The Red Cloud chief., 1912-05-09

seek mo out In spite Of myself! He
might have come! At least, he might
nave wrjtten!" Her tono was a little
angry and spirited.
Something you don't know may
have happened" answered Mrs. How.
ard, gently. Things happen to men
too. ] have an uncle who has never
married. My mother told me little
about 1t. The girl did not answer his
letters; her father, iu her name. sent
him from the door without explana
tion, and she finally dismissed him
In note-I imagine something like
the note you say you wrote. Don't
misjudye him."
u have waited twenty years for
him to clear himself" said Miss Cor.
nelia. Il think that ID enough. ]
shall never mention him again Il
don't see why have at all-but
somehow you made me. with your
bright eyes questioning me! Shall ]
get sou . wrap7 1t 10 chilly for
May"
The matter Of Miss Cornelia's love
was not mentioned again. but the
young wife and her husband came
very close to her heart. They ap.
pealed to her latent desire to mother
something. She advised. helped. took
them through several little crucial
times. One Of these was quarrel.
very slight, when they were fixing
up room for Eugenia's uncle to
come to stay with them. Young
Howard wanted the older man to
come-the invitation had come from
him, icado and accepted for q month.
The quarrel was some silly thing
about furnishing the room. but the
young wife spent the better part OF
two days in tears about It. Finally
Cornelia Braden marched over, and
In her militant fashion inquired into
the trouble.
That evening she waited until she
saw Howard enter and followed
him.
Don't be - idiots" she said to
both Of them. He doesn't want
you to tire yourselves out making
chintz hangings. and you ought to
let him worry about you. He likes
It! She likes to fuss for her uncle.
and you ought to let her-a woman
has to fuss! Kiss and make up,
silly children!"
A week later. on a night train
came the uncle. Miss Cornelia,
wakened from her sleep by the vel.
come almost beneath her window,
wished the old man-she had some.
how taken his age for granted in
Halifax. and before dropping on
again remembered that on the NOR.
row she must unbox. air and re.
pack certain OF her fathers gar.
ments which she had not In the two
years since his death had the heart
to touch.
Good as her intention she began
her day early. It was June, balmy.
dewy and sweet. Evidently the
Howards were not up yet. Cornelia
Draden. for ali hor forty years. was
good to look upon az she emerged
into her grassy back yard carrying
an armful Of faded black clothing.
Her morning dress was crisp and
blue, her firm.fieshed face rosy, her
eyes bright There was hardly
gray hair In her ruddy crown OF
hair. With her back to the Howard
cottage she pinned the old.fashioned
coats and trousers to the line and
began brushing away at them.
II the neighbors had not all been
they might have seen
Romance. For q mans head. slightly
touched with gray, thrust itself from
the newly furnished Howard guest
room. A pair Of broad shoulders be-
came visible. gray-clad, manly. The
strangers gray eyes perceived Cor.
nelia Braden at her work, stared at
her, continued to stare. But she
did not note.
Like all good housewives. she was
lighting dirt. She seized q coat.
shook It. sneezed. and shook II again.
this time upside down. A number
Of papers and letters fell to the grass.
She stopped and picked them up.
turning them over.
There was something queer In her
She stood looking down
at the letters, one hand raised to her
head, and then she gave a little moan
and sat down In the wet grass. put.
ting both hands over her face, the
letters in her lap, her blue dress
crushed In folds about her.
The man next door came quickly
through the window. leaped the low
stone fence. and stood before her.
"Cornelia! Cornelia!" he said, in
The deep voice that she might have
the night before. "Cor.
nelia!" 1t seemed foolish to say her
name again. but stephen Stratton did
ray It time after time. She looked up
at him. dumb. and he kneit beside her
and took her hands In his. Then he
saw the letters he had written her
twenty years before. flve Of them, all
carried all those years in Q
hard, obstinate old mans pocket
Forgetful OF everything but him,
she leaned to meet his kiss. Then
- az hoth vOao n thnlp feat