Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-02-14

It is such men as you who accomplish
a high destiny. l have watched you,
Abraham Lincoln. and If / did not
feel and know that you are above
other men, I would never have trusted
myself to your companionship. But
my heart, Abe, my heart has gone
from me. 1t has followed the way of
all women's hearts and must follow
it's destiny. 1 love another, Abe"
Lincoln's head dropped upon his
breast and he was silent for some
moments At last raising his eyes he
looked down into her soul.
Ann Rutledge, you are truth
itself and I must believe you, but
your words are as bitter as death to
me. 1 feel helpless, Ann, and 1 des-
pair
Ann Rutledge looked at him earn
estly for a moment. She knew his
history; his struggles, his privations
and that he was self-made. Her
heart yearned toward him, but her
love was another's. Taking his great
hand between her two soft ones she
smiled, though a tear drop was glist-
ering on her eyelid.
BE a man, my friend; the wind
bloweth where it listeth, you taught
me that, and the thistle down of a
woman's heart is at it's beck. You
love me, Abe?"
Lincoln locked at her with SO pitt
full an expression mingled with en-
treaty, that she broke into tears.
81 understand you, my friend, and
though 1 cannot fathom the depth of a
mans love, yet judging from the af-
lection l have for another, l would
die if bereft of it. Do not think, my
friend, that 1 do not love you, for /
do, but not in the way you wish. If
l can not be that, must our hearts
be severed, or shall they stand upon
the same plane and be a mutual help
to each other? If aught fateful should
come to me, will send for you as the
only one 1 would care to confide in.
Will that comfort your
1T must, Ann, since there is no
other way, and though 1 pray that
nothing will ever bruise your heart
and make it bleed, am selfish enough
to feel a suspicion of hope that if it
will bring me to your side to be the
healing physician, it can come none
too soon.'
AIMS loving friendship somewhat
relieved Lincoln's despair. He knew
the man she loved, and suspected
that the lover would prove recreant.
This gave him hope which still further
took the weight from his heart. But
he did not know Ann Rutledge. She
was truth itself, as Lincoln had said,
and when her lover betrayed her, as
he did without conjunction, her
broken heart wrecked her frail body
and she gradually faded away into
the shadows. She sent for Lincoln
and he hurried to her bedside.
Little is known of this last earthly
interview between two hearts that
understood each other when too late.
Small glimpses of it were caught by
Lincoln's most intimate friend at
various periods of his after life, just
enough to show that the influence of
Ann Rutledge guided him always.
The friends of the dying girl left
the two alone, and it was then that
she, with the prescience Of the de-
parting, soothed and strengthened him
to bear the burdens that were to fall
upon his shoulders. There was still
ness for at least two hours. when loud
sobs and broken utterances called in
the family, who found the stricken
man holding the inanimate clay of
his beloved in his arms begging her
to return to him and not leave him
alone.
For many days after that, Lincoln
wandered about alone, moody and
misanthropic, sometimes working
himself into such a frenzy that his
friends watched him closely, fearing
that he would try to follow the girl
He refused to attend her funeral, pre-
ferring to wander in the forest
swinging his long arms and muttering
to himself.
BY and by he grew calm and less
mOrose, but there was always a cloud