Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-03-22

Captain-Nat. I mean-now can I
ever thank your"
"Thank me? What do you want to
thank me for? I only handed over
somethin' that wasn't mine in the first
place and belonged to you all along.
didn't know it, that was the only
trouble"
But your promise to your father.
feel"
You needn't I'm doin' the right
thing and I know it. And don't pity
me, neither made up my mind
not to marry Grace-unless, of course,
she was set on it-months ago. I'm
tickled to death to know she's goin'
to have as good a man asyou are.
She'll tell you So Grace. Hello.
she's gone
Yes. 1 told her 1 wanted to talk
with you alone, for a few minutes
Nat, Grace tells me that Aunt Keziah
was the one who
she was. She met me at the Co
hasset Narrows depot. / was settin'
In the car, lookin' out of the window
at the sand and sniffin' the Cape air,
somebody tapped me on the shoulder
looked up and twas her. / was sur
prised enough to see her, 1 tell you.
Il
couldn't have said a word, anyway
and she never gave me chance
Nat she says, don't talk now. Come
with me, quick afore the train starts
I've come here on purpose to meet
you. | must talk with you; it's i'm
portant- You can go to Trumet on
the next train, tonight. But now
must talk with you. 1 must. Won't
you please come Nat?'
We'll, 1 went. The engine bell was
beginnin' to ring and we had to move
lively, tell you 1 swung her of the
step just as the car begun to move.
So into the waitin' room we went and
come to anchor on the settee. And
then, John, we had our talk. Seems
she left Trumet Wednesday afternoon
Got the livery stable man to drive her
as fur as Bayport, hired another team
there and come on to Sandwich. Stay
ed overnight there and took the morn
in train which got to Cohasset Mar
rows just ahead of the one I was
comm on. She'd been so fraid of be
in late, she said. She must see me
afore I got to Trumet
well, she saw me and told NE the
whole yarn about you and Grace. She
tried to break 1t to me gently, so 1
wouldn't feel too bad She knew it
would be shock to me, she said. 1t
was a shock, in a way, but as for
feelin' bad, / didn't. / think the world
of Grace. I'd do anything she wanted
me>to do; but most the way down on
the train-yes, and long afore that
I'd been dreadin' my comm home on
one account. I dreaded tellin' her
that, unless she was real set on it,
hiatt
NAT, I want to tell you something
Something that. only one other per-
son knows. Grace doesn't know it
yet. Neither does Aunt Keziah-the
whole of it And if she knew 1 told
you even part I'm afraid she would.
as she would say, skin me alive
But 1 owe her-and you-more than
could repay if 1 lived thousand
years. So I'm going to tell and take
the consequences.
NAT, when-that morning after
your father died and after you and
Grace had agreed Toto
ITO do somethin' neither of us
wanted to do? Yes. I know. Go
ahead"
THAT morning Aunt Keziah came
home to the parsonage and broke the
news to me. She did it as only she
could do such a thing, kindly and pity
ingly and 1 made a fool of myself,
expect; refused to believe her, be-
haved disgracefully, and at last, when
had to believe it, threatened to run
away and leave my work and Trumet
forever, like coward. She made me
stay"
Did, hey?"
Yes. She showed me 1t was my
duty to face the music. When 1
whimpered about my troubles she
told me her own story. Then !