El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-01
The Heralfs
Daily Short Story

Despite his eagerness to regain his
bride, however, Edward Dunbar found
himself still in the chair before the
cosy fire when darkness fell, some
hours later.
He formed the habit of coming to the
house every afternoon-for news of
Katie.
The first interruption came one after.
noon In the shape of a telegram for
Miss Elwynne. She seemed little
Hurried as she came back from the
front door with the orange envelope
in her hand
II have had a message from a friend
who is seriously ILL., She wants me to
have to stay some days. Perhaps We
had. better let Katie know. In any
case. must leave you now. as there
is no time TO lose.
She must have seen her companions
regretful glance towards the two empty
chairs at the fire.
why not remain here a little longer
and have a look at my books?" she
suggested. You can close the front
door when you go. II is self-locking.
I shall take the keys with me. 1 may
be able TO return tonight, possibly not
for a day or two
With one of, her curiously meaning
smiles she was gone.
Edward settled himself gratefully in
one of the keep chairs, not sorry to
accept the hospitality offered. He
saw that this was an opportunity for
fulfilling a task which had been loom
ing before him for some days. 1t was
time he told himself, to review his po
sition.
Did he, or did he not desire to meet
Katie now? Was he as anxious to
marry her as he had been on the day
of his homecoming? He had been
acutely conscious during those restful
hours in her drawingroom of the gulf
that lay between the Edward Dunbar
of Is years ago and the Edward Dun
bar of today. Would he. he wondered,
be able to live up to- Katie?
He must have slept for some hours.
, When he awoke the room was quite
dark Only. a few red cinders still
glowed in the CRATE.
He rose. and found that his limbs
were stiff.
hall Surely a door had opened and
closed again Then he saw. that the
light had been turned on outside the
room.
He flung open the door, and found
himself fact to face with-Katie her
self
"oh" she gasped. Il never thought
you would still be
She stopped, and drew in her breath
sharply.
"Katier
He drew her into the room and
switched on the lights
She was in nurses uniform, just as
he had always pictured her. The brown
hair showed threads Of gray here and
there under the closefitting bonnet
She had taken off her cloak. and the
lines of her figure were as perfect as
ever. Only the eyes seemed changed
There were lines round them and
about the mouth. Somehow they did
not seem like Katie's eyes They re-
minded him Of
Yes. they were Miss Elwynnes eyes.
The whole face seemed to him 10 be no
longer Katie's. And Miss Elwynne's
existence seemed also to lose its actu-
ality. Katie's presence had made her
aunt a mere ghostlike memory
Katie. tell me what 1t all means?
Who are you2 Who is the little lady
/ have been calling your aunt?",
The woman smiled at him, and then
in a flash, he knew There was no
Miss Elwynne senior 1t had been
Katie all the time. But Katie with
white hair. Katie with wrinkles?
He looked so bewildered that Katie
laughed outright but when she spoke,
her voice, though no longer the lisping,
subdued voice of her supposed aunt,
was a little uncertain
Are you going to forgive me, Ed
ward, for the trick I've played on you?
Oh, I have been so afraid 1t was a
shameless thing to do and yet-dearest,
don't you think 1T has been worth while
for both of us?"
Edward came close to her. and took
her hands in his
II haven't a notion why you did it,
but it has been worth while as you
say. II has given me back my Katie,
and 1 have gained a new friend into the
bargain. though why you thought it