The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-07-25
NUMBER GO.

1T stealthily. tiptoed back again, re-
sumed her seat and looked breathless
attention.
The English mother. fearing the sto-
ry might contain some slight touch un-
fit for the delicate ears OF her brood,
shooed it out of the room. closing the
other door on herself ana it
The old maid. closing her book.
crushed a wrinkled forefinger into it,
marking the place
1t was about three years ago. she
began. when 4 young man stopped at
this pepsion and, stayed three weeks
or-fours I've forgotten just whether it
WIS three weeks or -four. but anyway
IT was plenty long enough 10 DO the
hafm- And she was here. Che had
come only the day before He fell in
love with her and she with him-she
more in love with hin than he with
her. which is the way cf women
Sibyl gave Il toss Of her yellow head
with not quite all" she interrupted.
The old maid looked hard at her over
spectacles split half in two. the upper
half for viewing people and the lower
half for reading books.
''Umphr' said she and went on with
the story.
"All the world loves lover"-'She
got that out OF book whispered
Sibyl-"even old maids He was one
in a thousand. Just standing by
watching. you'd have thought he wor-
SHIPPED the very ground she walked on.
And sbe-weil- she was so happy her
| ha loo Oh
| on US. 1t gave sort of glow same as
that sunshine that's dangling through
the window now and fading the car
pet in streaks.
| Then he went away. Before he
went he said to her: I'm coming back
| in little wilhelm very little while
I'll come back by way of Geneva. over
the lake. You sit by the window there
and wait for me till come"
"And them
s'That was two years ago or three.
I've forgotten which. Two or three.
and she's done what he told her to do.
She's sat by that window watching
and waiting and watching and wait
ing. She stitches to fill in the time
Then. fortunately, people buy the
things she stitches. and SO she lives
People come and people CO. but she
sits there. always waiting and watch
ing and stitching"
She opened the book at the place Of
the crushed forefinger.
And that's the story" she finished.
commencing to read.
''But the boyr cried Sibyl "Who
was he? Where did he come from?
| Was he German Greek, Italian. Amer
lean or what:''
.He was an American" replied the
old maid somewhat impatiently. her
eyes en- the book
wide eyed
Prom what state?" she demanded
''Is there n state called Kentuckyyr
inquired the old maid
What a question, What ghastly ig-
norance, Our Kentucky, But you Of
ten find them like that abroad-often-
er than not Sometimes I really think
that there is positively no end to their
Ignorance"
IF there is. I believe that's the state
he came from. Yes. that was the name
Kentucky"
"Kentucky," gasped Sibyi That's
my state. And what was his namey-
His name was Payton.- answered
the old maid. Tom Payton. ! think it
was. from Harrcdsburg'
Sibyi again arose. She grasped my
arm She dragged me from the room.
through the hall. down one flight of
stairs. into her own room. where, clos
ing the door. she stood with her back
against it, l little way of, eontem-
plating her amazedly. wondering. if she
had mistaken me for some member OF
her family that she switched me about
after her in a fashion so imperiously
| regal.
''Tom Paytonr' she repeated. She
covered her FACET was a pretty face
| TT TIT M n