River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-05-14
EATE'S VICTORY.

Working girls, OF course" SAID Kate
Selwyn, "going home from the factory.
Oh, poor things, how tired they look
Do you know, Mr.. Yarian, it always
seems to me as If they belonged to a
different order OF beings from us"
Il don't know why you should draw
such an inference as that" said Mr..
Yarian.
Kate laughed
Don't take my nonsense au serieux,"
said she. Have you any relations
among the factory girls ?"
Not that l am aware of" Mr. Yarian
quietly answered.
"Then 1 don't see why you should
espouse their cause" laughed Miss
Selwyn. Look at that fat little dow
dy with the checked gingham dress, and
the broken backed feather in her hat,
and the tall woman with the scanty
shawl and the high heeled boots. Was
there ever anything so ridiculous"
And then the whistle blew, and the
train moved on. and the smiles faded
from Angus Varian's face as he watched
the merry sparkle OF his companion
eyes, the dimples coming and going on
her rosy checks.
The very next station was Keyford,
where they must alight And he had
not told Kate Sclwyn yet-he could not
tell her. Let circumstances develop
themselves; he had not the heart rudely
to plunge a dagger into that innocent
young breast.
He had CHANGED to be coming from
Albany, and had acquiesced in DR.
Selwyn's request that he should bring
Kate home from boarding school
blooming ciphtean- year-o old Kate, who
had just Graduated with all the hon
ors, and VINO, having spent two vaca-
tons with favorite schoolmates, had not
been at home for two years.
And" DR.. Selwvn had hoarsely
added, "if YOU find fitting opportunity,
Varian, you might mention to the child
how things have changed at home
She'll have to know it sooner or later
and it may possibly save Ter a shock.
But the fitting opportunity" had
not presented itself, or Mr.. Varian had
neglected to avail himself of it. And
here they were slowing up" at Key
ford, Kate springing joyously from her
heap of travelling shawls, novels, flow
ers and bonboEs, with the cry of
Papa Oh, | see papa!"
And the next minute she was in his
arms, kissing and hugging him, while
she thanked Mr. Varian for his kind
ness in escorting her home
you'll come and see me sometimes ?"
she said eff l have not wearied you out
with my schoolgirl chatter"
1Ir Yarian smiled lifted his hat and
went away, while Kate, leaning fondly
on her fathers arm, looked around in
quiringly.
Where is the carriage, papa?" she
asked and the two darling old greys?'
well walk. my dear" said DIR.
Selwyu 1T is hut step The-the
fact is, We are not living where we did
We have moved
"Moyed. papa Moved from Selwyn
Grangc!' erred Kate IN amazement.
"Ard we don't find ourselves able to
afford tine expense Of a carriage any
longer" said DR.. Selwyn huskily.
Didn't Narian tell you?"
"AIr. Nmian, papa? Tell me what?"
said Kace with vague surprise.
wyn "Then ] must tell YOU myself
We are very poor. Kate. We have lost
all our property. | was foolish enough
to speculate and have failed. So we
have lost everything the Grange, the
carriage, the lighthouses the picture
gallery. and all. We are living at Dean
Cottage, and | think your mother will
be very glad TO Lave you back again to
help her with the house work. Why.
Kate, my child, what IS the matter?"
Kate chokcd down an immense sob.
IN nothing, papa, said she. Only
it vas SO sudden. have never dream
ed of such a thing"
Il have been too abrupt" said DIR.
Selwyn. Il am used to the idea my
self, and I did not know how unpleas-
sntly 1t might affect you. But you'll
bear, it bravely my darling, for
our sakcs.
"Yes, papa, I'll be brave" said Kate
in a low voice.
Kate Selwvn was a stubborn aristo-
crat. All her life she had walked on
roses, and smiled serenelv down on the
workers Of the world, rs gold-plumed
canary in its 9lttering cage might view
the brown-wnged sparrow rolling in
the dust
And now-uow! Alas, how sadly it
was all changed!
But Kate WIS heroine in her way,
and she sat down to tea in the dingy
back room of Dean Cottage as brightly
as Il it had been the stately dining room
of SeIwyn Grange, even while no slight
est detail of the shabby housekeeping
that surrounded her escaped her eye.
Oh, the mended carpets, the faded
window draperies, the table-cloth
darned and patched the poor glued
chairs, and the window-pane cracked
across, and mended with a piece of
brown paper. Kate would have flung
herself despairingly on the threadbare
sofa and erred her heart out-but she
was too brave for that.
And after ten there We're no wander
ings among the flowers, no sitting at
the piano that had been sacrificed in
the general wreck also, no watching
the red and opal effects Of the sunset IN |
dreamy far uiente visions. There was |
no servant, and the dishes were to be |
washed. the room swept. all the house
hold cares to be attedded to.
They were in debt as well. Kate
ulSCONetGtl iIdI itlG AltNt tisiN NLAClA ttiC Z
butcher presented himself, declaring
that "his orders were to give no more
trust until old scores were settled up,
and TIE bakers cart clattered by with /
out taking any heed whatsoever of Mrs. |
Solwyns beckoniug finger.
Mamma" said Kate, eve cannot |
live So"
1t is very hard, my dear" said Mrs.
Selwyn with quiyeuug lip; but l do /
not know what else is to be done. 1t |
was vour fathers ambition TO keep YOU /
at school, and we have strained every
nerve to pay Madame DOrients bills /
until Won should graduate"
Kate thought of her Italian poets, her
great piles OF music books. Ter French
authors. her watercoior sketches, the
crayons she had been so proud of, with
a checking lump in her throat. OF
what use were they all IN this moment
of dre necessity
She could not force herself on any
one as goyernoss. she could not com
pei people to buy her pictures.
And the pale little mother wasting
away by degrees, and the lettering par
alytie father. whose fetblcness was 50
painfully apparent TO her now. although
She had scarcely observed it at first.
Il must do something she thought,