Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-07-19

take myself away and out OF her life
so that in time her heart would again
be free.
did this In good faith, for, realiz-
ing my unVorthiness as l did and
knowing well that many circum-
stances had conspired to give her an
exalted opinion Of me and my abil.
tiles, which, otherwise, she never
would have reached, ! felt it my duty
to step aside and not stand IN the
way Of the far greater conquest that
she was surely destined to make.
No tongue can tell the extent to
which / regretted my act Of tempo
rary weakness on the previous even
ing, and ] cursed my indiscretion In
taking advantage Of her hour Of sor.
row and despair when l should have
been strong enough to Withstand the
tempter, il only by virtue Of the great
and ever increasing magnitude Of my
devotion. That she knew 1t now there
could be no doubt, and / knew with
equal certainty that she returned my
love with ell the ardor Of her great
warm heart. -.>aA-~s$--'.
Mr.. Arthur sedgewick, the rector,
proved to be q jovial sort OF an indi.
vidual, Of the norid type and port
wine complexion, while his wife was
9 demure little woman who regarded
him with unconcealed admiration and
whose greatest satisfaction In life
was derived from half.stifed exclama-
tons Of mock horror at his constant
unconventional sallies and jests.
$50 you saw all the plays in New
York;" he asked, as the conversation
imperceptibly took a theatrical turn.
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Miss Carney,
In almost her childish enthusiasm.
I'VE went every night and to all the
matinees, too. We had not been in
an English-speaking country in so
long that We fairly reveled In the
alter and we even saw Maud Adams
four times"
you like her, then" / remarked,
for want of something better to say,
but feeling 1t my duty to show an in
terest clearly at variance with the
true object Of my thoughts. (
Now, Mr.. Ware, that is altogether
too bad" returned Miss Carney, in
an obviously assumed tone of bad.
image. you said that in exactly the
way that the traveller at sea greeted
his roommate one morning, when he
observed politely, but with about as
much enthusiasm as you yourself have
Just shown, Good morning, old man,
| hope you are well; not that l care
o rap, but just to start the converse
toni"
The rector's wife looked properly
shocked, while her liege lord laughed
uproariously and cried:
Il heard that story when l was in
college, Miss Carney, but unless my
memory fails me, the wording was
somewhat different"
81 expurgated it for your especial
benefit, sir returned Miss Carney sol.
EMMY and then, in reply to my Ques.
ton, she added:
Il think Miss Adams is just too
sweet and dainty for anything Is 1t
really true that she is married."
1T has been rumored that she is
married to her manager" | replied,
but hardly think it possible, for
they are almost never together. You
know, she spends her summers in
Massachusetts while he is in Lon.
dan, and, just as soon as he re-
turns in the autumn, she always
starts for the west with the Little
Minister"
Mercy" exclaimed the rector's
wife, in unfeigned establishment,
while We all laughed in spite of our.
selves, and the reverend gentleman
fell into violent fit of coughing
and dropped his fork on the floor.
When. the general levity caused by
my remark had subsidized somewhat,
and he was able to speak, he explain.
ed: The Little Minister my dear,
is a play, and not man. | must
take you to see it the next time we
are in town"
rs it a biblical play?" asked Mrs.
Sedgewick with interest.
"Oh, dear, no." replied Miss Car.
ney. Just the ordinary sort of a
play with a man and woman and
a whole lot of pathos and comedy
sandwlched in and spread around.
But it is very sweet and enjoyable.
Haven't you read the book?"
NO." returned Mrs. Sedgewick
seriously. Il am so absorbed in
E. P. Roe's works just now that
haven't time for anything else.
Don't you think he is a wonderful
writer"
I'm ashamed to confess that I've
never read him at all" said Miss
Carney sweetly, but l hope to, some
day, however"
Mrs. Sedgwick thinks that only
care for biblical plays" broke in the
rector, hurriedly, as il to forestall any
discussion Of his wife's favorite au.
thor, and do think that good pro
ductions of that sort should be en-.
| cOuraged and supported The staga