The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-01-27

held III hid hand during the lady's visit, and
burst into fit Of untrollable laughter.
aye nymphs and goddesses r. exclaimed the
artist, Z hay 4 dazed frame OF mind ''can such
"Pretty woman, isn't she?' said his friend
| when he had recovered himself; "but had
| no idea that she would show off go well at
first Thor and Woodin, Jupiter and Mars,
every belligerent god In the catalogue wasn't
| it?' laughing afresh.
"Is there any danger Of her trying to shoot
your asked his companion, anxiously.
'She wouldn't mind doing It," was the easy
reply, but do not believe she will consider
Where does she? where does she live" F"
Katharine Barring Carneth, she writes
herself; not q. bad name, either, and she
lieve, In England, though pure American to
the, backbone. Widow Of Joe Carneth- a
rather. bad lot, who ruined himself in the In
vincible mine two years ago, and then blew
his brains. out Ii he had any. Lives alone
house on the outskirts; and, II she was little
breezy as wife, Is a most devoted daughter
keeps the old man, 1t Is said, from falling to
pieces, he IL SO utterly shftless."
'Then," said Carroll, "she Is really the
daughter of that mild-looking old gentleman
with silvery locks, whom | have noticed about
the town because OF his peculiarly courteous
manners-in such marked contrast to the gen.
erality Of Ranchtown residents. What a sim
gular connecticut
"That's Peter" nodded his friend: "hes
great on department. Seventeen or eighteen
years ago. he continued resuning his cigar,
'Peter Barring came here q ruined man-
Alone except for d strangely-beautifu child
about five years old. He had the misfortune,
1t seems, to be born a genius and was always
inventing things, and wasting money. on his
inventions-ran through with his own fortune
and that OF his wife; worried the latter in the
most amiable manner possible into her grave
and then gathered up his remaining prop
tie Katharine and wended his way hither,
with some wonderful scheme In his brain
for charming gold out OF the mountain
fastness with scarcely any. trouble or ex-
fairly hate him; he is always raising their
hopes, only to dash them to the ground.
Now 1t Is this thing, now it 1t that he
has invented-some wonderful sieve, perhaps
some marvellous crqsher; some open
to the granite portals Of the enchanted palace;
but they all prove delusion and snare, and
the old man Barring is now Stunned al
most as II he had the plague. Meanwhile,
Katharine grew to womanhood, with all the
beauty of a wild rose, full Of grace and grace
for her hand. 1t was said that her father had
never crossed her wishes. and that her temper
was--well, whatever it was, it did not prevent
Joe Carneth, the richest speculator in Colo
\ IhdU iIld UWDtI vi bIlt lHfllCiDIe, HUH
ing fierce siege to the Ranchtown beauty. Joe
was handsome, reckless and generous; he
loaded the girl with costly presents; he paid
the old mans debts; and finally, Katharine
consented to marry him though not with
ness. that she didn't love him, and
didn't want to. marry any one. This. did not
prevent her, however, from becoming Mrs
Carneth; but it probably saved her from any
very serious grief when, two or three years
af ri bar E1IGhnuH srrab a Tpa In
dramatic end, leaving her about as penniless
as she was before. AS to what she Is, you
have seen for yourself-exceedingly pretty
and free from the slightest. approach to affec-
Shoots, smokes, whistles, plays piano. writes
poetry. and talks slang, gossips, does good
| deal here and there, but, as she herself would
| phrase it. 'outbucks' every woman In Ranch
| town, and is the leading character Of the town
| Now, don't fall In love with her. Chase; for
think Of marrying her myself some day, when
| she reforms as she undoubtedly will"
Chase Carroll shuddered at the thought
Marry herl Outside OF his buried hopes, the
very Idea Of this Western anomaly to fall In
love with was altogether repulsive to his fas-
| tidious tastes. His ideal woman was-an-
other shudder passed over him as the hateful
fact intruded itself-"the wife OF an Italian
opera singer"
pursued the placid John; kate is no hypo.
critic, whatever her faults may be-and that
let me tell you, is o great deal for woman
I mean by this that she despises little, un.
derhanded doings OF all sorts would not
best foot foremost, II 1t did not happen to come
| Of its own accord, she would be far more
| likely to get up cloven hoof for the occasion
| She is a woman who, If she saw q bullet whiz-
zing, through the air and making for your
| heart, would if she liked you, mfnd.) throw
herself upon you without word or scream
and receive the death-dealing missile in her
| own breast"
"And q woman," said Chase, quietly, "who
| ii she did not like you, wouldn't hesitate to
shoot you herself. John-John, am sorry tc
see you SO far gone-such infatuation is un-
| worthy OF you"
John smiled, but his smile was neither child
like nor bland it had a world of meaning in
it which his companion did not see. His
| thoughts were busy with a pair of blue, dilated
| eyes-just the kind of eyes that always had
power to carry him out of his sober senses
and a cloud OF sunny hair; but this, he told
himself, was the admiration of the artist and
not the man. The latter shuddered with alb
horence at the personality that materialized
these exquisite belongings.
The next day Chase Carroll met Mrs. Car
meth face to face in the principal street of
Ranchtown. He raised his hat with eourtly
bow; but the lady passed him defantly, her
ments, heels clinking, ribbons flying, and
whistling like mocl1fng-bird as she went
She called out over her shoulder, as an after
thought "Got your boots blacked, amt you p
this effeminate luxury being reserved for a
Sunday indulgence among genuine Ranch
town residents.
Carroll almost tore his hair with disgust.
Was there no one to take this beautiful, half
wild thing in hand, and made woman Of her
Going out few days later to one of the
hills to sketch, he suddenly encountered re-
clining figure full Of easy grace-a large
straw hat filled with spring blossoms lying
near-small dimpled hands, clasping white
and-pink flowers, folded on the heaving
breast; heavy white lids, with lashes that cast
long shadows, like q fringe Of alders on quiet
lake; the full, childish mouth curved in q rest
less smile; in short, he saw before him
Katharine Barring Carneth, locked, like Abou-
ben-Adhem, in deep dream Of peace.
He was loath to disturb it, but suddenly
the fair Katharine opened not, like Keats
Madeline, 'her blue, affrayed eyes, . but pair
of glorious. orbs which, though cerulean, were
perfectly clear and dazzling, and seemed to
question the intruder as to his business there.
II can claim a forfeit" said Carroll, as he