The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-12-18
Her Growing Beauty
By EDWARD HARRIS
Copyright. by w. G. Chapman.)

, all her beautiful hair and admired
to her hearts content.
Cut it of and sell it," she said 70
Numbering the hairdresser's offer
I'D sooner cut my head on. I'd
starve with 1t rather than live without
it." And she braided it into two long |
pIaits and went into the other room to |
get supper.
| The next day she heard that Will |
had gone away, and as the days |
passed and no word came from him. |
she reproached herself for her hasty |
speech But she always rallied to her |
own defense. He was too critical and
exacting, and why couldn't she think |
her hair pretty without being vain!
II he had really loved her he would
have delighted in 1t too. II he had
loved her he would not have stayed
away a whole month without writing
to her either. No. he had never real
ly loved her. They had quarreled over
her tresses and now she had lost him
and had only them to comfort her.
One morning all her arguments. all
the rights and wrongs of the matter,
were ended. There came q letter
from a nurse In a charity hospital In
the city, saying that Will had been Ill
with typhoid fever there for two
weeks. The work that had been prom.
Used him. he had not received. 1t was
not such a serious case, the letter said.
but the patients low spirits retarded
his recovery. He declared he had no
friends. but had let the name OF Kitty
Owen slip out, with the name of his
town. and the nurse had written. II
his friends would get him home he
!, would recover, but IL his low spirits con-
, tinued, 1t was hard to say how the
case would end.
Then with q great flood Of feeling
that opened all the depths Of the girls
nature, came the knowledge that SIZE
, loved VIII Payne. That he was dear
| er to her than life, that she must go
] to him, save him. bring him home.
! above all, tell him that she loved him
and ask him to forgive her. was her
4 surging impulse. but she was checked
by the thought-"How?"
n Il have no money" she cried de
spairingly, "Oh what shall do?" She
pressed her hands to her throbbing
j temples and touched her hair and the
problem was solved.
He promised he would give me
$35 for it," she whispered as she hur-
| ried along the street Her only fear was
that the man might have changed his
A mind.
II But he had not. In establishment.
but eagerly. he cut 1t on and counted
the bills into Kitty's hand. She
4 clutched them, and without one regret
I full look at the shining strands now
the property o. the hairdresser. she
4 hurried away. That evening she
| reached the hospital
Il will tell him first that you are
here" said the nurse. Then Kitty
was led upstairs and into a ward
% where in one of the white, iron
beds lay the pale, thin shadow OF VIII
Payne. She had meant to ask for for
giveness, but the words refused to
H. come, as she knelt beside him, and
e he spoke first.
" kitty, how did you get here? But
I'm SO glad you've come! I've
~ thought so much about you and want
y ed to tell you how sorry am for the
III way / used TO act to you. was al
e. ways finding fault, when ought tt
have been just worshiping you, Kitty
e. because love you. When think o.
C. you, so gay and pretty, and me 81
ut hard and critical. ! don't wonder yol
iy didn't like me. ! want you to forgive
me for saying you were vain, and t
n. tell you that your hair is the mos
ht beautiful in the world, and that | low
II too"
on You must love IT," faltered Kitty
an for it has brought me here, and IT.
ID. going to take you home to our hous
Sc as soon as you can 60" There wa
1t a glimpse of smile behind the mis-
m in the girls eyes as she took or be
ne hat and showed her little. shorr hea
I'd to the man.
Kitty" he gasped. comprehsndin.
he her sacrifice, how could you do IT."
ed Because | love you. dear. and
ed was the only way to prove IT," viii.
Us pered the girl, as she bent over hir
nd and kissed him tepderly. And in tn
ne silence that followed. they knew ihf
their hearts had found rest at last
he
nd. Love makes woman believe IL
an of things that she knows are not tru'