Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-08-03

fortunate women whose surplus phys
ical energies distinguish them from
others of their sex As child, she
Was known as "tomboy," and prim
mothers held her up as an awful
warning to their little daughters.
while in her own home the question
OF how to subdue her bnoyant spirits
was wrestled over with true maternal
soicitude. When she grew up socie-
" frowned upon her as a "hovden," {"
and her life was beset with thorns
At eighteen she could row, and
swim and ride, and play lawn tennis
like boy She was great walker,
and upon one occasion had walked to
Mt. Diablo and back in two days,
with her brother and couple of
friends, feat which alone would haye
sulliced to place her under i ban in
San Francisco's best society. That
she sang like bird, danced like a
sylph, and was, Altogether, q very ami.
able, pure minded girl, was q small
Offset for the sum Of her iniqnities,
and although she was exceedingly
popular among Il set Of young and ir-
responsible boys, conservative circles
frowned upon her, and it was geDer-
ally understood that she was young
person of most radical and dangerous
tendencies.
1t was, therefore, q matter of polite
regret when the announcement Of ber
coming nuptials with one this same
conservative circle was received
Tom Middleton was a promising law
yer, Of excellent family and ire
proachable manners. 1t had been
generally understood that Toms
ideal was of different type, and
more after the pattern of the elegant
society women with whom he had
been accustomed to associate. His
intimate friend aud boon companion,
Jack Spencer, who had always dis
approved Of Kate, undertook to pose
as the moutbpiece of society, and
echoed its sentiments in Toms un-
willing ear Tom stood staunchly
by his colors, but his friends words
sank deep into his soul, nevertheless.
He secretly resolved that, for his sake
and her own, Kate must be toned
down"
He succeeded even beyond his
hopes-Nine years after her marriage,
few would have recognized in the
quiet, repressed woman, the gay and
spirited girl of former days. Kate
was fond Of her husband, and the al
chemy of love had wrought the
change; but it is dangerous to med
die with spiritual chemistry as well
as the forces Of the material world,
and if Tom had known what pent-up
longings and rebellious iuclinations
ragged beneath his wife's quiet exter.
ior, be might have repented his sue
cess But he went on callously and
blindly, as men will when dealing
with delicate forces they cannot uu-
derstand, and Kate kept her grievan-
ces to herself Two children came
the elder a girl, fiery, untamed little
creature. who made the mothers
heart ache, IS she saw in the child a
reflex of herself; the other, boy,
sturdy, deliberate, like his father, -
When the children grew larger and
needed room for exercise and outdoor
air which their city home would not
afford, they took up their residence
in little country home, Dot so far
away but that Tom could travel back
and forth daily and attend to his bus
mess, and it is here that our story
finds them.
One gray, December day, Kate
stood at her window, gazing out up
OH the landscape. 1t had been dull,
tiresome week Several days before,
Tom had started off on long prom
ised vacation, which was to be dedi-
Gated to hunt in the mountains, in
company with party of friends.
She was thinking, with envy, of this
hunting party, and wondering, half
bitterly, why amusements that were
conceded to be proper and healthful
for men should not be healthful and
proper for women. How she would
have enjoyed the long tramps over
bills, the excitement of the hunt, the
joy of holding good gun on her
shoulder, and knowing that she could
sight and shoot with the best of them
She felt wicked solace as she
thought of the showers that bad fall
en- in the valley and the clouds that
had hung constantly over the noun
taius. She was lonely, dali and cross,
and chafed against her hedged-in life,
with it's narrow bouidaries, its sense
| less restraints.
There was a rush of feet through
the house. the door of her room open
ed and the children burst in.
Mamma, the creek is up! Take
US down to see itI'
The childish longing for novelty
and excitement found al instant echo
in her heart. They had run in from
outdoor play, and were bonneted and
cloaked, with rubber overshoes t.
protect their feet from the damn
earth AS for her, it was refreshing
to evade Bridget's vigilant eye, ant
to steal out of the front door in he
loose house dress, bare headed
and with worsted slippers on her feet
They followed garden path for {
little distance, and then entered (
narrow lane leading to a place where
they were accustomed to ford in th'
summer time, but over which nov
swept seething, tempestuous food
As they looked and listened. Kat
realized that this was no ordinary
treshet, but the product of teav,
rainfall over the whole vast watershed
which had accumulated it's forces il
thousands Of tiny rivulets, and Join
ing issue with the mountain stream
plunged down It's narrow channel,
mighty and irresistible power.
Even as they looked she saw 6
wall OF water suddenly rear up abov,
and come down toward them like
miniature tidal wave.
The dam built by the new waite
company had given away!
They ran back from the shore t
higher ground, and not a moment to
soon The stream rose several fee
ia second 1t cut into the soliC
banks on either side, and bushes al
young trees, rooted up and sucked il