Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-03-17

the sake of her who awaited
there. Then he thought of what
would come to Chonita, the child
Widowed him so, after he was
gone; for leave her he must, and
his soul out within him against,
not SO much what he had done,
as what he was about to do.
One evening he sat before the
fire in his quarters, engaged in
looking over the weekly mail,
while .Chonita rested at his feet
cuddled in little heap in the
warmth, and with her head pill
lowed against his knee.
"Chonita, dear, | must leave
you. | am going to my home. "
She started wildly and sprang
to her feet, Her heart beat
wildly and into her great dark
eyes came u wild strange look.
"lou are going toto hertz she
cried, throwing her arm violently
toward the photograph. "You
are going to the woman who
wrote you this-no?' and she
tore the sheet across and threw
it from her. "No.but you shall
not go.' she continued. "She
has no right to you. You are
mine-mine!' Majestically she
stood casing athim FOR an instant;
then the little figure forgot its
queenly bearing and dropped
wearily-fell at his feet, sobbing
out tenderly; "Ah say it is not
you! You are all | have to love
all | haven
He touched one little hand
that rested on his knee. "Poor
little thing" he said. Poor
little thingN'
She lay at his feet, her whole
body quivering.
He could not bear to see her
suffer SO. He pitied her and he
thought: Why not lie to her;
why not let her believe that he
would return? Yes, why not?
1t would make it easy for her
now, and in time she would learn
to forget. He lifted her gently
up and folded her in his arms.
"Chonita, The said, II will come
back to you dear. | must go,
but it is only for little while
a few months. You can wait for
me with your father at the rancho
only a few months, sweet
heart"
She drew herself from his arms
and sat on his knee, her dark eyes
watching the fire very softly.
Suddenly she turned and gazed
at him for a long while, then said,
slowly:
"You are not going to her, and
you will return to me?"
He said: 81 am not going to
her, and | will return to YOU"
She looked into his eyes, and
seemed to doubt. After awhile
she arose, and, taking the photo
graph from the shelf, she brought
it to him, saying:
TEAR it and throw it in the
fre-no?"
He hesitated an instant, then
arose. The hot blood came to
his face then because he pitied
her, he made the sacrifice
and she believed.
A few days later he left the
mine, and, sending his servants
on with the pack-train toward
Guadalupely Calvo, he took
Chonita to her fathers home.
With Juan he made his peace
more pesos than the old man had
ever hoped to possess, but that he
told him, as he had told Chonita,
that he would return.
The following morning, when
all was ready for his departure,
and at the last moment he went
to where Chonita sat weeping in
the doorway and took her hand
and drew her to him.
" Pobrecito," he said, "poor
little thing, you are only d child.
Would to God we had never met!
Poor little hearth
She turned her face to his
shoulder and buried it against
his neck, sobbing gently. He
wound his arms about her and
held her close to him. He let
her cry for a while, then he drew
her face close to his. He kissed