The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-03-29
Written for the star.l
ST. KATE AND THE DEMON
BY DARD'B BEST.

|
--
When little Kate Melville was about
to become Mrs. Rupert St. Jermyn she
looked forward to a host OF wifely duties
that should go towards making for the
Draw, handsome laddie of her choice an
earthly paradise; as for herself, she in.
tended toreserve the right OF darning
| all Rupcrt's socks. This little selfish
fgratltication was one OF the many bright;
lanticipations that refused to be dimmed
by the greater glories of new toilets,
ldining out, or summers at Newport.
How she loyed'to think of the dear little
blue satin-lined wicker basket ( Rupert
had given it to her only last week being
filed with manly foot gear that needed
the tiny, deXtrous digits, the sharp nee
! die, the gold thimble, not to speak OF the
| rainbow flashes OF monstrous diamond
| that twinkled away at this moment in a
dark corner of the poor old pine bureau
up stairs.
| For Kate was proud little thing--a
small, queer, dignitled, old-fashioned
creature; and when the rufies. on the
print dress seemed to her to shake them
|
1 engagement solitaire"flashel offensive
ly out at them as the busy hand went
here, there, and everywhere, she smiled
at the imagined disagreement, and
locked up the fiery beauty in her bureau
drawer. --
| What use to say that Rupert ST..
Jermyn's world wondered--with high
held aristocratic noses and chiseled lips
acurye-at the folly of uplifting that
little orphaned Melville girl to the
throne that the lady of st. Jermyn was,
from time immemorial, known to oc-
cupy Little use, indeed; and an Homo
ra, an Estella, Florence, two lsabellas
and three Marys, of quite distinguished
families, languished, despaired, racked
their brains and grew frantic, as the
weeks rolled by and the wedding day
came TO little bride grateful and hap
| py, an idolized bridegroom grateful and
happy, and the dear five hundred assem-
bled guests in altogether different frames
Of mind.
And soR at last, when the rite is over
and the carrige gained after the ordeal
of the inquisition gauntlet of stares
from altar-rail to curbstone, Rupert
bends over to where the dear little bios
some crowned head rests upon his broad
shoulder and calls her, in tender lover
parlahce, his "own," KATE surely forgets
that the stiff white satin her mother-in-
law has seen fit to deck her in can crum-
pie, for two ocream-white, shining sleeves
70 up around Ruperts neck as she
Whispers happy little syllable or two.
| "Kate, you hold the key to my heart;@
saws st. Jermyn gravely, quite for
getting the fact that there are two keys.
and that the one be does not give. her
che will ind before many days.
And before many days she sees q
| shining corner of the key.
| The beautiful house is quiet at last.
The corridors no longer echo the forced
laughter of an Honora, or an Arabella,
or any others whose hearts are as black
as their faces as are smiling upon the
little bride; but sweet quiet reigus,
and now, as St. Jermyn is TO spend one
blissful evening alone with ber, she
draws her char nearer the shaded gas
yet. brings out the famous blue-satined
wicker basket containing half dozen or
so pairs of new socks and proceeds to
mark them in white floss. 1t is very
| nretty monogram; the r. and the st.
| seem to be gracefully smothering the j.,
! while lot of little delighted tiligrees
tare lying all about the instep. ef
"What are you trying to do?' asks ST..
Jermyn.
ALI luhl hAb5 WI ooShSj AtuPSAb,
one is SO apt to get them lost in the laun-
1 dry if they are not"
lone may be apt to lose them; but
| not Mrs. St. Jermyn, as long as there are
j housekeepers or sempstresses to mark
them, Put it up, Kate, while | am by"
4 And the poor little basket is ban
1Oh. Rupert, here is the dearest little
song by Milliard! Open the piano and l
will sing il for YOU"
ssSome other time, love; come talk to
men
There is a low cushion between gas
, light and freight, and here, book i'll
hand, Kate seats herself. The fun
niest, drollest things?' says she; ',jdst
/, listen, dearw
oYou do not care, then, TO talk tc
mew
And Kate, looking up, catches her frs
gleam OF an ugly key that opens The
, larger cell of st. Jermyn's heart; and il
the bitter tones she hears the grating 0
the lock.
The st. Jermyns are proud people
( but with the right kind Of pride. Ant
SO, when the high strung, impetuous
, Jealous natured youth Of the presen
I lhouse fell TO thinking OF little Kate, Wht
i lived down in an anything but aristo
q cratic DolT0DOrnOUu anu Ill any buiup Uu
a stylish residence, Mater and Pate
u took wise counsel together, and, atte
: weighty deliberation, decided to bestov
their benedictiohs, certain real estate
and a dover, upon the little maid.
II know my son." said Mater; "and
} feel assured that the child he loves viii
4 give him less cause TO be jealous thai
9 any lady Of our circle; anu you know
u what Rupert's Jealousy leads him p
"Bhnd and unreasonable fury, m.
$ dearD acquiesced poor old Pater. Ant
y now we are informed as TO what demon
0 dwells within the cell-the larger cell
5 of Rupert's heart. Poor little Katel
Q When Kate's birthday comes flyin
= around, with its faithful old sun tha
has kissed her pink cheeks for exactl
leighteen years, there are some present
Is grouped about her breakfast plate
n Eighieen links Of gold with q pearl
p eacn link - from Pater st. Jermyn
e eighteen yards of rare old point lac
N from Mater st. Jermyn; modest littl
e volume an autograph album who's
n title-page bears a ''composition picture
e OF eighteen photographed taces-her a
e lfectIonate though. humble schoolfellowi
There were over twenty in the classes
land.as she lifts the book, wondering q
!, their absences, out showers the rest an
Y little love-letter from them all!
:, From under her monogrammed breai