The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-06-13


fore his people. Miss Dorothy knelt
with the others, but she heard no
word of the prayer In an instant
she had gone back over the years to
time long ago when the preachers
face. eager and boyish then, had been
close to her own, when his voice, low
and passionate, had pleaded with her
for goodby kiss! For this only,
when she would have given herself
to him for the asking. She heard
and saw and felt it all again.
wont you kiss me goodby, Dolly:
shall be gone such long time" She
remembered the little break in the
low voice.
Where had she found strength to
smile and shake her head?
81 thought you cared for me, Dolly.
Don't you?"
She had been able to laugh softly
| though her heart was breaking for
| love of him. He must declare himself
before she let him know. Perhaps
he was only amusing himself. Per-
haps he cared and dared not tell her
so. She wes so poor and he was am
bilious. 50 she laughed again and
said lightly: IF you are going to say
all that to the other girls you ought
to be going else you won't get
| around"
The look in his eyes went to her
Leart like knife, but he turned away
with the odd little smile that belonged
to him. "Pve told the others goodby
II you won't kiss me shall not car
to come back any more. Goodby.'
And he was gone.
This was the end of Miss Doro-
thy's romance, the last of the one
love story. A thousand times she
had been wiser, more tactful, clear.
err of vision. Had he loved her?
Something like prayer, wild and
| Uniformed, rose from her heart to
her dumb, quivering lips. Then she
rose with the others, calm, digni-
fled, beautiful woman with two sol
emn-eyed children clinging to her.
The preacher stood tall and hand
some before the people. His grave,
| steadfast eyes swept the sea of up
turned faces and stopped where the
| light from stained glass window
| fell upon woman whose eyes met
his steadily. Miss Dorothy held her
breath. The preachers face paled
to the Wilderness of his snowy sur
plice. Ben put up his dimpled hand
and drew Miss Dorothy's head down
that she might hear his repeated
whisper. The spell was broken. The
woman folded her arms about. the
child and turned her smiling face to
the pulpit. Ben wondered at the
heavy throbbing of her heart.
| People noticed a new quality in the
preachers voice. He had seemed
formal and distant. To-day he wa.
close to their hearts, a man among
men. The joyful felt a thrill of sym
pathy, the sorrowful were contented
Miss Dorothy's cool reason gave
way to a heart that sang for joy
She heard nothing of the sermon
Then her heart leapt, for a low. deeI
voice and extended hand stopped hel
at the end of the pew. 81 am glat
to see you," was what he said.
And Miss Dorothy, who had in hel
superior wisdom pitied the simpl,
girl she used to be, answered.:
Thank YOU" and nothing more, as
she drifted with the others down to
ward the door.
The terrific headache that followed
the church-going shut Miss Dorothy
in her room all day. Bess and Ben
tiptoed in and out and Katy suggest
ed remedies in vain.
Miss Dorothy went to the Office
| next day, but she worked listlessly
When the old man in the next desk
noticed il she laughed at his kind
questioning.
iii? No indeed. 1t is little OF
this find crisp air that l need. I'm
going out to the farthest, newest
park and listen to the swish of the
falling leaves and smell the ripened
woods and feel the Jingle of the late
evening air. shall get tired and
hungry and sleepy. and tomorrow
you will find me quite myself again
The park was still and sweet, like
the real country. A little pavilion
near the tiny station was already
atwinkle with light. A band hidden
away in one of it's corners tuned and
scraped promisingly. Miss Dorothy
had wandered away from all this to
the woods. She found rustic seat
beside the path where the music OF
the woods and the music of the band
met in soft, ,heart-breaking waves.
A step on the path set her heart
beating wildly. Was she never to
forget? But she looked up with cool
smiling eyes, for she was woman
now! "Why, it is you," she said in
friendly fashion. holding out
steady hand.
He stopped, confused for a mo.
ment, then the old glad light came
into his eyes. dolly! What are you
doing out here alone?"
| 1t was the old tone of authority
that used to bring the hot blood to
her cheeks. But tonight she was
strong. II was tired, and ran away
1t is odd, isn't It, that we found the
same placer"
81 don't know. Somehow il seems