The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
VOLUME 3.

She was small, perfect brunette, with
glorious eyes, which might sparkle with
love or hate; red lips and cheeks, lus-
trous black hair, white. shapely teeth,
and, in fact, everything which is charm
| ing in women. She treated me very
kindly, very gently, because j, her faith
er's friend, was an invalid. If | had
been apparently strong and hearty she
would have suspected her fathers mo-
tives and met every advance with re-
buff. He had brought several eligible
young men TO his house, but Kate had
sent them about their business in any
thing but a complimentary style. All
the ladies who had been hired as COM
panions she had won over to her cause.
They abetied her in her disobedience
and were discharged in disgrace. TWAS
planned that while drawing on her sym
pathy and seeking kindly offices from
her should watch over her, keep with
her as much as / could, and excite, if
possible, the jealousy of her lover, and
tempt him to some desperate action.
felt Immediately that it would be a
pleasant task, although had 1 been as
appeared, young man of landed estate,
| would have entered into it with great
er zeal. For few days everything pro-
greseed smoothly. Kate was assidnous
in her attentions TO my comfort. L
would lie on the sofa and she would read
to me in her dulcet tones. / enjoyed
this heartily, for she was really good
reader, and Tennyson or Byron from her
lips was the sweetest music to me.
When my head ached, and I often
had severe spells with my head, how
tende-ly she bathed it with those def
fingers of hers. / would have been con
tent to live and bask in the sunshine of
her presence forever, but observations
showed me that there was necessity
for action. Sometimes Kate would shut
herself up in her room for an hour or
two. Meanwhile ], on whom time al
ways hung heavily when she was absent,
placed my chair by the window tc view
passers-by. Invariably 1 saw man
pacing up and down in front of the
house. He was of medium size, light
complexion, blue-gray eyes, long side
whiskers, mixture between flaxen and
brown. Most people would have called
him rather good-looking. but a close OBJ
server of character wonld have noted
the strangely shaped forehead and the
gradual sinking in of the features at the
bridge of the nose. / was not long in
finding out that this was Kate's lover,
and ! took strange delight in watch
ing him. 1 caught him looking at me
with malignant scowl. With Kate's
temperance he always disappeared. Il
was certain that they were keeping up
correspondence, but never saw him re-
ceive any letters ] now began to con-
coct plans to prevent this. begged her
as great favor to help me in writing
some letters which were necessity for
me to write, but which, on account of
my weakness, ! was unable to do.
kept her for long hours writing letters
about all sorts of things to imaginary
people, which, of course, were never
mailed. ] have some of them yet care
fully put away in my writing-desk. Then
we, took long rides, and she, believing
me to be a stranger in the city, pointed
out objects of interest, and answered the
numerous questions which chose to
ask. / think at those times she must
have thought me very stnpid and pos
sessed of very little information, but she
always answered me with the same un-
wearying kindness.
With all her irmness, and, as her
father termed it, obstinacy, there was al
ways in her that gentleness and sweet
ness which characterize the true lady. /
only sighed that she had not bestowed
her love on some worthy object-myself,
for instance. Luckily / met no one who
knew me as David Moss, attorney and
solicitor, but nearly always passed some
where in our rides her lover, whom her
father had told me was called Walter
Reveaux.
At such times Kate would bow and
smile, while he returned naughty nod,
which bfought frightened. grieved looks
into Kate's fair@face. Then an insane
desire would seize me to jump out of
the carriage and give him the thrashing
he deserved; but discretion being the
better part of valor, would, on refee-
tion, remain seated and by playful
badinage endeavor to. coax back Kate's
smiles.
I had been at Marston's house nearly
mouth and had been treated as an
honored guest by both master and mis-
tress. The change in my life seemed al
most as wonderful as the miracles
wrought by the genii of Aladdin's lamp
| came slowly downstairs on this morn
ing little earlier than usual and enter
ed the dining room. / had expected to
find no one there and was astonished to
see Kate kneeling before her pet canary
weeping bitterly, and between her sobs
saying: "Good-by, Sweetheart" for SC
she called the bird. l entered unob.
served, SO ] slipped out again, closing
the door softly after me, determined to
closely watch affairs.
/ came down late to breakfast and
found Kate and her father already seat
ed: There were no traces of agitation
about Kate, there only seemed to be
added sweetness and gentleness in hel
manner to her father. I complained Of
having passed bad night and Of feeling
badly. kept my room most of the
day but within its precincts l ragged fur
iously. To let her escape with thai
scoundrel seemed to me would be to LEI
the last of my life depart. mol ] wal
determined TO prevent it, even at cost o
my life.
The day wore away in slow, intermin
able length / did not tell her fathel