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About The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1900)
n .; . . .'-' . t Harch 8, 1900. THE inBRASKA INDEPENDENT. 3 A BeTaf ed Avowal f By Mary C. Hews. 1 "You know I like you, Barbara! I've always liketl yon," stammered John Leighton awkwardly, leaning against the kitchen .window sill and looking in with a ihy; embarrassed smile. "ITe erer neen my way clear to telling you o before but britI've made the last payment on that old acconut this morn ing, Barbara. I can start fair after thia." The woman to whom he spoke stepped back and returned a cooling flatiron to the store before she answered. "Yes, John, 1 know you always liked me," she spoke in a hard, resolute tone. I feel like telling you just once. John." went on the voice at the ironing table, 'how much you've cared for me in re ality. It began when 1 was 18, you re member with plenty of others to choose from. I was a pretty girl in those days, .too, as there's no harm in saving now, when all the prettiness has fad3." John Lefghton's honest eyes rested upon her In astonishment, but hers were bent upon her work. "You paid me lots of atten tion at first, but you never really 6aid anything. 1 kept expecting that you would through week after week and month after month, and I set my whole heart upon you, John. 15 years ago. It's a long time to be kept watting upon un certainties, isn't it? v- "You needn't lok at me so reproach fnlly. either. I understood all along that your mother had queer turns and wasn't exactly right in her mind, and everybody 'said she was scared almost to death for fear j-ou'd bring a wife home. But didn't you know you could trust me to wait, John, and hold to you steady through it all? ' "What did you say? That was just it you didn't want to stand between me and anything better. I showed so many signs of wanting anything better, didn't I? She smothered a sudden sob. "And a girl has no pride to be hurt, of course, when folks keep asking her when it's to be. and she knows in her own heart that there is no 'it,' let alone the 'when.' " She flung a handful of drops at ran dom across the sleeves of a garment that she had been drying while she talked. Her cheeks were scarlet now, her eyes shining. "You needn't look so ashamed of me!' she flashed out excitedly. "I know you're thinking I'm too bold to live, . but I shouldn't be saying all this to you, John Leighton, if the house wasn't let and ray trunks all. packed to go out of it tomorrow. When this ironing's finished and I've taken up a little root of myrtle from the burying groundI'm through here. Don't upset that flowerpot. John; there's no neod of jumping round as if something bad stung you, if I am." "Barbara, aren't you forgetting about way brother, and the shame" "What did that amount to, anyway? Kt wasn't you that forged the check besides. I. never can see that It's any man's duty to put on every yoke that a whole family see fit to whittle out for him. You were foolish to let it go that 'twas your signature; $G00 is a pretty big v n for a farmer to save up and pay out for somebody else, as you have. But I never cared so much for you in my life as I did the night you told me about it and when yon got through the telling you took up your bat and went home without - wo much as a goodby." The man who stood outside the window had bowed his head. More than one thread of silver gleamed in his hair as the sunlight fell upon 1t: his face was grave and pale. "Barbara," he began, with a curious choking in bis voice, "I've always" She did not seem to hear him. "1 did expect you'd speak. John, when father died and I was left all alone here. I can own it now s honestly as if I'd died. too. you see. Something has died in me uteiy; my neart. pernaps, or tne oiu happy feeling, and there's nothing left but the lonesomeness and the ache." A sigh that was almost, a groan came from her listener, but be made no at tempt to speak. "I used to think there never were two peop!eNany better suited to live together than we were." For the first time her voice trembleJ. "We're both plucky and fond Of work; a good laugh now and then suits one of us just as well as it does the other; we like books, too, and we're about the only ones in the neighborhood who realize that there can be a little strip of the world outside of what's in sight from Montrose hill. As to dispositions, I'm quick. I know, but I don't hold my temper; and you why, you haven't any temper to hold." "I don't know about that." John twirl i " ed his straw hat upon his fingers and f made the admission with slow sincerity. "I can be pretty spunky when I get started, but I've always liked you too much for "Oh, Well, It doesn't make any differ ence now. The end has come at last- both to the wishing and the worrying." . She had dried her wet fingers upon her apron and stood erect with tightly folded arms. "You'Te let duty and what you were foolish enough to call disgrace stand between us like a great iron fence. You've played at being dumb so long that you are almost dumb in reality at last; and I'm nothing but a homely, dis agreeable old crosspatch in these days, whatever I may have been once. I'm go- , log to live in Springfield after this, out of sight of the old home where I used to be so