Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-11-25
EVEsDRoPPING.

that again. | tell you, once for all,
Mr.. Lee can not be anything more to
me than mere friend; so if you re-
spect my wishes in the least you will
not mention his name to me again.
Katie Lane flung back her bright,
brown curls as she spoke, q little dis
dainfully, perhaps, and bent little
lower over ;he piece of crocheting she
held IN her hand.
Maud Anthony laughed low and
triumphantly as she returned
Really. Katie, you need not speak
SO angrily. Everybody thinks you
are going to marry him, and, for my
part. think be will make some one a
good husband
you need not trouble yourself,
Miss Anthony. to look after my af-
fairs; You must have enough to look
after. When l need your advice |
will surely let you know. So | bid
you good afternoon
The queenly little heart arose proud
ly erect, and with a scornful expires
sion on her lips Katie walked quietly
away into the shrubbery of the graden
AS she walked hastily on a footster
on the other side of the hedge check
ed her flight, and in a moment Wilkes
Lee, the subject of the conversation
under the elms, scrambled up into
sight, without seeming to have seer
Katie, and fastened away.
The strange little heart of Katie
gave sudden start as she recognizer
her old friend and lover, as she paus
ed, murmuring
I wonder if he heard what we said
| wouldn't have had him for all thu
world. A plague on Maud Anthony
She forced me to saylt. | suppos'
she is glad. too, for now she thinks
that | don't care for him
For a moment Katie was silent, a
she worked nervously at the prettl
diamond ring that encircled her finger
It was gift from Wilkes, betrotha
ring
Il don't care, she at last broke ou
pouting.' 'Now that I've said it, II
show Miss Anthony | mean it. Their
as she drew the diamond from he
finger and cast into the bushes, iii
there and rust. for all care! Mucl
good may it do you, Maud, too. Yov
can catch him, know, but what do
care?'
A moment Kate stood there, look
ing in the direction of the hedge; thel
claspping her hands to her face sh
burs5 into tears. On the other side o
the hedge Wilkes Lee strobe quickl
away, saying, sheepishly;
well, we'll, a pretty scrape 70,
came near getting into, my boy
Don't mean to be an eavesdroppe
certainly; accidents will happen, yo1
know. So she don't care for you, eh
Well see. I'll warrant she doesn
know her own heart now | think L
run away a few days, and let her &c
over her fit.
The young man disappeared in th
underbrush that lined the road, leap
ing the fence. and was soon lost
view in the distance
Kate waited patiently for man
days for the visit of her once arder
lover. and then, on concluding that h
had not only overheard what she ha
said in the garden, but had taken he
at her word, commenced not to loo
alone, but to mourn him as lost to he
indeed. There was grand masqu
ball at the Anthonys', positively tn
affair of the season, those said wh
ought to know. OF course all tE
fashionable people would be there
The Lane carriage was in attendanc,
and Katie was there, looking prettie
than ever; trihe paler, no doub
) though for the world she would M
have had the sharp sighted gossip
suEmise the real cause.
The ball was in full blast when tt
close carriage of the Lees was whirle
up to the door, and the occupants, c
costume, announced. No one doub
ed; even for moment that tall, dis
tinguished- looking fellow, with a lad
leaning heavily on . his arm, We
Wilkes Lee, but who was his compal
ion, who was she? This was with 8
the theme of wonder, and none tt
less with Kate than with the coquett
Maud Anthony Some said it was h
wife, perhaps he had married in
foreign land. Some said no; Mrs L.
had said only to-day that Wilkes W
coming home unmarried.
The mask seemed not to have ey
or ears for anything save the lady b
side him. And lower and lower sar
Katie's poor little heart as the evenir
wore on, and still Wilkes make no et
fort to distinguish her among Il
crowd.
At last when she could restrain he
self no longer, she quietly s,ippe
away from the throng and went alo'
to seat under the trees.
A long time she sat thus, whe
with the thought that she would
missed, she started up.
A hand was laid gently on her arr
Stay q moment, Katie. | want
cnaak with Won