Wichita eagle., 1888-08-14
KITCHEN LOVE.


blue eyed, black haired, trim, tidy and with
cut rival in the art and science of broiIing
q steak, making coffee, sweeping, busting
and setting room to rights She was only
six months over from Ireland when she came
TO my door, but she had evidently had good
training somewhere, and had profted by it
She had not reigned long In my kitchen be-
fore the butchers man and the grocer lin
gered little as they delivered parcels, and
the coachman cast admiriDg glances at her
as she opened the door when his ''missus"
made her calls. In fact, one Of tie first
coachmen in the ward, one who wore the
most elegant livery and drove the finest turn
out in the most distinguished manner, openly
expressed his admiration at Christmas time
by a card Of very magnificent proportions
and bottle of very pronounced perfumery.
The stout young butcher declared to her one
day that he sent the tenderest cuts in his
chop to US eli for her sake. Clearly Katie
could have been quito a belle in her own
circle had she chosen, but she seemed to have
little inclination for the distinction.
For in spite of Katie's blithe manner, and
she carried CHEEKY face, there seemed to
lurk shadow Of something like sorrow in
her blue eyes; there was a look that made me
think Of that in the face Of Evangeline.
The smile of derision with which this state
plcnt was received by the head Of the house
would have quite demolished any one less
positive than l. In the eyes Of my friends
was the veriest dreamer, a romancer, who
saw what was not there
In my own estimation was a woman OF
remarkable penetration and insight Circuu-
stances confirmed this view often enough to
enable NE to keep fair confidence In my
own intuitive powers; occasional failures
kept my friends from like confidence in me-
She was performing some small service in
my room one morning, and ! was silently
sdmiring the careful dexterity Of her move
nlents, when observed what 1 thought to be
q little extra pensiveness about her. There
was depression In the ''set" Of her busting,
cap that did not escape me-
She waS only an Irish servant girl, one of
the many who come and go and are forgot
ten, but she was a woman, friendless, or SO
thought, in strange country. She was q
member of my household It was not idle
curiosity that led ne TO say to her, Katie,
you look little sad this morning; has any
thing gone wrong, anything that can helpt
You must consider me q friend when you
need one"
Thank you, ma'am, she said. "thank you
kindly. It's all along o the coachnan, Pat
rick MCGUIRE He's that fond of me, ma'am,
that he'll not be takin' no at oil, and that's
ali the word can spake to him"
patrick McGuire is a worthy young man,
Is he notin
He is that, ma'ar."
STEADY, honest and industriousf'
Sure, he is"
she is good looking, and pleasant and
kind. / heard Mrs. Gray say they never had
one they had mors confidence in in every
way"
Good looking no is, ma'am, wild honest
eye, and pleasant smile, and a man to be
trusted, I've no fear"
II suppose he has saved up little money
end could give you comfortable, snug little
home, where you could live and be happy
with some one who would love you and take
good care Of you"
1--WE heard say he had little money. an
be loves me, he swears it by the Holy
Mother"
"Nell, Katie, it is very much TO have the
love of good man, to have pleasant, COM
Portable home; working hard in your own
house, for those who are dear to you, and
who loves you, is vastly better and pleas
anter thing than working for even SO nice
mistress as I am"
She looked up with smile and said, ''Sure
its good mistress that you are: but, ma ann,
there's something you haven't said, and it
seems strange to me you haven't You
haven't said a word about my lovin' tNe
man. Is it q fair thing To take mans love
and al he can give you an give him nothing
hack for it, Shall a woman sell herself for
u roof over her head aad q fire To sit by. an
sbo with two strong hands2 It's not Kate
GcCarthy could 90 that"
''No, Katie, no woman should do that, but
did not know. And you do not love hims
Not a bit, ma'an; know he is good arr
true an lovin', but my heart is like stone
in my breast even when he says the tinderesS
things TO me, just as cold an just as heavy"
And don't you think you might learn to
love himf" asked.
Learn to love him, is it you sayf Sure,
na'anl, it seems TO me the love you have to
learn is poor sort. Seems to NE, ma'am,
when you have TO be botherin' yourself that
way you just better let it ell go. No, ma'am,
can't learn TO love Patrick Mcclure. Ths
love you don't have to learn is the sort YOU
don't forget, ma'aIn, an'--love neither
comes nor goes wild the biddin'."
Here the color surgsd over the girls face
ard she sighed
There's some one else, Katie.s
Tho dinner must DE put over" she said ir-
rolevantly, and sped away to the kitchen
With oil her frankness she had a reserve
that forbade further questioning, SO the sub
ject was banished- She grew daily little
quieter in her ways, she sang less at her
work, but she ives just ns faithful in her ser
vice, and just as attractive as ever in the
eyes OF her followers
One morning she said, "There's to be q
masquerade at the rink tomorrow night,
ma am; tho coachrlen Of the city will be Civ
ing IL Al the incest girls | know are a.
goin', end I've said I'd so, though its Gsle l
care about such doin'S.n
And ere you going with Mr. Mcclure as
your escorts"
mo, ma am; two or three of US girls are
going together, ma'an. I'd not be going
wild any young man. besides We don't want
any one 70 know Us, you know"
THAT will answer, l Think ! replied.
" Dress warmly, do not be out very late and
let me see you before you go want to see
IL / viii know YOU"
Very pretty the three Irish girls looked as |
they stepped into my room the next night to |
be looked at and admired Their ideas Of I
costunring in character were not very well /!
defined, or their means for carrying out
their ideas were hn.i1d, but did not mar /
their pleasure by criticism. left the incon- /
pass, and said they looked very |
nicely, which was true
Katie only had made no attempt at dis |
,,:is, other thar the mask. She wore pecu.
Lar looking dress, however, dark gray, bng