Sharp County record., 1878-05-17


bility now. But she could not 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 en-
caced to Winslow. Then the result
Y would be, Kate would have no lover at
all. A vision of Old-maidenhOod rose
up before her-a vision of lonely years
at schooI-teaching, over which she
would grow cray and Grabbed. Kate
did not share De Quincey's notion that
the higher the civilization the more old
maids there will be. She had no wish
for a lifelong virginity. She could not
solve her problem at all, but she finally
did send Howard most friendly note,
telling him she could not marry him be-
cause 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 Kasson. Kate had just written
a 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 impatiently as
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 as secre-
tary, my dear. We want you to write
a 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
list of the things she must do for the
Fair.
"And now," added Mrs. Van Week,
finally, with 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"
Kate laughed.
"I'Il write Mr.. Kasson's note right
away" she said, beginning to do SO in
fact.
"While you are doing that said
Mrs. Reid, 'I'll take Mrs. Van Week in
the dining-room to look at my home
make lambrequins."
They went out of the parlor, leaving
Kate writing an absurd note to KassOn.
She had hardly finished it, when her
mother called her.
"Come here just minute, Kate"
Like a flash there entered a thought
into Kate's brain. On the table lay two
notes, one to Milicent Sheppard, one
to Mr.. Kasson. II took but second to
thrust the letter to Millicent into the en-
velope directed to Kasson. Then she
handed it to him with a smile, saying as
she did so
"Here are your commands"
As she went out of the room, Kasson
opened his note and read thus:
1 have time but for a few lines, but they
are enough to tell you a secret; a secret
which is making 1Se Tsfy unhappy.
Kasson read this in amazement; then
brushed a lock of hair off his forehead,
and continued
You know very well that : didn't love
Howard WinslOw when | engaged myself
to him and told him that frankly. We were
simply excellent friends. But nOWI love
somebody else, and I wrote a letter to How
ard to-day, breaking off the engagement. |
could not marry him while | loved Edward
Kasson, the gentleman Of whom have writ
ten you before.
Kasson read no more. He under
stood now that Kate had handed him
the wrong note. He glanced on the
table, and saw the other note. In a
second he had put the letter to Milli-
cent in the right envelope, and was
reading his absurd " commands" when
the ladies re-entered.
twas a hard minute for Kate, but
she was a good actress. Not dash of
color redeemed her cheek as she turned
to Kasson, and said
"Can you perform your multifarious
duties for St. James's church,"
She saw that he had his own note in
his hands, and she understood and low
ed him for what he had done. This
square-faccd, clumsy man had some
thing of a woman'S delicacy and quick
witted tact.
81 rarely have received orders so
pleasant to perform, he said, with a
double meaning to his words, which he
had no idea Miss Reid understood.
The rest of the evening passed quiet
ly, and not until the two days later did
Kasson perform his pheasant duty"
In spite of the knowledge he had that
Kate Reid loved him, he hardly knew
how to ask her to be his wife. He was
not going to tell her that she had hand
ed him the wrong note, and that he had
thus discovered she loved him. No, in
deem. He would never lisp a syllable
of her fortunate mistake. These
thoughts ran through his brain as be sat
near Kate, and talked with her absently.
fTLO 1,,l1 chat in, ~ 10