Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-01-30

lsrto been his companion, was
placed in madame's care during
his absence. She was a child--it
was not possible
"T'lds ismrs Miss Nam
Maj Wbdakpr stood before me.
large pompors and rood natured.
lplacedmN ansers on hiaarm
lthc major Away liked TO go con
llafadr' before he began Ills gyra
iops mentally compared the
TWO men. and wondered again how
Loo's engagement had come
lobout.
II see Brevet is back again" he
remarked. "Cleyer fellow and
q rafting good soldier. Deserves
IAN the honors he has got, indeed
he does"
"les?' ] acquiesced, readily.
seeing that he alluded to the
stranger. "You know him, them"
"Oh, yes he was at one time in
my regiment ] know his people
well. Now that he's home safe
and sound, ] suppose he'll be tax
ing wife, but | doubt whether
bell fall in with the arrange
ments very readily" The major
chuckled.
"Arrangemcnts?' l queried.
"He is engaged?"
His wife was chosen for him
long ago." returned the major;
"she was his mothers ward; but
the young fellow suddenly devel-
oped a will of his own and an.
bounced his intention Of choosing
his own bride.
ut must have been six years
IagO. | should think - perhaps
more" continued the major.
'His mother was anxious for the
engagement to be brought about,
and there was a scene, l remem
Der. The young man came to me
Iafterward.
Look here, major, he said, hot
| ly. I'm not a boy, and | can choose
my own wife. In fact'-and he
colOred like a girl-Tve chosen
her already. l don't mind telling
you'I've seen the only girl I'll ever
marry, and she isn't my mothers
choicer
"Right you are, my boy said |.
Choose your girl and stick to her
Where did you meet her"
"Then it came out that he hadn't
even been introduced to her. He'd
saved her from something-I'm
sure | forget what-he knew that
she was small and dark, and had a
Ipair of honest eyes that had gone
straight to his heart; but her
name-well, he only knew her
Christian name, and he didn't tell
line that! But" concluded the ma
ior, triumphantly, "he's stuck to
Ibis guns, and he's in love with his
dark-eyed mystery still. There's
a twentieth century romance for
lyOu! Let me get you some refresh
ment"
/ let him go in silence. had
listened to his story in GREATNESS
excitement. OF course, Loo was
the heroine, and he had found his
.dark-eyed Mystery | recalled
1.-The scraps of their conversation;
'"You have the mark still
Remembered how that mark had
excited our schoolgirl curiosity
land Loo had been raised to the
frank of heroine as she related how
she had narrowly escaped a crueI
death in the street and handsome
unknown had been her salvation
4 placed it all together, and felt ms
though | had been a traitor to the
kindly major to leave him ignor-
ance; yet how could ! tell him?
The supper room was crowded
land after much skillful manueVer-
ling he pilOted me to a distant WIN
dow which opened on small pal
cony. As we gained this desirable
land. as we believed, deserted
haven, the murmur OF voices
showed the balcony was occupied
and the next moment a mans
words came through the open
window.
impossible, Loo? Why? Be
cause YOU do not know meW
mo. Oh, say no more. II
her voice ended in a sob.
II have startled you, dear. But
liz YOU knew how / have searched
lfor you, and now to find you
here"
"Don'tl DOn'tv' she cried. 81