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

sumcd her neglected practising again. When
she woke up to the fact that she was practis-
ing for Kasson's express benefit, she was
ashamed of herself, and took her turn Mt mem
tai discipline, aud wrote Howard such an af-
fcctionate letter that the recipient was nearly
struck dumb with surprise.
lie was to return the latter part of March,
but long before that time Kate realized very
keenly that she was in love with Edward Kas-
son She felt much distressed thereat on
Howard Winslow's account, for though she
had told him frankly she did not love him,
nevertheless to love some other man was GER
tainly dishononble.
Kasson was miserable, also. He was a gen.
tlemnu, and therefore would have chopped
his right hand off rather than show spark of
his love for Kate. He kept his secret well,
but it came out one evening, accidentally.
Kate had been puzzling him with mathe-
matical problem to solve, on which he had
used some old letter-backs that he had in his
pocket. After he had gone, the scraps of pa
per We're strewn over the table Kate tossed
them in the fire, one 10y one, absently, but as
she lifted the last scrap she was caught by
seeing her name written thereon. She read
what was written. as any one might have done,
for Kasson had said the papers were nothing.
This was what she read:
Il am heartily sorry for YOU Ed. 1t seems
should be engaged to another man. As you
say, the only thing you can do is to run away
from Miss Reid before any one can guess that
you love her"
Kate held the scrap in her hand for a sec
ond then tossed it in the fire.
80 he loves me, she thought exultantly
Like dash of water on hot coal came the
memory Of Howard Winsow. Kaie dropped
into the nearest chair, and cried little. 1t
seemed very hard, indeed that she and Wins
low must marry each other when neither
cared great deal for the other
After considerable reflection, Kate came to
the conclusion that she could not marry How
ard il was an impossibity now. But she
cnald not tell him the reason why she had
| changtd her mind; and again, kasson was
! going to leave in 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. vision of old-maidhood
| rose up before her,-a vision of lonely years
at school-teaching, over which she would grow
gray and Grabbed. Kate did not share De
| Quincey's notion that the higher the civilZa-
ton the more old maids there will be. She
had no wish for 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 because
| she loved some one else.
The evening after she sent that note, there
! came in for n call the ministers wife, Mrs.
Van Wick. and u little later. Edward Kasson.
Kate had just written letter to her bosom
friend, Mlilcent Sheppard, and the clump of
note paper, the pen and ink, still lay on the
table She fingered the letter impatiently as
Mrs. Van Wick 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 rs secretary, my
dear. We want You to write note to Mrs.
Morse, asking for flowers, 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 Wick, finally,
with n patronizing smile towards Kasson,
lyon must write to bIr. Weeks and Mr.. Kas-
son, asking their aid in some heavy work,
such rs putting up tables"
Kate laughed
IN write Mr. Knssons note right away,
she said. beginning to do so in fact.
while you are doing that" said Mrs. Reid,
IN take Mn. Van Wick in the dining-room
to look ut my homemade lambrequins"
They went ont of the parlor leaving Kate
writing an absurd note to kasSon. She had
hardly finished it, when her mother called
her
Come here just u lninute Kate"
Like a flash there entered thought into
Kate's brain. On the table lay two notes.
one to AIillcent Sheppard, one to Mr. Kas-
son 1t took but second to thrust the letter
to Millicent into the envelope directed TO Kas-
son. Then she handed it TO him with a smile,
saying as she did so,
"IIrre are your commands
As she went ont of the room, Kasson opened
his note and read thus:
Il have time but for a few lines, but they
are enough to tell you secret secret
which l have Just discovered myself, and
which is making me very unhappy
Kasson read this in amazement; then
brushed lock of hair of his forehead, and
continued
You know very well that / didn't love
Howard Winslow when l engaged myself tc
him, and told him that frankly. We wer,
simply excellent friends. But now l love
somebody else. and wrote n letter to Howard
to-day, breaking off the engagement. lcoult
not marry him while loved Edward Kasson
the gentleman of whom l have written you
before"
Kasson read no more. He understood nov
that Kate had handed him the wrong note
He glanced on the table, and saw the othel
note. In n second he had put the letter t.
NIillicent in the right envelope, and was read
ing his absurd commands" when the ladie
re-entered.
1t was a hard minute for Kate, but she wal
good actress. Not dash of color reddenet
her check as she turned to Kasson, and said. -
Can you perform your multifarious dutie
for St james Church y
She saw that he had his own note in Iii
hands, and she understood and loved him fo
what lac had done. The square faced, clum
sy man had something of woman's delicacl
and quick -witted tact
, Il rarely have received orders so pleasan
to perform" he said with double meaning
, to his words--a double meaning which he hat
no idea Miss Reid understood.
The rest of the evening passed quietly, ant
3 not until the two days later did kasson per
t form his pleasant duty In spite of tn
knowledge he had that Kate Reid loved him
he hardly knew how to ask her to be his wife
, lie was not going to tell her that she hat
handed him the wrong note, and that he ha'
? thus discovered she loved him. No, indeed
, He would never lisp a syllable of her fortu
, nate mistake These thoughts ran through
/ his brain rs he sat near Kate, and talket
[ with her absently. The -first lull that cam
} in the conversation, he took advantage o
3 saying
/ Miss Reid, is it rude to ask when you las
| heard from WinslowY
Il have not heard from him for over
week" she answered. the color coming il
: her cheeks now.
short silence followed Then Kassol
said bravely,-
''You are going to marry him next spring
4 are you not -
Il shall never marry him, answered Kate
= They were not n sentimental boy and girl
but the rest of the tet6-d-tete do not prOpos
TO chronicle, on account of its mcoherency
4 However, it resulted in satisfaction for them
4 and bewderment for Mrs. Reid, and (subse
quently) for the gossips of Shatemuc City
. As for Winslow, he took it philosophical.
and married another young lady last fall |
: is something of problem in my mind wheth
er or no Kate Kasson will ever confess he
4 | strntnnen 10 hnr hnshnnd. or Mhether he vii