The North Platte semi-weekly tribune., December 12, 1899, Image 6

About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922

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KITTY'S
By Author of
CHAPTER XV. (Continued.)
"Arthur St. John alias Leslie
omethlng else, no doubt, nowadays.
Ho looked like a man of fifty. Hut I
know hi in ; I knew him almost In a
moment."
"You couldn't he fiurc," 1 said doubt
"fullyr Meg Bmlled, hut did not contradict
no. nut tho omllo was eloquont It
despised my folly,
"I hud gono down stairs early," Meg
continued, leaning hack In her chair,
and punhlng hor hair from her brow
with a nervous Impatient little gesture.
"It's not my way to got up oarly, is It?
Hut I was restless, I couldn't sleep, and
I thought I should find n novel If I
went down stairs. Tho Rirvnutii
worcn't moving; hut there wub a fire
iu tho ntudy. Tho bllnda were all
down, but tho fire looked co3y; I went
In and stood before It and warmed my
toc3. I daro say I was looking tin
tidy, Kitty; I think he took me for
an early houiemaid; he camo Into tho
room quietly, and came up behind mo,
and and ho kissed me, Kitty. I hadn't
heard any one come In, and I nearly
Ecreamcd. Iiut as 1 turnod my head
round quickly I saw hli eyes, and I
kmnv him, and I didn't scream I was
too frightened to moVo or mako a
sound "
"Go on, Meg."
"Then all at once John called to him
from tho passage. He called In a very
quiet, mysterious sort of volco impa
tlont, too.
"'St. John,' ho said, 'your sister is
waiting, Come,'
"Ho opened tho strcot door quietly
and led somo ono In. Thoy didn't como
back to tho study as I feared thoy
would; thoy pcemed to ho setting out
on somo Journey, and tlino seemed to
ho pressing. They stood for a mlnuto
speaking softly and quickly in tho hall.
Do you know, Kitty, whoao volco I
heard? It was a voice not to bo mis
taken Madamo Amaud'o volco. Sho
was thanking John. She said such an
"I DON'T WANT
odd thing, Kitty; I stored It up to toll
you that was what I came to Bny,
You havo always been Jealous of Mad
amo Arnaud and I used to think you
had rcaBon to bo Jealous; but now
woll, now, I am not sure."
"What was It that she Bald?"
"Sho was thanking John for having
given her so much of his precious
time.
"'Wo know,' sho Bald, 'that ovory
mlnuto spent nwny from Kitty Is u
mlnuto you begrudge. You havo been
very good; you havo never lot mo feel
how my affairs havo bored you.'
" 'Thoy have not bored me, said
John; 'wo mado n compact of friend
ship long ago; and what Is tho mio of
IrlcndB If thoy arc not ready to servo
In tlmo of need?' "
"John Ib a paragon to tho end! How
lias ho been serving Madamo Arnaud,
Kitty? What nro her 'affairs' that
lmvo Icon 'boring' him ami taking up
his tlmo?"
"I don't know. I dou't want to tell
you, Meg not now."
"You aro a llttlo contradictory, dear;
hut nover mind, mystery U tho ordor
of tho day. Do you know that Mndamo
Arnaud camo and went uway In n dross
and bonnet and mniitlo that mado hor
look qulto an old lady, an old lady of
alxty or over? I looked through tho
chinks of tho venctlaiiB and saw hor
go out. Sho hnd putta of gray hair bo
ucath her bonnet; her gown was
bunched out at tho bIiIcb; alio looked
Hlxty qulto. What doca It nil nicau,
Kitty t What is tho mystery?"
"I cannot tell you, Mog."
"Hut you know? Kitty, you aro
trembling; -what Is tho matter with
you?"
"Nothing, M'.r nothing!" I returnod
hastily. "I -was thinking trying to
tliluk."
Uut. try ns I might, my thoughts re
Maed to shape thonvhulves. Ono Idea,
-it
HUSBAND
"Hetty," Etc
4
A4
and only one, had takon possession of
my mind, John had had business mat
ter to talk of with Madame Arnaudl
It was bualnaga' that had taken him
there so oftsn buglness that they
talked about in such lowered, confi
dential voices? My dplrlta had sud
denly grown buoyant, my volco almost
gay.
"Meg, "lay I'" for a llttlo while,"
I pleaded eagerly. "I want ,o bbo John
nil alone."
"An uncommon wish!" laughed Meg;
but tho soft little glanco with wnlch
she looked back at nw robbed tho
mocking speech of all Its sting.
