The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-01-09
it etealthily. tiptoed back again. re
sumed her seat and looked GREATNESS

1t etealthily, tiptOed back again, re
sumed her seat and looked breathless
attention.
The English mother. fearing the sto-
ry might contain some slight touch I'M
fit for the delicate ears of her brood,
shooed it out of the room, closing the
other door on herself and it.
The old maid. closing her book.
crushed wrinkled forefinger into it,
marking the place.
ut was about three years ago." she
began. when Il young man stopped at
this pension and stayed three weeks
or four. I've forgotten just whether it
was three weeks or four. but anyway
It was plenty long enough to do the
harm. And she was here. She had
come only the day before. He fell in
love with her, and she with hnl-she
more in love with him than he with
her. which is the way of women.
Sibyl gave n toss of her yellow head.
with not quite ALL" she interrupted.
The old maid looked hard at her over
spectaclcs split half in two. the upper
half for viewing people and the lower
half for reading hooks.
"Umph!' said she and went on with
| fhc story.
"All the world loves lover''-"She
got that out of Il book whispered
| Sibyl-'even old maids. He was one
| in thousand. Just standing by
watching. you'd have thought he wor
SHIPPED the very ground she walked on.
And she-wcll. she was so happy her
happiness leaked over and spilled out
on u.s. 1t gave sort of glow same as
that sunshine that's dangling through
the window now and fading the car
pet in strcaks.
'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 GOMEZ"
"And them"
| "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 go. but she
sits there, always waiting and watch
ing and sttching.'
She opened the book ut the place OF
the crushed forefingcr.
"And that's the story" she finished
commencing to read.
"But the boy cried Sibyl. "Who
was he? Where did he come from:
Was he German, Greek, Italian. Amer
lean or WHAT?
"Hc was an American" replied the
old maid somewhat impatiently, hcl
eyes on the book.
Sihyl leaned forward. open mouthcd
wide eyed.
"t'rom what state"' she demanded.
as there state called Kentucky"
inquired the old maid.
What question! What CHASTITY *
norancc. Our Kentucky! But you Of
ten find them like that abroad-often
, or than not. Sometimes l really think
that there is positively no end to thei1
ignorance
IF there is, I believe that's the state
he came from. Yes, that was the name
kentucky
"Kentucky!" gasped Sibyl. That:
my state. And what was his name:"
Ills name was Payton,' answered
the old maid. tom Payton, think i
was, from Harrodsburg.'
Sibyl again arose. She grasped m.
arm. She ragged me from the room
through the hall. down one flight o
stairs, into her own room, where, clos
, ing the door, she stood with her bacl
against it. little way off, contem
, plating her amazedly, wondering If sh
had mistaken me for some member o
her family that she switched me abou
after her in fashion so imperiousl,
regal.
, ''Tom Payton"' she repeated. Sh
covered her facet was pretty fac