Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-05-10
WAS IT UNWOMdNLYP

WAS IT UNWOMANLYP
After Doctor Reid died. Mrs Reid very
sensbly sold the big house with it's lawns
around it, conservatory on the terrace, and
stables behind the clump of cednrs, and
moved into u smaller, though not less pleas-
ant house, on Academy Avenue. People
were not surprised at this, but when they
heard that Kate Reid was going to teach
mathematics at the Female Seminary, then
the public was amazed. 1t begun to pity
Mrs Reid n little The Doctor must have
been terribly in debt, or the place mortgaged,
for otherwise it would not have been necessa
ry for Kate to teach school. Too bad for
her, poor thing, just twenty, and so bright
and so good looking, to be obliged to toll
from nine to twelve with n parcel Of stupid
girls at the seminary. In reality, however
Kate was not obliged to do it ut al but being
young woman of rather independent ideas,
she fancicd that to have six hundred dollars
year all hor own, would not be a disagrceable
sensation to experience She was not needed
particularly in the domestic department at
home in fact, like good many other bright
and agreeable unmarried women, she was not
needed anywhere to any extent. SO it came
about that she taught the seminary girls arith-
metic, algebra, and geometry, and though 1t
was rather trying to the patience once in n
training the young idea.
One day in December she walked home as
usual at twelve o'clock, and proceeded directly
into the parlor. Sitting by the window she
saw Howard WinSlow, "A middle-nged gentle
man of pleasant appearance. who rose and
shook hands with Kate cordially, and stood
and talked to her as she warmed her feet and
hands You never would have guessed from
the greeting that these two people were labor
II l.. ! g.fa,V
meut. but such was the fact. They had been
engaged over n month. TO be sure it had
been II very prosaic affair, for they had known
and liked each other always Winslow finally
came to the conclusion that1he might as well
get married lie had money enough. and
was old enough surely, being nearly forty :;
and ~ he and Kate had always been very
| good friends. he sat down in his New York
Office, one day, and wrote her proposal.
when she received it, she was a little
amused and great deal SURPRISED, but as she
| liked Howard. she sat down straightway, also,
and wrote an acceptance. Nothing romantic
| about this. you see but ! have an heretical
idea that very happy marriages are often the
result of such engagements.
mo, | didn't come up from New York
| merely to see you,' said Wiuslow, in answer
to Kate's question but on business about
the new railroad. And, by the way, one of
the civil engineers, Ed. Kasson, at work here,
is an old friend of mine. He's very clever rs
to his profession, and is gentleman through
and through He isn't much of a ladies man,
but should like to give him n note of intro
| duction to you, if you wouldn't mind
Il should be glad to meet him, of course,
re piled Kate "and mother and | will try to
cure him if he is boOrish or bashful. Now
must go up to my room, Howard, and reno
vate myself little for luncheon. There is
the Tribune on the table, if you haven't seen
it already" With this she left the parlor.
About week after Edward Kasson called
one evening. He impressed Kate with a sense
of squareneSs. He was tall and had square
shoulders His forehead was square his eye
brows arched very little his chin and jaws
were squared OFF rather heavily, and his mus
tache stood out quite straight at the ends in
| stead of dropping over the straight, firmly
| closed lips. Moreover. he had II little straight
| cleft in his chin. He was neither boOrish noi
bashful. however, though he was IA trife clum
sy and had very little idea of dancing-schoo
grace. Kate took fancy to him straightway
and after he and she had talked together about
little of everything. and he had gone home
she wrote letter to Howard, containing the
following paragraph
Your friend, Mr. Kasson, called this even
ing and both mother and l liked him very
much. He seems SO pleasant-tempered, anC
is certainly very agreeable talker. We art
going together. next Sunday, to hear DIR
Stors preach at the Presbyterian church
Mr. Knsson has heard DIR. Storrs twice ant
gave such glowing eulogy ON his preaching
that am quite anxious for Sunday to come.
And not only was Kate pleased, but so wa
Kasson, and though he did not write man!
letters TO his married sister, when he did hon
or her with an epistle he devoted a few line
thereof to Miss Reid
'She is very good-looking and sensible
and has introduced me to several pleasan
people, 1t is she to whom WinslOw is en-
gagged, and lie has chosen with excellent taste
Hope l shall have the ontrte of their New
York house"
So you see it was all sort of mutual admi
ration society in the beginning. 1t did no
last however, for a very long time.
Kasson became disguised with Winsloy
first He was such an ass to be engaged t.
so charming girl and instead OF living il
her smiles, go off to Florida to get rid of tn
cold weather. What was cold weather, com
pared to the tender passion! Then Kate
she was so happy without her love that sh
surely could not care much for the Rbsen
one, although they did appear on such excel
lent terms with each other. Kasson leveled
great deal of unnecessary yituperation at tn
heads of the engaged people, but, neverthe
less, he went TO the Widow Reids on ever
excuse he could devise, and II good man.
times when he had no excuse at all. Alon
| in February, however, he put himself throug
n severe course of determination Wha
was he going to the Widow Reid's for? II
see Kate. What business had he TO devot
himself to girl who was engaged? An
thereupon he shook his head hercely, and di
, not go near Kate for ten days
, Finally she met him on the street
, Have you been away +" she asked, smiln
, up at him in a most friendly fashion.
? "Oh, no" said KassOn.
Been sick, then" persisted Kate.
II should think not, was the reply, give
: with healthy mans contempt of illness.
Are you mad at me Z" added Kate, clever
ly mimicking a child's pout
Good Heavens Mo-" exclaimed Kassou
! "The fact is, am n fool, and have bee
busy, Miss Reid aud I'll be down to see yo
this evening, if l shall not bore you"
, 'YOu are never a bore to mother and me,
said Kate ''and don't overwork yourself
Mr.. Kasson, but take time for social relaxa
alton"
In truth, Kate's philanthropy was only ski
|, deep. She liked Kasson's company, an
/, hardly deceived herself when she urged hiI
, to take time for social relaxation.
+ Kasson obeyed her, and the result wa
, they were together more than ever. Sh
stored up all the funny stories about her pu
pills to tell him. She made him read the art
: cles in magazines of which she approved
She scOlded him for stunning his politics