The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-10-02


ents wrote asking advice on family
matters, and S'nphen gave them the
best counsel he had to bestow One
morning in his last week of the work,
when he was halfway through the
pile Of letters, he was somewhat star
tied 70 find one addressed In Kitty
stanheld's rather remarkable caligra-
ply.
What advice can Kitty be in want
off, he said to himself, as he held up
the envelope, with a tender smile.
Dear little woman! How she will
laugh when / tell her that / was the
editor who gave her directions as to
where a home might be found for Rosy
Brown or little Joe Smith"
He opened the letter and read It
through slowly, as If he had difficulty
In grasping its meaning Gradually
look that could not have been pro-
duced by anxiety regarding the vari-
Gus waits and strays in whom Kitty
stanfield took such interest, crept into
his eyes. When he reached the con-
clusion of the letter he read it over
once again before he dropped 1t with
a cry Of "Oh, Kitty, Kitty"
The letter was a short one, but It
was sufficiently explicit to the man
who was Katherine Stanfeld's accept
ed lover. II ran:
Dear Mr.. Editor-A year ago I be-
came engaged to a young man, suita-
BILE in every way, whom | thought I
loved, and who certainly loved and
loves me, but since then I have met
another person whom | know | love.
What am l to do? If / break my en-
gagement l shall vex friends that I
have every reason to love, besides
hurting the gentleman's feelings Sc
verely, and if keep it shall marry
him with my whole heart belonging
to another. Please advise. Kitty"
He remained with his head buried
in his hands till the striking of clock
in the room aroused him.
Il can do no more today" he said,
rising to his feet then placing the let
ters in a desk, he prepared to leave
the office.
Kitty Stanfeld's parents had died
while she was but a baby. Robert
Stanfeld had little to bequeath to his
daughter, bat fortunately Reginald
Dighton, who had been his friend from
boyhood, came forward to assure the
dying man that Kitty would be as dear
to him as his own boy. Robert Stan
field had died contented and happy,
and Kitty had been brought to Dlgh-
ton Hall, to tyranniZe and reign over
every one, particularly Stephen, whose
love had grown with each year, till at
last he knew that of all women Kitty
was the one for him.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Dighton smiled
on his woCing and were well pleased
at the announcement of an engagement
between the pair.
Married." Kitty had calculated in
Mortified accents to her lover. NO.
Master Stephen, not for years and
years! Fancy you and l as two steady
sober, uninteresting, married people!
Oh, no, no-we're over young to marry,
yet, and, I may add, too foolish"
The vision of Kitty as she had said
these words came back to Stephen as
he walked quickly toward the open
country He saw the girl standing be-
fore him, with her brown hands full
of flowers that she had just gathered
her slight, childish figure drawn up in
vigorous protest, her blue eyes smiling
saucily into his. He fancied he could
hear the tones of her voice as she con-
tinued:
III you are very good, and if don't
change my mind, which may III
marry you when l reach the mature
age Of 81, and not a moment before!"
and then she had fitted away up the
terrace steps, carolling like bird.
"She was only child and did not
know her own mind" he said to him
self After the first feeling of anger
had passed away he began to think
how the engagement might be broken.
OF course, the friends she referred to
were his father and mother.
Poor little thing! She does love
him, and is quite capable of sacrificing
herself to please them. But that must
not be! 1t was-lucky"- hesitated
over the word-"well suppose it was
, lucky that l should be in Liscombe' 8
place, OF l might not have known till
= too late. Oh, Kitty, Kitty, wonder
: If you realize how much care for
} you!"
Having spent the day in aimless