CHAPTER XVI.
John wns In the breakfast-room. He
was seated In an arm-chair beside tho
fire, his elbow on tho tablo that stood
near, his bond against his hand, I was
standing close to him before ho saw
mo.
"John," I said In a quick volco that
I tried in vain to steady, "don't let mo
go away from you I I don't want to
go, John!"
He sprang quickly to his feet, his
face lighting up.
"Did I want you to go, Kitty?" ho
asked reproachfully. "Your wish to
leave mo ban been tho bitterest troublo
I lmvo ever had to boar. I needn't tell
you that, need I? You know It only
too woll!"
Ho hnd taken my-hands In his, but
I would not let him draw mo near him.
"I lmvo been Jealous, John," I said,
bringing out tho words in a sharp,
labored way. "I havo been Jealous of
Madamo Arnaud!"
"Jealous, Kitty! Havo you cared
enough for mo to ho Jcaloua, dear?" ho
asked, sadly. "You havo had no need
to ho Jealous none! Yot It Is good
nows to mo, all tho same."
"It wasn't your lovo for hor, John,
thnt I minded," I went on tremulously,
tho tears springing unbidden to my
oyes. Perhaps perhaps I did mind
that, too; but that wasn't what I
TO QO, JOHN."
minded most. You had loved hor llrst
and you couldn't help If you loved hor
ueat. ou hadn't eccn her for so long;
you didn't know how it would bo
when you camo to see her again you
couldn't holp it! And I should havo
tried to hear It! What I couldn't boar
was your always going to eco hor, your
huvlng so much to say to her sccrotly,
so confidentially "
"Do you know," asked John gravely.
what thoso talks wero about? Listen,
Kitty, nnd I will tell you."
"I know nlrendy. You woro helping
tho man about whom you told mo yos
torday hor brother yes, I know.
John." I wont on eagerly, "you will lot
me stay? I said I wanted to go. but I
didn't; It would break my heart to go!
I'll bo content, John; I'll bo different
and not teaso you I won't nsk you to
lovo mo very much. I'll lot my lovo bo
enough for both. Ami by-nnd-hy, as
you said, 'lovo may come.' You did
lovo mo you said so boforo you mar
ried me, and tho lovo may como bnck
again "
John drew mo toward him. Ho put
his nrm around mo, nnd lookod down
at mo closely, very tonderly, vory won
dcrlngly. "Kitty, you talk In riddles, dear," ho
said. "You won't nsk mo to lovo you
very much? .What does that mean?
You know, dcorost you must know
that, whether you nsk or do not nsk,
I lovo you with my heart and ooul."
I looked up at him In bowlldermont.
"You said you said that our mar
riage was n mistake, John,"
"It was you, Kitty, who said that."
"Uut I said so becauso I thought that
you thought bo, John. And you ugreod
with me. Oh, John, you havo for
gotten you did ngroo with me! You
said that you felt tho mistake and ro
grotteil it oveu nicro blttorVy than I."
"For your sako, Kitty, for your sake,
dear; becauso my lovo had failed bo
slpjally to mako you happy. You told
mo that I had spoilt your life, broken
your heart; that, when you had a wish,
it was only a wish to die."
"I didn't wish to mako ycur llfo a
bondage, John."
John's eyes twinkled for a moment,
and then were grave again.
"Do you mean to toll mc, Kitty," ho
asked Incredulously, "that you doubted
that I loved you 7"
"Do you mean that you could pos- j
slbly doubt, John, that I loved you?"
I retorted In tho same tono of Incro
dullty. "It was natural enough for mo to
doubt," eald John humbly.
"Much moro natural for mc," I re
turned, looking up nt htm with spark
ling eyes.
I had clasped my hands upon his
shoulder; I put down my cheek against
them.
"I thought," I confessed, "that you
had married mo for kindness' sako
to to provide for mo.Iohn. Evory
ono thought so. Meg and Dora nnd
Aunt Jane nnd oven your slater. You
yourself 3ald that you thought of mar
rying mo beforo you thought of loving
me."
"Yos," admitted John; "years ago, I
had somo vaguo hope that you would
glvo mo tho right ono day to tako caro
of you, to mako life smoother for you.
I Etipposo I didn't lovo you as long ago
as that I had only a very tender feel
ing for you. Love, when It came, was
real enough In spite of that oarly
thought. Don't scorn my love, Kitty,
because I met It with welcome Instead
of rebuff."
