Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-02-27

n Wnen I'm asked about our
TC< Kitty. We knew her, and
we knew the chap that put
down his life to save the man she
loved; and it wants forgetting. Pretty,
was she? Well, you must think of a
girl that stepped rs proud as queen,
with laugh like some peal o. bells
just starting; with real black hair, all
In them little clinging nigger-curls that
never want brushing; hands and face
brown as berries; and them velvety
eyes that look at you without seeing
soft as pansies one moment and fash
ing fire the next, That was kitty.
D'yOu wonder why every one was
calling poor Joe Arkel mad mug
from the very beginning?
l was standing nj this very spot,
moment, / can see her come floating
round that corner there, with her head
high, and her Sunday dress done up
carefully in newspaper. Not a min
ute later, while we We're staring at one
apparitiOn, we saw another. Round
the same corner, stealthy like, his
crutch going klippety-klop, painted this
Joe Arkell. And she seemed to guess,
and flashed rounl. and pointed.
Thought SOL she says. st won't
do. You can cut back, and keep
therew
And he looked at her. his mouth
twitching up queer and his shaking
hand out, till we all burst out laugh.
Ing. And that girl, she swung round,
with clenched fists, and gave us a look.
Just one look; but it stopped the laugh
and set the place talking.
Inside twenty-four hours the other
girls were that mad jealous and mys-
titled they could have torn her curls
out; but there was just that funny lit
tie stand back" about her that
seemed to say she was somehow cut
ct for different destiny. She had II
p1lling way Of turning round slow
OH y just looking at you--yon know
Pthout telling If you've seen al, no
eR. r u. III Barn;tru:s Live appetite
enwell because the houses dotiZens
way We're doomed at last So far,
well and good! But when we saw Joe
Afkelrs face we knew there was some
tr2GsVfsavu ss9emRi aRGwl e tasW With cKittY,
Kings Cross way? Then very likely
you've passed JOe-wedged between a
wheelbarrOw and 'tater-stall and his
stock was about dozen linncts in
cages. Some said he was consump-
tive, some said he was only in love,
and some said it was the iinnets sing
ing in his room all night that disturbed
his sleep and kept him so unnatural
white. Any way, that was the chap,
with one ankle twisted and face all
askew, that went dreaming he was 60
Ing to win Kitty, in the face of all the
likely men in London. Roar? Yes, we
did then. We don't now.
He'd given up smoking and drink
Ing, and was saving every ha'penny
quietly. Just because she'd looked at
him a few times, or spoken softly out
of pity for him, there he was down on
his knees, kissing the pavement she
walked. See? We knew it after
wards; the chap was all heart, like a
cabbage-his body hadn't grown prop
erly. Now listen!
She'd heard him cough. It seems,
and told him to see doctor man at
once.
"Oh, yes! Leave London" the doe
tor says. leave it and 90 and live
at Bournemouth. sharp
Any one but Joe would have asked
for their money back at once, but he
took 1t right to heart and went and
told her. And she says-perhaps
thinking, and perhaps not; you know
what women are
II knew it. You'd be a sight health.
Ter and sight happier. Only you'd
need some one to look after youw
Don't say that, If you're not mean
ing it," Joe whispers, all of sudden.
Just like him!
II never meant anything more" she
told him. and walked away quick.
Only that; but up went the curtain,
and that chap was talking away to
himself and basking in fairyland. A
little country cottage, with the sea In
front and the vegetables at the back;
something twining round the porch
and Kitty. Nothing else!
They say he wrote those very words
In letter, and told her how much
he'd saved, and put the letter through
the post And one day he found the
letter in bits on his barrow; but he
couldn't seem to believe. And when he
heard she was coming to Clerkenwell
to live he sat there for days without
saying word to any one, only just
staring at something no one else could
see. What d'you think? Spite of all
the chatting he sold up for a mere
song, followed her here, and started
living on stray coppers he couM earn
by hobbling errands. And nothing in
the world would shake his hopes
Now, it's always been mystery to
us what was down deep in that girls
mind. Was she palying cat-and-mouse
with the chap like some women do. or
did she like him somehow and feel
mad with herself for allowing it?
ASK, because HOW ana uSulll you II SEE
her peering round corners ut him with
q sort of mist in her eyes; and if once
she got some nippef TO give him two
pence for dummy crrand. she did it q
dozen times-and she only sold moss
roses for living herself. If You ask
me, that girl was born for a real lady
gliding in and out palms and fountains
1t showed in her very step--shone in
her pansy eyes! We've seen her &c
mad.wild when band played. ant
dance and sing like an actress born t.
it-and then burst suddenly into sobs
that no one could make out. She
couldn't understand her own SELF An(
to think Of him watching her day after
day, holding his breath to throw few
violets through her window and make
q sort of romance of it-there, ii was
nigh heart breaking.
One night--one nght-os we beard
It had been raining hard, and Joe STOOD
coughing to himself under the cab