Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1906-09-06


1T was the least you could do, should
think" Mrs. Gordon declared, with
feeling.
"Oh, promised to do more than tina"
he added, laughing a little, apparently
ashamed of his feeling. 81 assured her
that some day, when | was man, |
would come back and repay her for what
she had done. | promised never to for
get her. And 1 never have forgotten
her, for that matter; though, of course,
l never went back there and never even
knew her name"
''You really ought to have gone back
You ought to have gone back and mar
ried her." said Mrs. Gordon, laughingly
| That's the way they do in books"
| "Oh, | spoke extravagantly," he admit
ted, little hurt by her tone. "a man
life But meant it all at the time. l am
not ashamed of it. She saved my life,
and if l could have repaid her should
have done it. And even now, though
she is woman by this time and has
probably forgotten all about it, l should
like to meet her, if only to acknowledge
doesn't forget a thing like that"
|
| rupted their conversation.
As Mrs. Gordon left him, she paused
to remark: ooh, l am sure appreciate
your feeling. 1t does you credit And
Il am very glad you told me this
A startling thought had come to Mrs.
Gordon as she was leaving the table, and
she was engrossed with the possibilities
it suggested. When the men struggled
in from the dining room she was sitting
in window seat, quite alone. She looked
up at Downs with smile, and as he
approached she rose, and with an impul-
sive movement held out her hand. He
looked puzzled.
81 don't know but it was wrong not
to tell you at the table," she commenced
hurriedly, ito let you tell me that story
without knowing. But could not speak
somehow, there before them ALL And I
may have seemed not to appreciate your
noble remembrance of me- But I am
sure you will understand my feeling. I
did not realize it at first. And then it
all came over me-the rush of old memo
ries-"
Downs dropped her hand and gazed
at her moment in sheer amazement.
why" he stammered. "Why, II
Good heavensl' he exclaimed. do you
mean to say that you-"
Eyes," she said. 81 think 1 was the
one. l feel sure l must have BEEN
Though, of course, l was so young that
l can't really be certain. / remember
such an incident-of Northern soldiers
stopping there and the horsemen riding
up. But / never should have guessed
it was you"
"And you--you were the little girl l
found there at the spring house." Downs
exclaimed why, it's simply astonish-
ing" He looked at her critically. |
BLACK hair and eyes," he muttered. do |
you know, believe-there's no mistake. |
You're not as thought that girl-you,
l mean-would look. And yet" he gazed |
at her again, there is something about |
you that seems familiar, too-an express
sion about the eyes, look that 1 seem
to have seen before. This is certainly |
a wonderful coincidence"
eyes, isn't itp She motioned him to |
a seat beside her own. 81 wish / could |
remember it BETTER" she added, "but |
was so young then, and so many things |
happened in those war days. / used |
often to watch the soldiers march past
the house And when the stragglers |
would come along l would sometimes |
slip off down to the spring house, where
they stopped"
well, Pm glad happened to tell it"
said Downs. "And, do you know, felt |
from the first that there was something
strangely attractive about you. l must |
tell Fenwick and the others"
mo, please don't mention it, she |
said hurriedly. 1T would be most EN-
barrassing for me-"
'Of course, whatever you wish. But |
I feel as though l owed you the public |
acknowledgment, don't see why"
Call it woman's vanity she an
swered, with a laugh.
Vanity"
"Why, yes. Don't you see, if l was
eight years old in war times, l must be |
oh, ever so old by now"
'Eh? Oh, yes, l see I understand |
But I'm sure you don't look it. Upon
my word, you don't. But I'm very glad |
to have discovered you again, for l have
often wondered whatever became of you
But at all events, | can thank you now,
after the years that have passed, with
out fear of being misunderstood And |
if there was anything l could do to re-
pay you'll don't mean that. Of course,
| never could repay you-but to show my
appreciation-if there was anything 1
could do to prove that, l would do it
gladly"
would you" said Mrs Gordon, low
ering her voice and gazing earnestly into
his face. There is something you could
do-something that is of great import
ance to me. But l fear-Pm afraid 1
ought not to ask YOU"
Downs gasped. If it had come in any
other way he could have met it.
Anything l can do-anything that it
is in my power to do" he began.
ut may seem very little matter TO
you," Mrs. Gordon observed. 1T is only
some shares of stock in the Manhattan
Consolidated Improvement Company
think Manhattan Consolidated is the
name of it"
He reflected that she probably didn't