The Opelousas courier., 1904-05-14

her pSnsy eyesl We've sect her Q
msd-wild when a band played, an
I'uance and sing like an actress born t
it-aad then burst suddenly into sob
that no one could make out. Sh
couldn't understand her own self! An
to think Of him watching her day afte
day, holding his breath to throw a fe,
Violets through her window and max
q sort of ~romance of it-there, it wa
nigh hearttbreaking.
OPP dsight-one night-as we heard
it b.4Efbeen raining hard, and Joe stoo
&C yAiiing to himself under the cal
Shed. And she happened past, an,
Sfhe sound seemed to go right to he
rheart. She showed it by turning o.
him as fierce as anything.
"Stop that row. she says. Won
derful how it stopped the cough. too
you do it purposely for me to hear
You've had your chance and threw j
away!
Eyes, Kitty, I know" he says, very
quiet. 1T was you sent the mission
man round; don't think I've forgotten
| could have a free ticket for the sea
side home, with tons of grub ant
blankets, for the worst winter month
Go? No; not if he gave me the home
ITSELF he whispers, looking her in the
eyes for once. "Mayn't be so mucl
longer! When you've found n maj
that loves you and wants you more
then I'll give in. Till then let me &c
on hoping, and you sha'n't hear the
cough more'n I can help"
Queer words. when you come to
think what happened. We didn't guess
for weeks; we only heard whispers and
rumors But all of q sudden, down
flashed the news like lightning. Her
face had done it-that look in her
eyes-at last. And there it was.
chalked all yer the place, for poor
ice Arkell to see.
She'd been standing Que day. strok-
ing out the rose-leaves with her little
brown fingers. and a toff's cab curied
ronnd a corner and all but ran her
down. She jumped away startled, and
suppose he saw something in the
VIDE eyes that he'd been dreaming
OF all his life. Any way, he sprang ont
bought a rose-bought the bunch.
offered three times the price. And
next thing-yes. next thing wesheard
That his jewel ring had bought Kitty.
She'd flashed up like a star and left
rs all behind; she was his wife. by
license. It almost stunned us
,ot the moment. But there it was:
we'd lost u duchess-and poor Joe
Afkell had lost what he'd have put
his crippled body for twice over.
H. proved it.
s. = q
Yes, very likely you've seer in the
papers a picture Of the villa down at
smothered in some foreign
'reeper, and with a golden railing Ill
'ound it; maybe you read just what
happened. And if you couldn't under
tend it all, it's only because you never
'aw Kitty Lowell, or the chap who
owed her to that length.
she was there, queen of it all-vilia,
servants and grounds. I fancy / see
Ter sweeping through the mirrored
ooms and along them balconies, glanc-
nS back to e if her velvet train was
oming along with the correct twist,
nd them steel stars shining in her
igger-curls. Music. dancing; Chinese |
1nterns, and all the rest of it-for
maybe a month! And then 1 see her
gain, when the house is quiet, break |
own terrible and clench her fists as
he drops the smile like a mask, and
catches that black cloud creeping up
and over hand in the distance. Aye,
nd | can see something else; that pic
IRE of Joe Arkell, who'd found it all
ut, too, and was haunting the house.
-atching for the cloud to burst.
You've guessed? Shed given her
hole life and love to a man who was
a double part-a man who
ouidn't know one minute from an
Eher when a hand was going to nip
Ia shoulder from behind. Money!?
eS, heaps Of money and friends. when
OH can forge flash bank-notes and. do
her funny little things in Il locked
And one day, as we heard
fterwards, she found the key of the
'om, and found the key to his double
Re. But it was too late; she was his
ife. He only laughed when, loving
m so, she went down on her knees
say she'd give up all the money to
aep him straight. He might make a
esh start, if nothing happened, lie
.id-with the new year!
And the last day of December had
round-as near as that! There
to be a big party next day; the
onls were waiting to blaze up with
,hts, silver plate, and Eomen's eyes,;
e bells were ready to ring. And she
uldn't bear the last few hours Of sus-
'nse. Shed step out, always watch
. and listening, down to the gate and
It into the quiet roadway, whispering
her husband only to give up his
avs before it was too late. And of a
dden she saw Joe there, as he stood
der them big trees. It's certain he
yer meant to tell her what he knew,
rhaps hadn't eve meant to speak:
t he couldn't help himself. 5,
Kitty" he whispers. "One word!
II all the money you're not so happy
I'D come back? Only say it-.iust
ce."
md she half put out her hand, and
IN shiEereti and ran back as if he'd :
~ 4 ghost o. detective. And there /
2 stands in a sweat his brain hard {