Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-10-31

on are never bore to mother and
me-" said Kate; land don't overwork
yourself, Mr.. Kasson, but take time for
social relaxation.
In truth Kate's philanthropy was
only skin deep. She liked Kasson's
company, and hardly deceived herself
when she urged him to take time for
social relaxation.
kasson obeyed her, and the result was
they were left together more than ever.
She stored up all the funny stories about
her pupils to tell him. She made him
read the articles in magazines of which
she approved. She scolded him for
stunning his political duties, ana in
short, treated him as an old and favored
friend. As for kasson, he sat at the feet
of his charming female Gamaliel and
learned not only to discriminate as to
magazine articles and to know his whole
duty as free citizen of the United
States, but also received variety of
other decidedly interesting information.
He threw out vague remark once about
being fond of music, and Kate resumed
her neglected practicing again. When
she woke up to the fact that she was
practicing for Kasson's express benefit,
she was ashamed of herself, and took her
turn at mental discipline, and wrote
Howard such an afectionate letter that
the recipient was nearly struck dumb
with surprise.
he was to return in the latter part of
March, but long before that time Kate
realized very keenly that she was in love
with Edward Kasson. She felt much
distressed thereat on Howard Winslow's
account, for though she had told him
frankly she did not love him, neverthe-
less to love some other man was certainly
dishonorable.
Kasson was miserable, also. He was
a gentleman, and therefore would have
chopped his right hand off sooner than
show spark of his love for Kate. He
kept his secret we'll, but it came out one
evening, accidently. Kate had been
puzzling him with a mathematical prob
lem to solve, on which he had used some
old letter-backs that he had in his pock-
ct. After he had gone, the scraps Of
paper were strewn over the table. Kate
tossed them in the fire, one by one, alb
sently, but as she lifted the last scrap,
she was caught by seeing her name
written thereon. She read what was
written, as any ono might have done, for
Kasson had said that the papers were
nothing. This was what she read:
" I am heartily sorry for you, Ed. It
seems hard that the only woman you
ever cared for should be engaged to an
other man. As you say, the only thing
you can DO is to run away from Miss
Reid before anybody can guess that you
love her."
Kate held the scrap in her hand for a
second; then tossed it in tho fire.
$50 he loves me-" she thought, ex-
ultantly.
Like dash of water on a hot coal
came the memory of Howard Winslow.
Kate dropped into the nearest chair, and
cried little. It seemed very hard, in
deed, that she and Winslow must marry
each other when neither cared great
deal for the other.
After considerable reflection, Kate
came to the conclusion that shewould
not marry Howard; it was an impossi-
bility now. But could she tell him the
reason why she had changed her mind
and again, Kasson was going to leave in
a week or ten days, and he would not
say word to her, except friendly ones,
while thinking her engaged to Winslow.
Then the result would be, Kate would
have no lover at all. A vision of old
maidenhood rose up before her q vision
of lionel years at school-teaching, over
which she would grow gray and Grabbed.
She could not solve the problem at all,
but she finally did send Howard a most
friendly note telling him she could not
marry him because she loved some one
else.
The evening after she sent that note,
there came in for call the minister's
wife, Mrs. Van Week, and little later.
Edward Lasson. Kate had Just written
letter to her bosom friend, Millicent
Sheppard, and the clump of note paper,
the pen and ink, still lay on the table.
She fingered the letter impatientlv "a
Mrs. Van Week maundered away about
some fair that the church people were
getting up. Finally, she turned to Kate,
and said:
And we want you to act az secretary,
my dear. We want you to write note
to Mrs. Morse, asking for flowers-but
just take that piece of paper, and put
down the list of your duties"
There was no escape. Kate drew the
sheet of paper towards her, and made a
list of the things she must do for the
fair.
"And now" added Mrs. Van Fleck,
finally, with a patronizing smile towards
kass0n. "YOu must write notes to Mr..
Weeks and Mr.. Kasson, asking their aid
in some heavy work, such as putting up
tables" r
Kate laughed.
"Pll write Mr.. Kasson's note right
away" she said, beginning to do so in fact.
While you are doing that, }" said Mrs.
Reid, "Pll take Mrs. Van Fleck in the
dining room to look at my homemade
lambrequins."
They went out of tho parlor, leaving
Kate writing an absurd note to Kasson.
She had hardly finished it, whom her
mother called her. ,s~s%.'s
"Come here Just minute. Kate"
Like flash there entered q thought
into Kate's BRAIN. On the table Law two
notes, one to Millicent Sheppard, one to
M. kasson. It took but q second ia
thrust the letter to Millicent into the
envelope directed to Kasson. Then she
handed it to him with q smile. saving a.
abe did 50: 80 g
Hero are your commando" "a. :,
Al she went out of the room, Ka.son
opened his note and read thus:
=" / have time but for . few lines. but
they are enough to tell you Z secret: I
secret which I have just discovered nv.
sell, and which is making meavery I'M;
happy.
Kasson read this in amusement; theu
br1shed : lock of hair of his forehead
and continued: Ts3.s.s $50 I4.ST71
You know very we'll that ] didn't
love Howard Window when i engaged
myself to him, and j told him that
1fankly. We were simply exosllsn,