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Show i Katie Tempest, Soubrette. i BY EMEA V, SH3KIDAN. t ," (Copyrighted, All rights reserved. "'. " " CHAPTER V. ! (. 1 . THE DOCTOR'S TEKATMEST. ho began. lie questioned ine closely about the theatre. "Oil, yes," said I, "there is a man, of course. lie told me last night ho was going to shoot himself. I said no, he wouldn't to just take a brandy and soda." The doctor looked dark. "I will not have you associate with such people," he said, grinding his teeth. "What's to be done?" I returned, lightly, light-ly, adding: "He doesn't bother me much only when he takes me to lunch and leans over the table to say in a husky stage whisper that he loves me. How men will do such things at lunchesl It's so annoying when one is hungry. You cant go on brutally eating partridge while a man tells you he has despair in his heart and a loaded pistol in his pocket can you?" Tho doctor was not amused. "Do you care for any of these fallows?" he asked suddenly. For my life I could not tell the truth. "I don't know," I answered sulkily. Then all at once I cried: "Do you care for your cousin?" "Very much," ho answered, absently. Then he asked in a strained way if I thought we could still be friends if either of us married, and in the next breath, informed me that he was going to Europe. My heart had been filling up tighter and tighter. Now it burst. I gavo a gasp. "Are you going to leave me?" I said. "Katie," he answered, feeling his way through the words, "there is nothing else for mo to do." ' . "Don't you care for me at all that you break my hoart so?" I cried, pushing my hands hard together; "am I the sido of the house that you look at me as if you did not see me? What have I done that you should treat me as if you hated me? I will not have ill I'll go out and drown myself." "Katie," said he steadily, "remember tho promise you compelled me to make." A great light flashed before my eyes. I stood up and reached out my hands. "Oh!" I said, "I see how cruel I have been to people, for now my own heart breaks. You may hurt me as much us you like. I am no coward. Still I will tell you. I know I made you promise to be my friend and never to love me I know it and you have kept your word. You are going to marry your cousin and go to Europe; but before you go I will tell you that I love you. It is right I should have to say it so and for nothing for I have always been cruel, and believed no one but now I know it can be true. Though my heart breaks I am not afraid, and I say it again I love you I love you!" The room went all around, and I began be-gan to full; but a glad cry sounded, and my doctor's arms held mo up, and my doctor's voice was saying: "My brave little girl my darling my Katie. You have come to mel and I love you with all my soul, and I have from the first." There is no more a Katio Tempest, Soubrette Sou-brette THE END. 'I "Jfjf brave littlt 'girl my darling my I KatieF j After that I was very ilL The com-f com-f pony left me, and Dr. Katesby came every day. Ho asked if there was any i one belonging to me for whom he could ' eend. I "Only Uncle Jeb," said L "Ho hates 1 me becauso I went on the stage, but if the curtain is going to ring down on me ; (t would only be showing him proper at-j at-j tention to inform him" ! I gave my cross old uncle's address. Bclioldl Uncle Jeb sent back a check for i (5.000, and a letter telling the doctor uot to let me die. "ahe is a silly child," ne ' wrote, "but her heart is iu the right jilace, except for being set on the stage," p I wept over that lotter, and thought it lather nice to be dying. : One day Dr. Katesby brought his ; mother, and tho next thing I knew , I was taken to their home to "get ; well." I got well so slowly that I wondered won-dered tbe doctor did not lose patience. But he didn't. One afternoon he sat by ) ma a long while, telling me of a girl who i had jilted him, and who, he thought, had ' broken his heart forever. I Bat up straight I in bed and vowed that of all things ; love was the uukindest, most unsatisfactory, unsatis-factory, cruelest, worst in the world, i "We talked a long time, and he seemed to ' think as I did. In the end we shook J hands and he said: "We will be friends, Miss Katie, forever." ! I "Yes," said I, shaking his hand in both I of mine, "and I'm awfully grateful to you. Friendship is so nice, and I do .want ill" Of a sudden I determined to secure matters, and I looked at him as solemnly as I knew how and said: 'Promise me sacredly that you will never talk to me any way but this way, never look at me except as you are look- ing now, and never, nevor kiss me," He tihook hands again, and I went on: "We I will be jtiBt friends always." i I . "As long ns you like," Baid he, i 1 "Oh. I shall like it always," I an-' an-' awered. "I never go back on a friend. Friendship is the best thing in the world -the only safe, happy, comfortable thing i isn't it? And we thould be very grate-' grate-' ful for the happy friendship between i tis." i ' , He said "yes," and so it was settled. I got well; I was perfectly happy. The doctor was always good to me. He was never too busy to lot me come into his oil ice. Ho even let me pound pills and wash out bottles and dust his instruments. instru-ments. Sometimes, when Mrs. Katesby was tired, I used to see to his breakfast, and eveu when he discovered that I made the toast I was uot forbidden. It seemed to me that no one had ever been so kind to me. ' At last I was well enough to go to New York for my May engagements. The evening before I was to start I sat up for the doctor. Mrs. Katesby had kiBsed me and told mo to. I went wandering about, touching things that belonged to him. I had a queer feeling in my heart. I had been so happy, and now to go away and perhaps never I heard his key and ran to open the door. "What, littlo girl up?" said he. - "Yes," I answered; "your mother told me to serve your midnight tea. I don't think you should have midnight tea, but 1 6upposo a doctor knows." "I suppose so," said he, as I helped . him take off his coat. I was so quiet at the table that he asked: "Anything the matter?" "Only I'm going to-morrow, you know," I returned, "and you wouldn't believe how strange it makes nte feel here," and I rubbed my hand over the iiin in my sido. : "Your heart?" he asked. ; "Yes downright miserable," I answered. an-swered. i He laughed only softly, but I felt hurt, and all of a sudden I could not see. He must have observed that I was pouring tea into the sugar bowl, for ho called me to him. I thought it troubled him to look up. So I knelt down.. "When you go away." he asked, "will you remember we are friends?" j "Yes," said I. i "Forever?" "Yes," said I again, in a dull voice, "Tell me, Katie," he continued, laying lay-ing a hand on each of my Bhoulders, 'have I treated you as you wished as I promised?" I nodded, and the tears came up. - He looked at mo a moment, then said softly. "Friendship is the best thing in the world, the only safe, happy, comfortable thing, isn't it, dear? and we should be very grateful for the happy friendship between us." I nodded so bard that the tears spattered my hands. Be stood up quickly. "I am oil early to-morrow," and I will say good-hy now. Ee good in New York. 1 shall come about tho 15th to see you." He held out his hand. It was just what a friend would do, of course. I put first one hand and then the other into it. Then, as heclosed hisover both, I bent and kissed it and suid: "Good-hy, You have been very good to me. Tiease, please don't forget me." When I got upstairs I lay down on the floor and wept till my head was in a puddle. Mrs. Katesby wrote to me sometimes after I came away. She was so lonely j that she sent for a niece. The doctor liked his cousiu very much. I thought" about the cousin all day and all night. At last the 14th of the month came. That night I played so well the manager offered a rise for tho next season. Tho loth was Sunday. He came. I talked like a magpie and spoke of everything but the cousin. When I was talked out I |
