Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-29
with some curiosity as to its contents, Chase

With some curiosity as to its contents, Chase
b Ok the document and read
Dear sir: j noticed your horrid meat
contemplate behavior yesterday. Justremem-
1 hear you take kindly to your victuals. Look
OUT
Recalling Johns undisguised enjoyment Of
amusement at his fair adversary's continued
thrusts at what she evidently considered the
weak point i'm his armOr.
She bounded up with flashing eyes.
Are you laughing at me- sir, or my note?
Isn't IL written and spet hike a Lady,
II was unexceptionable in all but the matter:
and IL was quite evident that the redoubta BILE
Katharine was by no means uneducated.
am laughing, Mrs. Carneth. at my friend
Rollins" was the somewhat hypoeritical reply; :
"he does take kindly To his yictuals, and would
1t not be somewhat cruel to deprive him of SO
innocent an enjoyment
He did not dream. when his cratic compan-
in y" ms sbs 5 5ad
restrained an almost irresistible desire to
strike him i'm the face. As she vanished, he
esque straw hat with its burden of flowers, left
forgotten on the hillside: and, rearranging his
materials, he soon produced spirited sketch,
that afterward doomed into an exquisite cabi-
net picture, universally admired at the eXhibi-
tiOn as Gross Purposes"
And at his work the artist pondered: "Who
will play 'Petruchio' to tame this Katha,
little finger Poor Rollinsr' he solil0quized,
'..what an unfortunate entangementr
Chase Carroll concluded that the shooting of
his friend had been indefinitely postponed
when, one evening soon after these events,
John Rollins entered the RanchtOwn opera
house. where the most promiScuOus and varied
entertainments were held. in devoted attend
ance on Mrs. Carneth, who was in 4 perfect
blaze of beauty. and the cynosnre of all the
male eyes in the place. Carroll found il i'm
possible to keep his own orbs from wandering
in that direction: the physical perfection of
this most Objectionable woman was scarcely
less than marvellous. The beautiful eyes, too,
had an occasional wiStful glance, as though
she might be capable of better things.
The entertainment that evening was stupid
enough. An ancient prima donna made furi-
Gus contOrtiOnS, and grinned with lantern
jaws like deaths head at the audience when-
ever she attempted to sing. Ballet girls, who
were middle-aged matrons in private life. Law
iShly displayed their lack of charms: the
scenery went WI ong, and presented Il seacoaSt
furnished as drawing room. The audience
hO0ted and became impatient: and then took
refuge in talking and ignoring the whole
thing.
Rollins threw his head back and laughed
immOderately at something Mrs. Carneth was
telling him and when Carroll afterward, with
CHARACTERISTIC masculine curiosity, inquired
what II was that so excited his friends risi
bilities, he heard that the lady had cOnfided to
him the astounding fact that "she had
sweet temper, and never was real mad but
once! This once, she added, twas enough to
raise any woman'S hair off her head-but she
got even with joe"
A certain friend of hers. il seemed, a gen.
tle-looking person with dOwncast eyes that
always seemed full of unshed tears, and a low
voice CT hate that kind!' parenthesiZed the
speaker, ylndlctiyely), was boarding at the
same hotel, and SO entwined herself i'm a
stealthy and unsupported manner about the
unsuspecting Joe that he presented her Sc
cretly with quite a valuable set of malachite
But the jeweler of whom it was bought, being
afrlend and admirer of Mrs. Carneth. in
formed her OF the purchase, and the injured
wife made Decline, as she expressed it. for
her false friend and rivals trunk.
Il just, camped down in that trunk" she
continued, excftedly, till found the stones
and seized 'em. l couldn't wear green you
that woman: so sent 'em back to the jeweler
and got em changed for set of coral. And
then went for Joe, and talked to him till he
felt real wicked. and promised not to do so any
more But told him that he need never kiss
Inc again. and that he should never, never
kiss my baby either"
Baby" repeated Carroll. in sort of hor-
ror: has she child, them"
she had. was the reply; but it died. She
viii sing or whistle, perhaps, If any allusiOn is
made to it, and then leave the room abruptly
mad Katharine really has tender heart that
has never found its right master yet"
You seem to hold the key, " said his friend,
John Rollins smiled but it was the same pc
culiar smile that had before followed certain
remarks Of CARROTS.
Here are some verses" he continued
that i got possession of a while ago. | do
not think they would disgrace TennySon. :"
only lines to dead baby, that editors all
complain OF as drug i'm the market; but there
that went directly TO Carrolrs heart What a
vehement, passionate. contradictory creature
she was.-this strangeSt specimen of woman
hood that he had ever encOuntered-thiS wild
Western product of a Standardization. And
Yet there was evidently noble. loving heart
thrObbing beneath her reckless manner
Il cannot get word from her, Chase com.
planned, one day, with knitted brows; "she
avoids me like the peStilence. What is there
about me. wonder, that is so repulsive? Has
she ever spoken to you Of me-"
TO what particular she do you allude?''
asked Rollins exasperatingly. There are
several Of that persuasion in Rancht0wn"
Carroll started and Redeemed: he was in
tensely provoked at himself.
Il allude," he continued, with forced calm
be an object of dislike"
she has not spoken of shooting YOU" re
marked John very coOlly. " 1t strikes me that
she once said there were the markings of a
sense"
Again a crimson streak crossed CARROTS
brow: This half savage beauty. then, regard
ed him very much as he did her-wOrth the
making over! lie was conscious of an attrac-
ton similar to that which 1.-the, fiery mus
tang has for the,eye of Mexican horse.tamer.
Her indomtable spirit was at first her greatest
charm; but afterward he saw better things in
HeT. one was the incarnation OF health. life
and hope. She was tOlerably well educated i'm
spite OF her slang: had fresh, elastic nature
that knew not how to repine and bore with
beautiful patience the vagaries of her peevish
brOken-dOwn old father.
He met her coming out of hOvelS-h6 look
ing for beauty. she for Suffering-where she
went with Open-handed but imperiOus gene
rOsity, and was both criticised and adOred
At such times the little basket on her arm
was in piquant contrast to an exaggerated
masculinity assumed for the feminine purpose
of drawing attention from her deeds Of mercy.
One day ease of unusual wretchedness had
brought tears to her eyS and, meeting Carroll
face 10 face while in this sOftened state, she
suddenly exclaimed: Il irish that l could
swear i lcW Just say 'd-n' Once-therel' -
and she was off like the swift-fying deer
John Rollins watched his friend with a sort
OF ineNplicable satisfaction. Ranchtown had
been sketched from all available points aud he
fully expected Carroll to have been disguised
long ago but still he fingered. The artist could
not have told himself what he was waiting for.
but he gradually fell into the habit of going to
see old Barring and playing endless games of
chess with him. On these occasions Katharine
would invariably absent herself, going either
with or without preteXt as soon as he APP
peared, and remaining until his departure He
was baffied at every turn. and DrOVok ed al him