Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-08-16


tie gown was well nodded and slim.
One evening toward twilight, when
ont In the open lawn bats we're whiri-
ing aimlessly and tirelessly, Matlock
dropped in upon the professor to make
him little call He had fetched him
his afternoon mail as pretext. While
they were sitting out on the porch from
the shadowy little parlor came the
FIRST chords Of Beethoven's beautiful
Moonlight Sonata"
That's Cynthia" said Professor
Thornton in answer to his guests start
of surprise. "She's never too tired, no
matter how hard or long the day has
been, to play that sonata for me in the
evening. l love 1t above all other writ
ten music. and she never fOrgets." ,
Then while the tree toads droned
their harmonies he told Matlock a lit
tie about his daughter-how four years
ago he had suffered a paralytic stroke
and she had been obliged to leave
school in her graduating year aud
nurse him night and day with untiring
sweetness; how, when their slender in-
come was exhausted a year back, she
had begun TO make use Of her musical
skill and give lessons on the piano.
And when the professor told of Gym
thia's triweekly trips to Adams, the
nearest town, his silvered head went
down on his coat sleeve, and in the
cleaning behind the honeysuckles the
two men were silent
Presently they smoked their usual ci
CARS ana INDUCED IN their usual con-
versation 49, newspaper topics chopped
fine by individual opinion, a good deal
of politics. little of art and science.
Last of all, Cynthia came out.
"Dellghtedr' she said, going prettib
up TO Matlock with outstretched hands
"While you two have been gossping
I've been remembering your weakness
for tea aud have drawn you a cup.
Will you come in, or shall we have it
out here?"
They went in. Near the little fern
screened fireplace was a tea table,
dainty in its array of polished silver
and thin china. The hanging lamp
shed the rich, soft glow of olive oil,
and there was an air of intimate home
likeness about everything. Matlock
had been a stranger to that sort Of
thing for so long that it sent a kind Of
thrill shivering through him. After all,
to have coy tea table and a slim
white hand to inclose in yours-Cyn-
thias hands were slim and white
enough as they moved among the china
In the half light He pulled chair
close for the professor, and then sat
down himself.
Before Mr. Horace Matlock went to
bed that night he remembered that on
the morrow Cynthia Thornton was to
drive with him in his champagne col
ored trap. How 1t would harmonic
with her soft hair before the ambitious
sun touched it to gold! What a dear,
womanly little treasure Of girlish
brightness she was, anyhow!
Cynthia only returned from Adams
the next day a half hour before. nief
drive and was, copssgnsntIy, q bit
Sic WIS not one to make con-
'ersation, and the quiet and beauty
4 the scenes stretched out before her |
made her very silent. Matlock, as he
handled the reins, watched both her !
md the landscape. There was a GER
ain peace about them both. And
,eace was, above all things, what he
wanted.
The next day Miss Warden wrote to
Ter girl chum again:
"In the beginning Of the summer,
Iadge, dear, wrote you that a GER
ain matrimonial venture would be |
easy, plain sailing Alas! I'm afraid
shall never find port-not, at least,
With my bachelor up on the hill. And !
n the name of wonders, who of all
PEOPLE do you suppose has taken the
Wind out of my sails? Cynthia Thorn
on, the old bookwOrm's daughter! He !
lad her out driving In that little
beauty of trap three times during the
asst week TO my knowledge! I'm
Ifraid Cupid isn't very kind to me.
You'll find I'll die an old maid after all,
lnless Tom
At this point Miss warden's pretty
eeth absently caught the top OF her
'enholder, while she looked dreamily
oward the sunny, tree lined street
then she began to hum.
AS she started on the fourth bar Of
er song a champagne colored trap
by. In it was the charming
'achelOr, and by his side was Cynthia