The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-07
KATE'S EsCAPADE.
FALLING IN LOVE ny MISTAKE.


through the wide hall which ran the length OF
the grand old house which was her home
She was passing the library door. when her
father called her to come In. On entering she
found hin, with an open letter In his hand
Il have just received word from my friend
Seymour that he will visit lis next week. .
said he
Kate shrugged her shoulders: 'papa's
friends are not generally very entertaining
to young people.
file viii be accompanied by his nephew,
for whom he has been guardian, who has just
returned from an extended foreign tour. He
Is a young man of excellent family. and heir
to an immense fortune it has long been
Seympnr's wish as, also, mine-that you
and his nephew should marry when you had
reached suitable ages. You are now twenty,
and that Is quite old enough. They will be
here on Tuesday. and desire that you look
your best. and be as agreeable"
He was interrupted by Kate, who, being
possessed Of considerable spirit, did not relish
being thus summariy disposed Of,
''Do you suppose / am going to marry q
man don't know and never saw'2'' she asked,
Indignant y. DO you wish to sell me, as IL
] were a share in railroad stock, or had no
more heart than a lump of coalr'
Kate, said her father, sternly, ITO whom
are you speaking?''
II don't carei' she cried. excitedly. IT hate
Seymour and all his relations, and II his
nephew. were rich as Crusus wouldn't marry
him Therer'
Il had been favorite project of her father
and Kate had heard it limited ct eyer, since
she had been out of school She had only
laughed. The idea of things assuming such
d Tangible shape had not occurred to her
I'm vain her father coaxed, seolded, threat
rned. Kate was obstinate, and declared she'd
tnevet even speak to the obnoxious suitor.
Thus the tempestuous interview ended, and
Kate went TO her room in q high state Of in
dignation. Throwing herself on q low couch,
she gave vent to her feelings I'm Hood of
angry tears. She soon dried her eyes, how
ever, and began TO think about the means by
which she could vanqush the enemy. One
home 10 be bored by a conpeited swell who
parted his hair in the middle and drawled
his words possibly lisped. No; anything
was bettaE than that. Why not go
Why not GO now? So she Immediately
wrote TO them. saying she was coming. and
telling when TO be at Stanley fhe nearest
atationl TO meet her. Grandfather Howard
lived in the country about one hundred miles
from the city. He was q warm-hearted
pleasant old gentleman, and he and his wife
lived alone In a great stone farmhouse. The
peaceful quiet OF their, lives was occasionally
enlivened by visit from grandchildren.
These, however. were not frequent. 30 when
Hates letter arrived announcing her coming
1t was quite an event to them The spare
chamber was aired and re-arranged, and an
endless. variety Of good things prepared to
tempt her appetite For said Grandma
Howard, ""the dear child is led on confection-
cry and French cookery, and good whole
some food will do her good
rival, and at 8 o'clock that afternoon MIR
Howard got out the falling top and drove to
tho depot at Stanley.
Kate. was accustomed to doing as she
pleased. 80 Monday morning found her at the
brother Charlie was with her, and when the
train came in he deposited her safely in the
car, with the brotherly advice mot to step
from the frying pan into the fire and fall in
kiss, and she was left alone, without d friend
In the crowded car She opened the new
book she had brought, but finding 1t unin-
teresting, began to look about her to see who
were her fellow passengers, for nothing 50
amused her as the study Of character.
The car was crowded. Near the front was
a nervous old lady who held her ticket tightly
grasped in one hand and her portmonnaie in
about her. Evidently she was not much used
TO steam transportation. Near her q Yankee
peddler was trying TO convinee stout old gen.
tleman that his "blaeking' was 'the best
that s made, SIR CHANGING down the car the
usual number of gentlemen engrossed in
their newspapers, and of ladies in novels,
met her eye. These, with q few tired. dirty
children, and an invalid, who upset her cam
car. "There are none,' thought she, "who
Them
She was gazing out of the window as they
stopped at the first station, and did not notice
any one enter, till voice at her side muir
INJURED.
Pardon me, madame, but this is the only
vacant seat.
She moved slightly to make room. and a
young gentleman sat beside her. Taking out
u newspaper, he was soon apparently buried
in its contents. and Kate had an opportunity
to study her new companion. He was q gen
tleman and quite dtstingue, the first glance
decided. Handsome2 Yes, undoubtedly
handsome, though rather a peculiar style, for
hair and moustache were ietty black, and the
eyes,. shaded by heavy brows, were blue as
the sky.
aware how closely she was scrutinizing him,
till the blue eyes were suddenly raised from
the. paper, and met hers with frank and
rather curious look.
Blushing deeply at being caught in such a
rude act, Kate drew down her vail and gaZed
studiously at the passing landscape. Station
after station was passed. Half an hour more
and she would be In Stanley, FREQ from Sey-
mour and his nephew. The very thought was
thought of the discontinue her departure
would cause both the contracting parties"
as her brother Charlie called her father and
Mr. Seymour.
Her reverie was broken by the stranger,
who courteously offered her q book he had
just taken from his satchel. Kate accepted
his proifered kindness, and, more for polite
ness sake than any other reason began to
read.
A quick jerk, a crash as II the heavens were
falling, a sudden stop, and Kate was precipi-
-Sated into the arms of the gentleman at her
side j
Everybody was frightened The ladies
shrieked and gentlemen looked anxious. The
peddler grasped his satchel containing the |
superior backing and the maiden lady |
still held on to her pocket-book as she cried |
out, II allus said so! These cars are mighty |
unsafer
No one knew exactly how 1t happened, but |
the engine had been precipitated down the |
steep em6ankment dragging the baggage car |
some We're considerably shaken Of course |
everything was confusion; the gentlemen all |
left the cars, and several ladies also. Kate, |
knowing the danger, If any, had passed re-