happy. When you go by here on your way to the postoffice. perhaps you'll remember the times we've talked togeth er down by the cinnamon rosebush in the garden and forgive me for being so hate ful this last morning. It's almost kill ed me to blame you, John, but somehow I can't help it." Her Toice yielded upon the words to a sudden rtorm of sobs that shook her from head to foot Th ctr ti a t fall nnliii r .V. x ' ground. Its owner made two steps to the open door, two more to the kitchen, and clasped her, heedless of resistance. to his -arms. His eyes, misty with sym pamy ana love, sougnt ners eagerly: hi heart beat with strong throbs of tender ness but his Hps shaped only the fa miliar words: "You know I like you. Bar bara!. I've always liked you ! Criterion. pillllIIII!l!!lllllllllll!llllllllllllllllllllllll!IIM s-- v:'-:: . - ;'-- jH' --''V-''-' ' '' ' ; "' " ' V:-. ' ' -:-7:':' " ' ' GREAT SAL IF55.II . A I II 1 I : I I . 1 X THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of sons BEAUT I to select from. Black goods are the "bread and butter" of the clothing business. 80 per cent of all I the clothing worn by men are black in color. We have always found it greatly to our advantage to I carry extremely long lines in the various grades of blacks and we do not hesitate to say that you g 1 will find in our establishment today twice the quantity as can be shown by the nearest of our fol- j I lowers. Our black goods are the direct productions of L. Adler Bros. & Co., Stein Bloch Co. and g I Hart, Schoeffher & Marx, besides other makes of more or less note. . ,. Facing the Enemr. Mrs. Bullitt Tell me it again, darling: the utory of yotar facing death fearlessly before, Santiago. Major. Bullitt But you must be tired N MIS SALE 5 taedard Black G Worsteds Nothing in the market has advanced so desperately as black diagonal Clays. they have aavancea -47 per cent, ana are now at xne nign poxnx since vx. tell you this By actual estimate clothing man will We Hold th W hm It and it is as much to your interest as to ours for you to buy black goods from us. One year ago we combined the purchasing power of our two big stores Armstrong Clothing Co. of Lincoln, and Arm strong & McClenahan of Cedar Rapids, la. and went into the open market and contracted black diagonal Clays at the then low current prices for spring 1900 delivery. We foresaw the fierce ad vance in price, and sought by means of an enormous advance outlay of cash to protect our patrons in which we have been most gloriously successful. The goods are here. They are cut and made according to the latest 20th century ideas, and you may own them for less money than the same goods can be bought for anywhere else in America. All black goods come in "regulars," "stouts, "slims" and "extra sizes." YOUR SIZE IS HERE. ' Lot I Men's round or square sack suits made of manipulated, clay worsted cloth in black color, nicely cut, nicely -made. The fabric used would be sold in most stores, as all wool. "We are unable to show you any cotton in them but there is, and we guarantee (our guarantee comes from the mills,) that there is 16 per cent of cotton in each suit. They are worth at wholesale $6,00 and at retail' $8.00 our price $5.93 I Lot 2 1 Lot 3 16 ounce Washington clay diagonal suits, on which the wholesale price is today $10.00, retail price $12.50, on sale here at $7.50. These we present you in sack, frock or square cut, are made with Italian lining, thoroughly well tailored and eftch suit guaranteed for one year. You save $5.00 by buying on this occasion. On sale at f 18 ounce "Wunsbck worsted suit worth at retail $15.00 at wholesale $12.00, on sale here for $10.00. There are silky yarns made from Australian worsted, hand n l -I . 1 . A - J Ti l.' . 1? 1 . Im. nnisnea garments, imported itaiian lining, in sacK or frock, single or double breasted. On this occa sion they are yours at . ... v. $7.50 110.00 Lot4 18 oz Wunsock worsted suit $15 wholesale price, $18 re- . fail price; on sale here for $12.50 made from Wunsock i i i , e . mi i 'a worstea or same material as iot & ne linings lining guaranteed rectly fashioned and sized Lot Lot 6 Imported Clay worsted suit for $15.00. These are genuine imported clays made at Hedderfield, England, and are correctly tailored, perfect fit- ting, tne very oesc linings ana trimmings. They come in sacks, frocks and Prince Alberts cut as fine as any dress suit can be, on sale at. . Men's light weight black worsted over coat, regular wholesale price'$10.50, re tail price $13.50, on sale at Lot 1 Men's light weight black worsted coat wholesale price $12.00, retail $15.00, on sale during this sale at n you may select a Business, Semi-Dress, or Evening: Suit, made from black wors ted, thibet or cheviots, at prices simply beyond the powers of competition to meet Q F1 11 y t z n 99 U sis ial as lot 3. They have extra (tb fa F fk iaranteed as well as suit: cor- fcfl 1 ..::;.:..v......;..;.-..,l.J u n $15.00 I sE$12.50, TK U- Men's black clay worsted pants at $2.50, $2.75, $3.00, $3.50 iHrlL y and $4.00, worth $3.00, $3.50, $4.00, $4.50 and $5.00. , I THE GREATEST SHOWING OF BLACK GOODS EVER MADE IN THE WEST-SEE OUR EAST SHOW WINDOW I EE PTT3 ARM CO o Hearing it. Mrs. Bullitt Oh. no! It will nerve me to go down and face the cook, Brooklyn ! 1 I