Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-12-08
CHAPTER Y.

| All the flowers were dashed and drag
gled. Three days of wind and rain storms
had beaten the hearts out of the roses,
theiS petals lay scattered, dank and
ragged upon the sodden earth. The birds
had fgorgotten to sing the very sunshine,
as it crept out timidly from behind the
rain clouds, looked pale and sickly.
And week ago 1 was happy" cried
Kitten aloud, as she leant out of her
easement window. "a week ago the
world was all golden, a good place to
live in, the days were so full and 80
short, and now they are empty and, oh,
so long"
Kitten, Kitten" cried a voice in the
garden below her, why will you persist
in shutting yourself upstairs? Come
down to me Kitten, want to see you
so much"
Roy Grantley stood beneath her on the
wet grass, his fair curls wet with the
rain, his face ruddy with the wind, his
blue eyes shining with delight because
they had caught sight of her at last
1T Is raining" said Kitten without
moving.
No. it has left off; besides you can
at least, come into the verandah and talk
to me. Oh, Kitten, it is more than three
weeks since | have seen you"
rs it? 1t seems like three days"
She left her window and came down
to him in the verandah, as he had said.
Old Keziah was a stickler for propriety,
and would not allow young Mr.. Grant
ley admittance into the house while her
master was away.
why did you shut yourself up all
these days that l have tried to see you?
What were you doing? Who were you
writing tor
'"To nobody. I was turning the 'Es-
say on Man into prose-"
II don't believe that; may see itp'
II have torn it up. Besides, you would
not understand it. Boys don't care
about that kind of thing"
II wish you would not always call me
boy, Kitten" he said rather sadly. 81
am twenty-one is no longer child at
my age; l shall soon be twenty-one, then
L shall be man, and l shall come and
tell your father that love you"
What would be the good of that?"
said Kitten, calmly pulling Cape jes-
samine flower ruthlessly to pieces with
her tiny finger tips.
you know do love you," he persist
ed, bending down to look into her face.
81 have heard it very often" she an
swered, with cold Indifference.
you are but a child, dear" he re-
piled, very softly and tenderly. "You
do not understand yet what love means,
but as you grow older you will know and
feel it; and then, Kitten, that cold little
face of yours will light up when it meets
mine, your heart will glow with Joy when
it hears my footsteps, will ache when il
listens In vain for it, and all the world
will seem desolate to you when l am
not there; that is what you will feel by
and by, Kitten, when you are older"
She laid her hand upon his sleeve.
as that what love is like, Roy?" she
asked him eagerly. "That craving for
some one who is not there, that sick long
ing for the sound of one voice. the sight
of one face, without which all the sun
shine seems gone out Of the heavensr'
ooh, you know 1t, you know itr' he
cried, clasping her hand in both his.
Dear Kitten, yes, that is love, and that
Is how you felt for me when I was
away"
"For you-are you mad, Royr She
wrenched away her hand angrily; "I feel
that for youl long for youp'
She had no pity, she did not even