Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-07-21

BY Claudio
Ashton ,
6 6 6:


I Mrs. Allen. the lady with whom she
lived, was SO sorry for the lonely girl that
she always asked her to join any little
entertainment that took place. Kitty.
never accepted these kindly meant invi-
tations. She was so unhappy hat she a
no heart for anything of the kind. Ono
evening. however, she relented. A small
musical party was to be given and one Of
the pupils, a girl of whom Kitty had be-
come very fond. begged her to join it.
"My brother. who is staying here now,
is coming" she said proudly. "He Sings.
%splendidly, and you play accomplishments
so well that I want you to play his. You
neendn't stay downstairs all the evening
If you are tired. only 1 do wan you to
hear Arthur sing and see him, too; he ID
just perfect!!"
Kitty acceded to the earnest request
though when she found herself in the
drawing room that evening she was al
most sorry she had given in. There was
no help for it then, however, and she
Owe gracefully to the tall. dark young
man who was Immediately introduced to
her by his enthusiastic sister.
Miss Ormond is going to play your.ac-
compartments, Arthur" she said impetu.
ously. she plays beautifully, and I have
told her all about your wonderful sing
ing"
The man smiled.
II am afraid my little sister talks too
much" he said. Ssh is SO proud Of my
singing that she expects everyone to be
equally enthusiastic!"
No answering smile came to the face
of the girl to whom he spoke, and he
thought he had never seen anyone look
SO sad.
During the evening he asked his sister
why Miss Ormond looked so unhappy, and
she told him hat Miss Ormond had
brought her aunt to Florida hoping there
by to restore her health. and how she
had died suddenly. THE poor thing Is
quite alone in the world. and very poor"
jamie continued, 80 Mrs. Allen asked her
that aunt awfully, because 1t is more than
two years since she died. and Miss Or
mond always has that sad expression"
The young man stayed in Tampa for
some time and very often saw his sister.
and always managed to see Miss Ormond
at the same time. Then as his stay drew
near Its close, 1t suddenly dawned upon
him that when he left he would leave his
heart behind him, that he loved Kitty
Ormond and wanted her for his wife.
Kitty for her part, miserable as she was.
could not but be struck by his ever court.
eous kindness. In her lonely life kindness
touched her deeply, and she was hardly
aware herself how much she would miss
his frequent visits to the house. In her
heart she knew she loved him. but with
her wretched secret she felt she had no
right to show love for any man. and be-
lieved she had successfully hidden her
feelings for him. So one day 1t came upon
her with a terrible shock when she and
the young man were coming back from
the town together, jamie having run
ahead. he told hs1had loved her fron@the
first day he saw her, and wanted her to
marry him.
kitty, DEAR h said, tenderly, "why
/ ara Won So nf1Ch QSfnniShQd9 Won must
have known I loved you My poor little
girl. all alone in the world. ami has
told me all about your troubles, inc now
I am going to make you happy again. You
are too young and pretty to have that sad
facesalways.'
But the girl shrank from him.
Il can't" she mnrmured brokenly. II
love you. oh. yes, 1 love you, but I can
never marry you nor any other MANI
The anguish in her voice and face was
so intense that The man looked at her In
establishment.
What is. 1t. my DAZZLING. why do yor
talk so strangely? Why. If you love me
can't you marry me? You speak as 1!
you had committed some crime!"
I have" she answered, and it wa.
MS turn TO start back and exclaim
Kitty, h do you mean?"
"Listen," she said miserably, land wher
you have heard you will be sorry you
ever spoke to me, to say nothing of want.
ing to marry me! I am a thief-no. don't
interrupt me- as he was about to speak
-'let me tell you all. I am glad. 1 am
thankful to tell it. For two. years this
hateful secret has weighed me down"
She spoke very quickly. as IL to get her
confession over. 1--WE, my aunt and I.
were very poor. poorer than you can
imagine. She was i'll, and the doctors
said n trip to Switzerland would work
wonders for her. I calculated that for $3.50
we could go. but 1t was as impossible for
me to find $3.50 as to find $1,000, and SO, I
stole 1t. One day in the park I found a
purse. 1t had Ave bills in 1t, and
thought it couldn't be SO tery
l knew it was wrong, but still I did it
to keep it. I told my aunt 1t had beer
given to me by the mother Of my pupils,
and she-dear. unsuspecting Aunt Hester
believed me. We ca.le to Florida, but
it vas no good. She died, and II have
suffered agonies ever since. II she had
lived and got well I might not have mind.
ed so very much. but sac uied. You won
der no doubt that the owner Of the purse
did not advertise for It. Perhaps she did.
but I was afraid to look at the paper. I
think IL I had known to whom 1t belonged
I should have felt compelled to return It.
So now you know why I am SO unhappy
and why I can't marry you. No man
would marry a tibet and I love you far
too well to let you marry me without
telling you h I am"
Her eyes were on the ground and she
did not zee the curious light in his.
Was there exactly $3.50. no more, no
lcss!' he observed quietly to her aston
ishment.
There was something else" she an
sWered, Ca"
But he interrupted her:
"A half dollar and four pennies were
in It az we'll: the purse waa 0rean v,orkod