There was not much scorn In my
eyes na I raised my head and lookod
softly, smilingly Into tho gray eyca
looking down at mo. Ho kissed me;
and for a mlnuto wc stood In silence.
"Kitty," ho Raid nt length, "there Is
something that I want to tell you. I
ought to havo told you long ago. It
was a painful Btory, and I did not tell
It. Como nnd sit down, and I will toll
It now."
Ho drew mo to tho llttlo sofa be
side tho Arc; and there ho told mo tho
story of his first lovo, tho story that In
part I knew nlrcady.
"Sho gavo you up becauso you wero
poor?" I asked Indignantly.
"Don't hlnmo hor, Kitty! Sho gavo
mo up for her brother's sako. It U
more than ten years ago now that hor
brothor forged that check of which I
told you that first check. Thero
seemed to bo nothing but utter ruin
boforo him. Arnaud, tho man that
Lucia married, had money and inllu
once. Ho used both on tho tacit under
standing that sho should marry him.
Her brother was snved for tho time."
"Was It the only way?" I questioned.
"I think somo other way might havo
been found. Rut sho could not bo calm
and weigh chances. Sho wns devoted
to this hroinor. For ten long years, as
alio said tho other night In tho park,
sho has hoped against hopo for hla
reformation; has tried to bo bravo,
has tried to hopo for tho best. Arid
now, at tho end of tho ton years, things
nro Just whero they wero beforo, I
tlUnk they nro worso this tlmo, for this
tlmo ho la loss repentant. Sho Is sacri
ficing her wholo Ufa to him; hut sho
docs It almost without hopo. Sho 13
going away with him to South Amer-
lcn, to banishment,"
I was qulot for a moment.
"John, I lmvo been so unjust to her,"
I confessed In a low tono "so unjust
to her always In my thoughts."
"Sho Is ono of tho noblest women
that I know!" said John.
Again wo sat silent for n mlnuto.
My henrt wns boating fast; I longed
to nsk a question which I dared not
nsk.
"John, I won't bo silly, I won't ho
Jealous toll mo," I pleaded, "If you
didn't try to lovo mo, would you lovo
her still lovo her best, I mean?"
John answered gravely, with an air
as earnest as mlno.
"I respect her," ho said; "I shall
respect her always. I do moro than
respect I admlro her. But that Is all!
Tho old lovo wns dead, Kitty, years bo
foro tho now lovo waB born!"
I was contented. Tho End.
Another Trick Htolon from N'ltture.
Tho easiest way of doing nnythlng la
tho way that naturo chooses, and ten
to ono when an Inventor comes out
with somo now nnd brilliant Idea ho
finds that naturo has been doing tho
same thing since tho beginning of tho
world. Certain vnrletlcs of fish havo
tho power when hard pressed by their
enemies, of throwing out an Inky fluid
which darkens tho water all about
them and enables thorn to escape in
safety. Perhaps Influenced by this
fnct an Invontor has taken out a pat
ent for a Binokc-maklng device. Tho
Idea Is to enable n vessel closely
pressed by another to envelop herself
In tho smoke nnd to escapo under cover
of It. With n view to testing tho effica
cy of tho Invention n torpedo boat was
placed In the center of n number ot
others, which mado a circle of about
half n mllo In diameter around her.
Tho torpedo boat thus surrounded then
enveloped hcrsolf In tho smoke nnd
under cover of It was onnblcd to escape
from tho circle, though all tho other
boats wero keoplng a very sharp look
out for hor. Altogether tho experi
ment mny bo said to havo been fairly
successful, and to havo proved the
practlcnl utility ot tho Invention.
Somo Can't.
Miss Dalntco What an awful occu.
nation! To bo employed In a placo
whero they tin meats. Mr. Edgemore
Well, It argues a certain ability. Miss
Dnlntee Ability? Mr. Edgomore
Certainly. They only employ those
who can. Now York World.
Aiittrulliiu Ojml Mining,
Opal mining Is ono of tho grcatost
Australian mlnoral Industries.
EXECUTING AN ELEPHANT
The Fate of Sapphira, Who Had
. Killed Her Keeper.
Sapphira waa doomed. Tho largest
elephant in captivity had killed her
keeper and wns to expiate the deed
with her own life. It had always been
so with elephants who had killed tholr
keepers, but tradition had llttlo to do
with the present sentence. Indeed,
tho man who had boon with tho show
longest, Wells tho rlngmastor, was tho
only ono who held qut against it.
