Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1903-03-26
He stared at the letter in dazed

Il
me? She promised to give me her
decision
He broke the line of his thought
with sharp exclamation.
sI'ye solved the mystery he NUT
tered. '.Kate Conoyer is Rose Raj
ston. She is little fiirt and fam
cies that she's got even with me-"
lie closed his conjectures with
an expression which was near pro-
family.
"Aunt Rachel" he said, when he
had rejoined his aunt, 'Sdo yon know
that Miss Conover is Hose Raj
ston?"
'1mpossible!" exclaimed Mrs.
Cameron.
'But, aunt, she is"
"Did she say so"
"No. Do you think her coming
here was-was-planned"
"Why, no, Brice. 1t came about
by accident. She didn't know you
were here or that l am your aunt. i"
"You are sure of that?"
"Of course / am. What does she
say in the letter."
at isn't from her."
"Eh! Who, then?"
"Why did she masquerade here
under another name?" evaded Brice.
"Why should she masquerade any
where?"
"My dear boy, / can't answer
that" Mrs. Cameron said. 'T am
not convinced that she did"
"Well, it doesn't matter much
anyhow" Rutherford rejoined,
which was a bold falsehood, for he
knew that it mattered a good deal
to him.
A year later found Kate Conover
standing in grove in the Yellow
stone park. She was looking down
long vista of charming scenery,
her face bronzed, her form plump
and the blue in her eyes deeper and
sweeter than ever.
She heard footsteps behind her,
and on turning around beheld a
handsome, sun drowned tourist. A
second, and her face grew very red,
for the man was Brice Rutherford.
She had punished him, to be sure,
but she had also punished herself.
He relieved her of her embar-
rassment by offering his hand with
easy graeefulness.
''I'l now take your answer" he
said.
E'What answer.?" she asked, with
renewed bushes.
"This is September" he re-
minded.
"Ohp calculated she. $50 it is,
but I named last September. ] left
you my answer"
"But there wasn't anything in il
for me, or else / was too stupid to
see it. 1t may have implied
eyes, it implied" she interrupted,
with charming little laugh.
"Oh, bother that idiotic letter p
Brice cried.
"And your stumpy, romping,
freckled faced tomboy sweetheart,
Rose Ralston," added she, quoting
from the letter.
Il meant nothing by it, and I'm
sorry wrote it." replied Briee, get
ting red in the face I'm turn. 81
could not foresee that I'd after
ward meet Rose Ralston in Kate
Conover and fall in love with her.
You have two names, and you
should not be punctilious about as
suming a third. Mine is at your
service. Please give me the answer
YOU promised"
"Well, Brice," she said, her blue
eyes dancing with fun, 'T am not
able to recall the question with
much distinctness. If you will re-
peat it in the same attitude with the
same fervor and with the same wild,
waiting look in your eyes, perhaps
/ may be able"-
"Oh, l couldn't" interrupted
Brice, laughing. Zone such effort
in a lifetime is enough. / haven't
yet recovered the energy which /
expended on that occasion. You in
tend to accept me, but you are too
-too-modest to say soa ! will not
insist, you know"
"Oh. thank you," she replied. ~It
is a-great relief to me-"
And, as they were married be-
fore the close of the year, it is pre-
sumed that they reached an under.
standing at last.