Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1903 — An Exchange [ARTICLE]

An Exchange

HHATB everything In the world," assarted the girl, eweeplngly and defiantly, "everything and everybody except, of course, you. Aunt Heater/* “Kitty, dear, don’t talk so wickedly," Milled a voice so feeble and tired, though sweet, that there was no need to be told Aunt Hester was IIL “It’s quite true," repeated Klttyj “I do beta everything. I hate never having any money and living In these two poky little rooms, and not being able to take yon abroad, which the doctor mjm would very likely make you well «p*» «m 1 having to slave day after day teaching those horrid children who never seem to learn anything. I loath# It all! I can't help not being patient like yon, Auntie, and If It la wicked to hate thlnga, why then 1 moot bo wicked 1" Tho girl stopped, completely out of breath, and the elder woman sighed but said nothing. She knew how hard the poverty of their lives was to the pretty girl of eighteen, who had youth’s natural desire for pleasure and pretty things. She understood how Irksome It was to Kitty to teach three doll children for five hours daily for the munificent sum of £l4 a year, which money, with the addition of a vary small annuity of bera, waa all they had to live on. She knew, too, better than her niece, better even than the doctor, that ao far as she was conceratd. It would soon be over; that not oven the visit to Switzerland, so easily advised, so Impossible to obtain, would make very much difference or very materially lengthen the days before Kitty would be left to fight tho battle of life alone. "Only £Bo,’’ ehe went on bitterly. “I have worked It all out For £SO we could both go to Lausanne for ten weak#. You know that pension where liable stayed; they would take the two of ua for £8 a week; that would leave plenty for the journey. Fifty pounds 1 less than heaps of women spend on one dress! I call It hateful — horrible —unfair. Why should we have nothing and others so much T” ■he mads for the park, and aa she was walking along one of Ita most deserted paths her foot knocked against t stone, which she kicked Impatiently away. Tha softness of the stone ■track her, sod she looked down to find Oho was kicking s purse. Shs nicked It up and examined It carefully. It wma nearly new, of green leather, •nrlooaly worked with black, and tha monogram. “A. K.” stamped In gold fte one corner. *lt la so light there can be nothing la it," ehe said to herself, and opened It A shilling and four pennies fell late her hand, and then some pieces of MM paper, five Bank of England aotaa far £lO each. There was no one MBS. Kitty's bead swam, her eyes guar misty. Oho felt sick and faint aa fte temptation unfolded itself to her. Bare was the exact sum needed to restart Aunt Hester to health; there was Be name in the puree; no clew to the •waar; sorely, since It bad come to her at that moment when she so much heeded £BO, It must have been sent by Providence. Surely It would be only fight for her to keep It Thus she reatoned, knowing the weakness of her argaaaenta, realising, but refusing to esmddar, that she contemplated committing a theft And after the theft. Has would be necessary, for If Aunt Hester had the faintest Idea of how the money was obtained, she would certainly refuse to even touch It, and weald Insist on making every effort to find its owner. If Miss Ormond had not been the moat simple-minded and unsuspecting Of women she would never have believed that Mrs. Harper, the by no means rich mother of her niece's pupils, would give her a present of £SO, tor thla was the very feeble lie by which Kitty accounted for her possession of the money. Miss Ormond was anxious to write and thank the lady, hot Kitty averred that Mrs. Harper had made a condition she should receive no thanks for her gift, and Miss Ormond, Into whose guileless mind no Shadow of suspicion entered, obeyed, though a little unwillingly. “Such a magnificent, such a princely gift’’ she kept on murmuring gently, “It seems rude and ungrateful for me not to thank her, but of course we must do ns she wishes. I hope, Kitty, you said how deeply grateful we both are." A week later and the dingy lodgings were left and aunt and niece started for Switzerland. Aunt Hester bore the Journey very well, and they were soon Installed in a comfortable pension overlooking the azure waters of Lake Leman, on the other side of which In aaow-dad majesty the peaked Alps keep guard. Then suddenly one day when they had been In Lausanne for six weeks, and Kitty congratulated herself that ■St sinned In vain, the end came. Aunt TTeatar returned from a walk, felt Ured, and went to He down. In two hears the eaave little Swiss doctor was assuring the almost frantic Kitty that nothing could save Mias Ormond. "It all pear famous London doctors had boas here, Mademoiselle, they ftllod suddenly. I sympathise much witß 110 All#