Wells was part ownqrJln tho circus
and had a right to sifck. Tho trial
was held In tho manager's tent, nnd
though Sapphlra's fate had already
been settled by n voto of five to ono,
Wells was still talking.
Ycb, ho know that a man-klller waa
a Jonnh to any Bhow that thero was
constant danger of damage suits that
Bomo towns exacted an extra license
fco for a man-klller. Ho knew thnt It
hurt business that women nnd chil
dren would bo afraid to go where
there was a man-klller. Dut, hang It
all, could tho show stand n loss of
$10,000? Sapphira was worth, every
cent of that. Was there no other way
of getting rid of tho brute? Didn't
they remember what a row tho news
papers mado ovor tho killing of Dar
num's man-klllor? Wouldn't it hurt
business if thnt happened ngaln?
Botched? Of course it was botched.
It was no easy matter to kill an ele
phant. Well, ho was never bull-
SAPPHIRA
headed. There wns five to ono against
him. But ho wouldn't stand to sco
Sapphira butchered nono of that Bar
num business of two years back, when
thoy killed tho Sultan after five hours.
Ho would glvo In, but tho Job hod to
bo dono clean.
And bo Sapphlra's fato was settled.
Since she had crushed out tho keeper's
llfo and flung his broken body against
tho tlgor cage, tho great beast had
been Isolated from tho rest of tho herd,
chained fore nnd hind, and kept In n
tout nlono. Alono? Well, Joo wa3
with her llttlo Nigger Joe, who had
been with tho clrcii3 since ho was no
bigger than n monkey. His father had
ridden Sapphira beforo him. For his
sako sho let them put the chain on her
foreleg, a disgrace sho hod nover be
fore suffered. But why shouldn't sho
oboy little Joo? Many nnd many a
tlmo ho had soothed tho throbbing
sore on hor trunk when It wns opened
by fresh cruelties of tlie keeper's hook.
Oh, that hook!
Tho doctor had to poison Sapphira.
It was n nasty Job and It didn't make
him feel a bit better to see the llttlo
nigger leaning against her trunk halt
asleop. Sapphira saw him and won
dered why ho pulled hack In that odd
way, Still sho know what was com
ing. Sho had hoard tho voices In tho
manngor's tent sho had heard Well's
volco, too. Wells, who was her old
est friend and next to little Joe, her
best.
Sapphlro knows hor fate. Tho iso
lation, tho chains and stakos, the low
ered voices and furtlvo locks, all aro
omons of death. Sho had seen it all
beforo and It was tho scaio. Thoy
camo crowding In after th show Just
ts thoy wero now. Charters, Hon
tamers, bnro-back ridoi. Jugglora,
anvns rcsn and nil. There w3 a good
sprinkling of women among them.
Some still wore the trappings ot tho
show. They wero In a hurry to seo hor
die.
Thoy nrc gathering around hor groat
front In n varl-colorod crescent over
n hundred of them. But they keep a
good dlstnnce. Now Murrello comes In,
talking angrily with tho doctor. Well,
ho will do It himself glvo him the
bran balls and the candy. Now ho
pushes his way through tho crowd
with the basket containing tho pois
oned dainties. Now Murrello walkn
near Sapphira; Imprudently near, they
think who aro In tho horns of tho cres
cent and seo tho glitter of tho ele
phant's eyes. Now he speaks to hor.
His voice Is Intended to be soothing.
Now ho tosses her a bran ball. Oh,
how seductively! Sapphira docs not
touch It. Sho Is hungry, too, but she
knows thero Is death In that morsel.
What, another? Whiff! She has
picked It up and tossed It disdainfully
Into tho crowd. Somo one laughs and
then n general titter goes up.
".loo! Nigger Joe! She'll tako tho
poison from him," somo ono shouted.
Tho llttlo black, who had been sitting
on a pile of stak.es apart from tho
crowd mutely nursing his misery, now
Jumps up. It Is not bad enough to see
Sapphira die ho niU3t kill her. The
TAKES THE POISON TO SAVE LITTLE JOE.
shiny faco turns a dull drab and ho
edges toward tho back of tho tent.
Thero Is a break In tho crowd and two
or three start after him. Ah, he has
dived under tho canvas. Too lato!
Tho Hon tamer has him by tho leg and
pulls him back.
Now tho queen talks to him, kindly
nt first, thon angrily. Hero Murrello
comes in with his big bullying volco.
