The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-11-16
WAS 1T UNWOMANLY ?

After Doctor Reid died, Mrs. REID
very sensibly sold out the big house with
is lawns around il, conservatory on the
terrace, and stables behind the clump OF
scedars, and moved into a smaller, though
not less pleasant house, on Academy
avenue People were not surprised al
this, but when they heard that Kate
S Reid was going to teach mathematics at
the Female Seminary, then the public
/ was amazed 1t began to pity Mrs. Reid
n little. The doctor must have been
terribly in debt, or the place mortgaged,
I for otherwise it would not have been
!. necessary for Kate to teach school. Too
bad for her, poor thing, just twenty, and
% bright and good looking, to be obliged
to toll from nine to twelve with parcel
of stupid girls at the seminary. In
reality, however, Kate was not obliged
to do it 1T all, but being young woman
Of independent ideas, she fancied that to
have six hundred dollars a year all her
own would not be disagreeable sensa-
ton 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 ex-
tent So it came about that she taught
the seminary girls arithmetic, algebra,
sand geometry, and though it was rather
tryiug to the patience once in a while,
Jon the whole, she very much liked train
ing the young idea.
8 One day in December, she walked
home as usual at twelve o'clock, and pro-
Sceeded directly into the parlor. Sitting
by the window she saw Howard Wins
low a middle-aged gentleman of pleas
amt 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 laboring under the sentimental
bonds of an engagement, but such was
the fact. They had been engaged over
month. Tobe sure 1t had been a very
prosaic affair, for they had known and
liked each other always. Winslow final
~ came to the conclusion that he might
a. we'll get married He had money
enough, and was old enough surely, be
ing nearly forty; and as he and Kate
had always been very good friends, be
sat down in his New York office, one
day, and wrote her proposal.
When she received it, she was little
amused and a great deal surprised, but
rs she liked Howard, she sat down
straightway, also, and wrote an accept
ance. Nothing romantic about this, you
see; but | have heretical idea that
very happy marriages are often the result
Of such engagements.
NJ, ....,,, -. g.. - W /
merely to see you, said Winslow, in an
swer to Hates question; but on bust
ness 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 as TO his pro-
tesslon, and is gentleman through and
through. He isn't much of a ladies'
man, but | should like to give him a note
st introduction to you, if you wouldn't
mind"
i should be glad to meet him, of
course, replied Kate; "and mother and
| will try to cure him if he is boorish
Or bashful. Now | must go up to my
room, Howard, and renovate myself a
little for luncheon" With this She left
the parlor.
About a 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 eyebrows arched very
little; his chin and jaws were squared
oft rather heavily, and his moustache
stood out quite straight at the ends, In
stead Of dropping over the straight,
firmly closed lips, Moreover, he had 8
little, straight cleft in his chin. He was
neither boorish nor bashful, however
though he was a trife clumsy, and had
very little idea of dancing-school grace
Kate took a fancy TO him straight way
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
evening; and both mother and | liked
him very much. He seems SO pleasant
tempered, and is certainly very agree
able talker."