that she always aakad her to Join any llttla entertainment that took placa Kitty never accepted these kindly meant Invitations, She was ao unhappy that she had no heart for anything of the kind. On# evening, however, She relented. A email musical party was to be given and one of the pupils, a girl of whom Kilty bad become very fond, begged her to accept Mrs Allen’s Invitation to Join It "My brother, who la staying at Lausanne now, Is coming,” she said proudly. “He sings splendidly, and you play accompaniments so well that I want you to play bis. I told Mrs. Allen I would Implore you to come. Do, there’s a darling. You needn’t stay downstairs all the evening If you are tired, only I do want yon to bear Arthur sing and see him, too; he is Just perfect!” For Janie thought there waa no one In the world fit to compare with her eldest brother. Kitty acceded to the earnest request, though when she found herself In the drawing-room that evening aha was almost sorry she had given In. There was no help for it then, however, and she bowed gracefully to the tall, dark young man who waa Immediately introduced to her by his enthusiastic sister. “Miss Ormond Is going to play your accompaniments, Arthur,” she said impetuously. “She plays beautifully, and I have told her all about your wonderful singing.” The man smiled. “I am afraid my little slater talks too much,” be said. “She la ao proud of my singing that she expects every one to be equally enthusiastic!” During tbe evening he asked bis slater why Miss Ormond looked so unhappy, and she told him that Miss Ormond had brought her aunt out to Lausanne hoping thereby to restore her health, and how she had died suddenly. “The poor thing Is quite alone In the world, and vary poor,” Janie continued, “so Mrs. Allen asked her to lire with her. She must have loved that aunt awfully, because It is more than two years since she died, and Mias Ormond always has that sad expression.” The young man found that Janie had by no means exaggerated Mias Ormond’s playing powers, and although not at all Impressionable, he could not help feeling Interested In the beautiful, sad, and apparently friendless glrL He stayed In Lauaanna for some time, and very often saw his slater, and always managed to see Miss Ormond at the same time. “Kitty, dear,” he said tenderly, “why are you ao much astonished? Yo» must have known I loved you. My poor little girl, all alone In the world. Janie has told me all about your troubles, and now I am going to make you happy again. Yon are too young and pretty to have that sad face always.” But the girl shrank from him. “I can’t,” aha murmured brokenly. “I love yon, oh, yea, I love yon, but I can never marry yon nor any other maul” Tha anguish In her volca and face waa ao Intense that the man looked at her In astonishment “What la It my darling? Why do you talk ao strangely? Why, if you love me, can’t yon marry me? You speak aa If you bad committed a crime!” “So I have,” she answered, and It was his torn to start back and exclaim, “Kitty, what do you mean?” “Listen,” she said miserably, and then she tells her story. Her eyes were on tbe ground, and she did not see tbe curious light in his.

“It la odd there waa exactly tbe £SO you wanted, no more, no less,” he observed quietly, to her astonishment. “There was something else,” she answered, “a ” But he Interrupted her: “A shilling and four pennies were In it as well; the purse waa green worked with black, and A. K. was stamped In gold la one corner.” “A. K.!” she cried. "Arthur King! It waa your purse. Oh, let me go. Let me go, let me never see you again!” Ha held her firmly. "My darling, the money la nothing to me In comparison with what you have suffered. I am glad yon had the money, glad that through me you were able to give your aunt a little happiness at the end. And for yourself, Kitty, yon must be happy again now. After all, yon used my money,jmd It Is only fair yon should give me something In exchange.” “I have nothing to give, at least hardly anything. I have only been able to save £lO. Oh, Arthur, how you must hate me!” “I don’t want money, Kitty. You can give me the only thing In the world that I want, and that la " She looked at him In wonderment. "Yourself,” be finished, and she raid no