Tho stubborn llttlo nlggor, ho'd tako
the shines oat of hlni. Ho grabs tho
lion tamor'B whip. Sapphira tries tho
chains again, this tlmo In a mightier
effort Murrello baa struck llttlo Joe.
The elephant'a groat foreleg Is lacerat
ed by tho chain, nnd the blood runs.
No U30 no ueo. Again Murrello ap
plied tho whip.
Sapphira pauses In her mighty
struggle, and, raising hor great trunk
majestically, sho trumpot3 a fierce pro
test. Oh, If sho only had articu
late volco! How proudly alio would
havo spoken. Sho would tako
tho poison, but thoy must not
boat llttlo Joe. Sho would end
It all for hor little frlend'a sake.
Sho drops hor trunk ngaln thero waa
tho candy Murrello had thrown to her.
Now tho crowd Is shouting wildly
at Murrello, nnd, releasing little Joe,
ho turns around. Sapphira Is holding
tho poisoned candy aloft with some
thing In hor, aspect that makes him
iinderstnnd. Tho queen of tho circus
throws her knlfo into tho sawdust and
Murrollo lifts Joo to his arms like a
fathor.
Sapphira haa taken the pohon. It
Is hor requlttal of "Nigger Joo's" lovo
and loyalty.
CHRIS. HAWTHORNE.
Htlll nt LnrRt.
A formfr governor of New York was
noted for the quickness of his wit,
which seldom left a chance for repartee
unappropriated. An Englishman who
had been visiting different parts of tho
country spoko with special fervor of
a sight ho had seen in a western state.
"I attended a Sunday service for the
Inmates of tho stato prison," said he,
"and I learned that of tho 170 persons
now confined there, all but four volun
tarily attend religious services hold In
tho prison chapel twlco on oach Sun
day. Thnt Is a wondorful.thlug!" "It
Is," said tho governor, thoughtfully,
"I am sorry to say It Is not so with
us; but then," ho added, Boberly, "in
Now York, you seo, most of tho re
spectahlo people do not como to prison,"
AS JESUS WOULD DO.
WUnt tho Iiiimodlnto' Itonutt Would . Uo
of l'ollotrlni; III Precept.
Tho author of "In His Steps," Rev.
Charles M. Sheldon, writing on "Is
Christianity Practical In Business Af
fairs?" in the November Ladles' Homo
Journal, contends that "tho Immedlato
result of applying Christ's teachings to
ovcry-dny llfo would.wlthout any ques
tion, be the actual loss of almost ev
erything in tho way of money, and so
cial position, and political power for
vast numbers of persons who nre now
rich, or successful, or powerful through
tho exerclso of selfish that is, un
christian method3 of life. I havo not
tho slightest doubt that If tho mer
chants of Philadelphia, for oxamplo,
should begin at ouco to do 03 Jesus
would do In business, tho Immedlato
result would bo bankruptcy for very
many of them, perhaps for the major
ity. If not bankruptcy, then enormous
losses would follow. This fact would
not prove thnt Christianity cannot he
applied to modern business; it would
simply prove that modern business
doe3 not square with tho teachlugs of
Christianity. That this is so business
men themselves frankly confess. Tho
statement so ofton made, that the
Golden Rulo cannot bo mado to work
In business, Is not n confession of the
foolishness of tho Golden Rule, but of
the selfishness of tho business world."
MasmtRO Treatment of Klieiinmtlm.
Dr. Flquet, In tho Archives Generates
do Medeclue, describes observations
mado on hlmsolf to determine tho
effects of tho ma&sago system practiced
at Alx-les-Bains. During a douche of
ten minutes duration and nt a tom
porature of 94 degrees F. massage Is
applied to all tho body. Dr. Flquet
took a series of twenty douches on
three different occasions, his food be
ing kept constant In quality nnd quan
tity. Careful and olaborato analyses
showed that tho tissue change of tho
body Is Increased, and especially that
tho excretion of Inorganic salts Is en
couraged. This seems to explain why
tho Alx-les-Baln3 douche-massago
tempereo Is beneficial In rheumatism
and Injurious In consumption.
Vrem Telephone!.
In Bomo towns of Gormnny tho tele
phone Is Introduced by tobacconists as
an additional attraction to customor3.
Anyono who buys a cigar may, If ho
desires, speak over tho tobacconist's
Instrument.
New York' Mllllonnlroi.
Thero are said to bo no fowa than V
800 millionaires In New York.
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