Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-19

| She had walked at his side silently
for some distance, when she looked up
at him suddenly and spoke:
would you always love me, no matter
what happened?" she inquired with
apparent irrelevance.
"Of course I would" he affirmed,
wondering what was coming next.
Il mean" she said, averting her eyes,
81 mean no matter if-no matter what"
mo matter If - what anything.
I'd always love you, Kitten" he said
stoutly.
Men think that sometimes when wo-
men are young, and then they get
tired of them when they
II don't love you because you're
young" he answered.
She glanced up at him quickly, but
her eyes fell with sudden reinsurance.
"why do you love me?" she querled,
with some coquetry.
II don't know-altogether," was the
honest answer, and then at her silence
he went on:
II do love you, though, Kitten, and
don't think you ought to keep things
| from me-"
She gave a quick, nervous sigh ard
her arm trembled in his. He patted
her gloved hand encouragingly, but she
only said
Keep things from you! What do
you mean by that?'
Never mind, dear" he said. IF
|
Only we're going to be married next
week, you know; you're to give me my
answer on Monday. If there's some-
thing 1 ought to know before then I
think you should trust me with it.
Don't your"
"oh, why can't you let things alone?
Why do you want to spoil everything?"
she burst out suddenly. You won't
love me any more, and 1 wanted
your love so! Can't you understand
1 wanted your love and you won't
love me! Why won't you let things
alone?"
Douglas was startled. Her child
like tones rang out clearly in the quiet
street.
"Sh!" he warned her. "Sh!" Quiet,
Kitten, quiet Don't get yourself all
excited. 1 won't ask anything If you
don't want to tell me. Here we are,
nearly at the hotel"
"I'n tell you everything" she said
to him, almost coldly. Come to the
parlor in half an hour-wait that long,
then I'll tell YOU" AS she climbed
wearily up the red carpeted stairs.
Douglas stood for moment in the hall,
feeling like an executioner.
He went into the office and smoked,
trying to straghten the mental knots
that seemed to have tied up his brain.
He tried to be philosophical, but the
'all for the best" theory was unsatis-
flying He looked at his watch twenty
times and even the second hand seemed
TO crawl.
Then at last he threw away the end
of his cigar and started UP the red
stairway.
There was a white porcelain sign,
with the word "Parlor'' in black let
ters on the door, which stood ajar.
On a corner of haircloth sofa sat
Kitten, her face like death. Douglas
started forward with a solicitous ex-
clamation, but she waved him away
and staggered to her feet.
Then she turned toward the window,
where a young man stood in the
shadow.
"Arnold!" she called. Such a pitt
full smile stole about the drawn corners
of her mouth! The man came for
ward.
"Mr. Douglas" The two men stood
facing each other now, and Kitten
drew herself up with a dramatic lit
tie gesture of defiance.
"Mr. Douglas" she repeated, Il want
you to meet my son!' Then she burst
into a wild fit of hysteria.
Poor little Kitten! The offence Of
her motherhood seemed to her so un-
pardonable that she was almost in
clined to be grateful to Douglas when
he told her that he still cared for her
and that the fact of her early mar
riage and subsequent widowhood in no
wise altered his regard.
After swearing him to secrecy so far
as the rest of the company was con-
cerned she agreed to be married the
following week.
you're sure you don't mind about
him-about Arnold?" she asked him,
wistfully, again and again.
"Kitten," said he, solemnly, at last,
| I'm sure 1 don't mind about Arnold
half as much as you do"
HE thinks he's in love now. Fancy
such nonsense" she scowled.
| Douglas laughed heartily.
Don't worry about him, dear" he
comforted her. Hes just at the pup
py age, you know"
But the denouement was reached on
| tIao of IEitteI,s IsAddine when