Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-10-06

you can KNOW, ana She drew my
hand up to her face and leaned her
lips upon it,
Poor heart" I said, and l bent and
laid a gentle kiss on her forehead She
turned her pale, luminous face up to
me, wistfully, like a child. and
kissed her warm red mouth. Then my
heart began humping like a hydraulic
ram and my hands trembled strange
ly. | tried TO steady them. She would
be so angry if she thought that
dared. | had kissed Katherine num-
berlesS times, as a man may kiss his
sister, lovingly, tenderly, but abso-
lutely without thrill. They hal
never been like this. | was at loss
| had never dreamed of Katherine ex-
cept as my dear old friend-my man
hood chum, and as for her-my heart
sank, for | knew she had been utterly
devoted to old Landry and mourned
passionately for him. At least
thought so. If she knew what | was
thinking she would hate me-loathe
knew She sat there dreaming, her
eyes, as | thought, on memory's dis
tant mountain peaks; her dear, warm,
brown eyes that | loved
She turned to me with little laugh.
ITS so nice TO be loved a Attle,"
she said. as she nestled against my
coat, as if she belonged there. | fought
with myself a moment. She must
have felt my heart beating. l was
horribly ashamed Then | suddenly
lost my self-control and STOPPING tC-
ward her, | took her in my arms and
kissed her passiOnately, many, many
times, passionately, eagerly, as | had
never kissed anyone in my life-as |
had never wanted to kiss anyone be-
fore. After a time | lifted my head
and waited for the storm. ! knew it
must come. | felt like a whipped cur.
though every pulse in my body
throbbed with delight and joy. What
ever came, | knew now. l was blind
no longer. They talk of love being
blind. | say it's the other way about;
it's love that clears our sight-so We
can really see where we have always
before being groping in a dim half
light
She nestled closer in my arms and
laughed a little, low laugh of content
ment.
On, Freddy, boy" she said, Il
thought you would never wake up.
I've been such a long, long time wait
ing to come home"
| started back and faced her in
ama2ement
"And-and Landry" ! faltered
"Oh, my dear, | never loved Lam
dry (Ah, so | knew now why he
wa glad to go, poor duffer, poor, un-
selfish, loving old duffer.)
He knew I didn't, but he-he-
cared. and he knew l loved you, so he
helped me. He told me you loved me,
only you were asleep and I've waited
so long-so long for this" she sighed,
happily.
looked in her eyes incredulously.
Kit. why in the name of common
sense didn't you tell me?"
Tell you? Freddy, how could 1?
| wasn't sure you-you cared, and
sometimes | was sure you didn't. 1t
was only because Landry was so posi-
tive that l dared to hope. l could only
wait in silence, and since Ian
dry died it has been so lonely, so
drearily lonely"
Poor old girl" | said in her hair,
poor darling old girl"
cried "a whole year"
Then you knew a year ago."
Yes; it's funny, Freddy, but I
couldn't imagine why no man ever
moved me the least tiny bit. When
Landry told me he cared, | tried to
think l loved him, but he said then
that | didn't, and afterward. he knew
it was you. He watched my eyes, he
said, when you were about, and when
ne told me that, was as astonished
as you We're when | told you.
When your horse threw you thai
time, then | knew beyond a doubt, for
| suffered agones thinking what
might have happened. You were SO
ghastly that | was horribly frightened.
felt sure that you were at least
MANNED for life.
And then, she brought me the letter
-Landry's letter, that was not to be
delivered until | had found my own.
Oh, that letter. If | had only seen it
when Landry died Kit would not have
grown pale waiting for what was al
ways hers.
You confounded blind old bat" he
wrote what in the name of all that's
| holy, do you stay around here for? II
[ was such an egregrious donkey as
you are I'd 90 off and die, but I've got
to be the one instead-and I've got
eyes to see. That's ever the way in
this vale of tears.
well, you must know some time. It
will come to you all at once, as the
knowledge OF it came to me-then, old
boy l wouldn't mind being in your
boots. I'd give my life for that one
hour as happily and freely as I'd toss
a copper to a pickaninny. 1t cant be