The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1905-09-29


ing to have a tussle when It comes to
buying her ticket and giving her some
thing for her journey. But she's got to
be sent out of this town for her life"
won't you ever see her again." 1
asked.
"You seem to think this is a senti-
mental affair" said he. IF you saw a
woman drowning and pulled her out OF
the water would you expect to spend
the remainder Of your life in her So
ciety"
"That depends upon the woman"
said /. And be replied that they were
all alike 90 him.
Then he told me that he had made
arrangements for her TO have room
at the Central Depot hotel for the
night and that She would leave for
Buffalo in the morning.
81 was going to take her to dinner"
he said. but things have suddenly
come around in such n way that l can
get out Of town at once. I'm likely TO
sail for Europe tomorrow, and in that
case ! may not see her again"
In fact, he wrote note TO her later
telling her TO go to the Central Depot
hotel and take the room engaged in
fictitious name. She would either see
him or hear from him in the course of
the evening.
So poor Kitty, In her new dress that
she had expected to be married in,
went to the hotel TO wait for the man
whom she wOrshiped with an all alb
sorbing dumb animal intensity. l can
fancy her sitting in that room alone,
trembling with fear and hope.
And Allen, that student of humanity,
thought Of her only as poor girl who
was running away from a brutal ia
Their to kind old aunt in Buffalo.
About o'clock in the evening he
wrote her a note telling her Of his sud-
den change Of mind and pleading his
hurry as an excuse for not seeing her.
He told her all about trains and time
tables with great particularly and In
closed a fifty dollar bill for her ex-
penses. The note was colder than the
inscription on q tombstone and Kltty's
heart died in her bosom. She had given
up everything, even her little sisters,
without saying goodby.
How complete was her desolation
may be judged by the fact that she did
not leave a single written word, even
for him. They found her the next
morning dead upon the bed. She had
taken OF the gray dress and II was
clasped in her arms as II II had been a
doll and she a child asleep.
Allen changed his mind about going
to Europe during the night and he re-
ported for duty as usual at 10 o'clock.
The city editor sent him over TO the
Central Depot hotel In the matter Of
the suicide OF an unknown girl by poi
son. l met him on the way.
We found the coroner in charge,
while couple Of dexetives were con-
sidering the question Of the girls iden-
tity. The clerk had said that a man Of
very respectable appearance had en-
gagged the room for the girl, but he
could not give a good description of
him or furnish any other information.
This showed the clerks discretion, for
be had known Allen about nine years.
We went up into the room of death.
Ny heart burned within me and my
knees trembled with nervous excite
ment. Allen was perfectly calm. He
looked at the girl and then at the little
pile Of her belongings on the dresses.
from which he secretly abstracted IN
own note. that was signed simply "a"
The coroner some days afterward -
cused him OF the theft though withpyt
any suspicion that the letter was ~
own. Allen fquelched him with ~
question, III rd'got the thing do -
suppose wouldn't have printed ~
The cage was hushed up and l feNR
II cost Ancn few hundred dollaa4 "
manage IT,
"rhe queer thing about this sfeerr
said Allan 70 m. 'qs that sshoi4,tl.
have known thnf she was decei - ~
about her aunt. blame mySl ~
that Il was qfupId OF mc'