, strong face beam
and he came to her, very close, it
seemed. to her, although she could
not have put out her hand and
touched him, and the soft lamplight
fell on his beautiful silver hair like
holy benediction. Immediately
her thoughts went back to that far
off day of long ago, when this same
hair was heavy and brown and he
had kissed her.
Then his voice recalled her to the
present and she heard him say:
"You can never know how glad
you have made me by saying that,
for there is no woman in the world
whose opinion I value more. Still
in all my doubt this winter I have
often feared that it would be wrong
for me to take unto me a wife I
have maybe only a very few years
yet to live he added, looking at her
appealngly. And again she answered
softly:
eve may hope that your years may
be many. Besides, even the few
years will be very dear toto your
wife,
He was standing back of her chair
felt it's touch on her hair.
do you Think he pleaded almost
in whisper, "that she loves me?"
do you love herr" came the reply,
with touch of coquetry never alb
sent from the feminine heart.
Better than all else in the world,''
came the brave rejoinder; ''better,
L sometimes think, than the world
to Gomez
"Then," and she closed her eyes
to hide the happiness in them, then
I may confess that she loves you,
better, far better than she ever be-
fore thought it possible for anyone
to love-
The major sprang from his place
behind her, and, selling her hands,
cried joyfully:
ooh, my dear Miss Hetty, how do
you know? Has she told you?
When? Tell me just what she said,
so that I may be the happiest, proud
est man on EARTH
All the light burned out of Miss
Hetty's face, leaving only the ashes
of hopeless despair. Then she asked:
'She? Who?''
why, Kittie Harper, of course.
You surely know that I meant her?'
Kittie Harper, the gayest little
| black-eyed debutante that had
| danced that season and the foremost
of the fattering coquettes that had
practiced their budding blandish-
ments on the gallant old major.
eyes, of course, I knew, but you
see I wanted to make you confess"
| she replied at last, with a laugh that
| would have wakened any more sane
| man. Then she went frantically on
| in reply to the unsuspicious mans
| eager questions.
mo, she never really told me-but
but 1 know when a woman loves"
All this time the elated major was
at last he asked, with a return of his
Old-time cOurtIineSS:
81 want to thank you, Miss Hetty,
| for you have done me the greatest
| favor woman ever did man. 1t is old
fashioned now, I know, but both of
US are old enough to remember, are
we not, when a gentleman showed
his respect and homage to a lady by
| kissing her hand?"
Without word she extended her
poor, trembling little hand and he
laid his lips reverently to her cold
| fingers. But she could keep in no
| longer, and the startled major heard
| first stif1ed sigh, then a moan, and
at last a great, cruel sob rose to her
pale, quivering lips and Miss Hetty
had betrayed herself.
Mai Doane staggered back and
his face grew terribly white.
81 beg your forgiveness a thou
sand times, madam he said at last
| in a strange, low voice, 81 never
dreamed until this instant"
| But Miss Hetty sat bolt upright in
her high-backed chair, clutching the
carved lion heads on it's arms, and
raised to him her poor, hurt eyes,
wild with desperate appeal.
evil you please go. Maj. Doane?
And as for dreaming-you are mis-
| taken; for there is nothing to
dream Then. she rose from her
deep chair, still holding the lions
heads till her nails bit into the hard
| polish, and said:
"And please tell-Kitty that Miss
Hetty sends her-her blessing
| He closed the door behind him as
| gently as thOuSh unere were some
| one dead in the little brown cottage.
The fire on the shallow CRATE had
died to a low, even glow when Miss
Hetty finally stirred from the high
backed chair and took from its place
the dear little painting of the dead
owner of the house which now shell
tered her. Propping it up on the
low table in front of her, she set the
| violets beneath, and then knelt be-