Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-12-22
for he caught sight of Kitten lookin,
out for him by the garden gate.
CHAPTER V

The days slipped away, and still Des-
mond said nothing to his ward. Perhaps
he dreaded and deferred the moment
which was to commit him forever to a
course of action from which his heart
recoiled. Perhaps he only waited with
the faint and forlorn hope that something
would happen to decide his fate for him.
And then one day, Kitten herself, with
her own unconscious words, cast the die
of her own future.
He found her in her favorite seat, be-
tween the gnarled arms of the cherry
tree. The small black-robed figure sat
coiled up just above the level of his head.
Her hat had fallen to the ground. her
favorite poet was upon her knee, her
gold-crowned head was dropped, her
small white hands clasped upon the
edge of the open page she studied She
was intensely still-a sort of warm ST.
lence, the soundless calm of an August
afternoon surrounded her. An insect
hummed swiftly by, leaf stirred upon
the tree above her, or a distant bird ut.
tered a faint and tremulous note, but
Kitten herself was as absolutely motion
less as though she had no life in her.
lie came up quite close to her and spoke
her name.
"Kitten!' he was certain that she had
been quite unaware of his near presence,
and yet she did not start nor move. Only
her eyes flashed up suddenly from her
book, and fixed themselves gravely upon
his face. Strange self-contained child!"
he said to himself, "who could fathom
her nature, or understand the hidden
workings of her mindw "Kitten, your
eyes remind me of those of the Holy
Child in RaphaePs picture at Dresden.
he said, speaking his thoughts aloud;
they are inscrutable, full of strange
dreams and forebodings. What are you
thinking aboutP
Il was thinking about Happiness, she
answered gravely.
Happiness! Happiness" he repeated,
who can tell what it consists in? Your
dear poet could not TELL" he said. tap
ping the edge of her book lightly with
his finger.
NO" she said refectively. HE did
not know, neither did Solomon, nor any
other wise man or old. l have heard
or philosophers could define it."
And yet Kitten Laybourne thinks she
will ltry and solve the mystery" he said
lightly.
Il don't think you really care to
know" she said reproachfully, turning
her face little away from him.
DO l not? Try me then-I promise
not to laugh at you, and what is more,
if your notions of happiness are to be
gratifed by mortal man, l will endeavor
to supply the coveted article"
will you? Will you really?" she
cried eagerly, and a bright color leaped
up all over her fair. small face. "Ah!
and you can-you only can-now that
my dear Daddy is gone it is you only
who can prevent me from being unhap-
py."
My dear little girl, what Is it that
can do for you? Why did you not tell
me before? You know that it is my duty
as well as my pleasure to make you
happy"
He was touched by her simple eager
ness-touched and remorseful, too, in
that in some way he must have failed
already in his trust toward her.
why do you go away then?" she an
swered him quickly, lifting her pure,
grave eyes up to his. Are you not my
guardian. as if you were my father? Am
l not your ward-your child? Does
father leave his child? And you go
away so often, so often; and when you
are gone it is like death! Stay with me
always, always; let me be with you,
and then | shall have happiness. know
of no other to wish for"
A moment or two of intense silence.
He looks away from her face over the
lush green of the garden-a bee, heavy
laden. doomed noisily by; the faint cry
of child far away in the village broke
the stiffness. Years afterward he could
hear these sounds again, and the wild
storm that ragged at his own heart. And
then a spoke, little unsteadily and I'M
certainly:
Come down from that tree, Kitten;
how can l talk to you up there? Here,
put your little foot into my hand, so,
and give me that hateful book and jump
down."
She obeyed him, springing lightly to
the ground as he told her, and as she
did so. the passion of the mans nature
flashed into life within him-he caught
the light figure in his arms; the soft
gold of her hair~lay upon his arm; her
sweet face rested against his breast, and
he held her close upon his heart The
sweet rapture of her presence filled him
with a mad sense of joy and delight; he
bent his face to press his lips upon hers,
hut with a sudden effort put her away
from him again-in very manliness he
could not abuse her sweet innocence and
childish purity.
Child" he said, there Is but one
way in which you can be always with
me. The world is cold and hard and
cruel. and in no other manner will it
agree to leave us in peace togetherJ-my
Kitten. my fairy, swee, cnild-woman, you
must be my own-my wife. Do you un-