The Washington critic., 1885-08-31
MOTHER AND WIFE.

NAis lsN' - hltNA 'hlli'l wv an y NtAllb
more to me than friend so If you
respect my wishes in the least you will
not mention his name to me again"
And Katie Lane flung back her
bright, brown curls as she spoke, u
little disdainfully, perhaps, and bent a
little lower over the piece Of crochet
ing she held in her hands.
| will not stop TO tell you that she,
my heroine, was handsome suffice II
to say that she was the belle of the
pretty village of NJ, and, as a matter
of course, was sought after and ad.
mired by all the young men of the
place, not only because she was witty
and accomplished, but because old Guy
Lane was the wcalthicst man in the
place and would one day leave his all
in the hands of Katie as the only legal
heir.
Maud Anthony laughed low and
triumphantly IA she returned :
Really, Katie, you need not speak
so angrily. Everybody thinks you are
going to marry him, and, for my part,
| think he will make some one u kind
husband"
"Well, if you see so many good
qualities about him, why don't you
marry him? When / see fit to get mar
ried | shall take whom please, despite
what everybody says"
The curls flew again, and the spark
ling eyes glanced saucily ut the finished
CoQucttc opposite her.
"Oh, no so my pretty lady is get
ting angry, ell? If that's the case |
must flee. Only remember have done
my duty. | thought you ought to know
how people are talking"
"You need not trouble yourself. Miss
Anthony, too look after my affairs; you
must have enough of your own to look
after. When need your advice
will surely let you know. SO bid you
good afternoon"
The queenly little head rose proudly
erect at this, and with Il scornful cN-
preston on her lips Katie walked
quickly away into the shadow of the
shrubbcry of the garden.
AS she walked hastily on, footstep
on the other side of the hedge checked
her flight, and in moment Wilkes
Lee, the subject of the little CONVERSE
ton under the Gins, scrambled up into
sight, without seeming to have seen
Katie MS she fastened away.
The strange little heart of Katie gave
n sudden start rs she recognized her
old friend and-lover, and she paused,
murmuring:
II wonder if he heard what we said?
| wouldn't have had him for all the
world. A plague on Maud Anthony
She forced me to say it. ! suppose she
is glad, too; for now she thinks | don {
care for him"
For moment Katie was silent as she
worked ncrvously at the pretty diamond
ring that cncircled that chubby fore
finger 1t was Il gift from WILKES
bctrothal ring
out, poutingly. Now that Pve said
it, I'll show Miss Anthony | mean it,
There" she said, as She drew the
diamond from her finger and cast il
away into the bushes, there lie there
and rust, for all ! care. Much good
may it do you, Maud, too. You can
catch him, | know, but what do !
carc?"
More than you think, my pretty he,
rome; we shall see.
A moment Katie stood there looking
in the direction of the hedge ther
| clapping her hands to her face she
burst into quiet shower of tears.
On the other side of the hedge
Wilkes Lee strobe quickly away, say
ing sheepishly:
''Wcll, well; pretty scrapc you
came near getting into, my boy. Didn't
mean to be an eaycsdroppcr, certainly
accidents will happen, you know. Sc
she don't care for you, ely? Wen see
I'll warrant she don't know her own
heart now. | think III run away 4
few days and let her get over hcl
| iii.
And the young man disappeared in
| the uudcrbrush that lined the road,
lcapCd the fence, and was soon lost to
view in the distance
Katie waited patiently for many
days for the visit of her once ardent
lover, and then, concluding that he had
not only overheard what she said that
| day in the garden, but had taken hel
at her word, commenced not to looh
alone but TO mourn him rs lost to he
| indeed
And Maud Anthony, to whom al
this was due, rcioiccd that Willlc
seemed to have suddenly ceased Il
visit the Lanes, and strove with re
ncwcd efforts to cntanglc the handsom
young rellow-for Wilkes Lee was con
sidcrcd the best catch the village uf
| lordcd But with all the pleasing
ways she could affect, Wilkes SCENE,
mprcgnablc to her attempts. Indeed
no one knew that he even noticed he
save Katie, who looked on icalously
thinking she could no longer hold
place by her side. In Katics presrnc
alone did Wilkes seem to care in the lea,
for the llirt, After awhile he cast eve,
her of, and disappeared entirely. All
Katie the battle was not half Tough
when YOU cast the love of Il man, pur
and undivided, from you. This wa
only little struggle before the Uctuj
defeat
There was n great ball at the AnthC
nys; positively the affair of the season
those said who ought to know o
course all the fashionable people woul
be there; no one would miss such
chance to show themselves rs this b.
masquc afforded The Lane carriug
was In attendance, and Katie was Their,
looking pretticr than ever uillc pale
than usual no doubt, though for tn
world she would not have had tn
sharp-sightcd gossips surmisc the lc'
cause.
The ball was in full blast when the clo'
carriage of the Lees was whirlod up (
the door, and the occupants, en- 60
tune, announced. No one doubtc,
even for moment, that that tall, di
| lin nrni oil lnnl inn fnllu,,t ,,-itlA La /