The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-11-02
A TRIP POSTPONED.

Ais iOIICIo anu papers luLO d COufculen
package as he spoke.
BE sure you are ready, Katie, when
/ come. l can't tell when it will be, but
l shall be certain to be in hurry, and
have no time for waiting; so remember,
II you want to go you must DO on the
watch"
Il will papa" Katie said, positively;
''you needn't be afraid. l shall get
ready this morning. and be looking out
for you all the while"
Mr.. Foster smiled on his young
daughter. kissed her. then sprang down
the piazza stairs three steps at time,
TO catch passing car. He was very
busy man, and WAS nearly always in a
hurry. On this particular day business
was calling him 10 the large city, which
WAS only thirty miles away from the
small one where he lived Katie was
very fond VI going to the city with her
papa partly because she had friend
living there who was always glad to see
her and did everything Imaginable to
make her have good time, and partly
because papa was such a busy man he
rarely had time to take her with him.
So when she returned her fathers kiss
and assured him for the second time
she would be sure to be ready, nobody
could have been moro certain than
Katie Foster that she was speaking the
truth.
An hour afterward Mrs. Bennett, the
housekeeper, called out to her on the
piazza where she sat teasing the oat,
81 should think you would go and get
ready, Katie. How do you know but
whatyour papa will come soon?"
I'm going in minute" said Katie,
''b4t papa will be sure not to come this
morning; he can't get away from the
office in time for a morning train"
Ten minutes more and Irish Kate
looked out of the window and spoke
spontaneously:
My name is Kate. and I've moro
sense than some people of that name
that | know OF. II certain Kate OF my
acquaintance was going to the city some
time to-day you'd see her brushing her
hair and putting ON her best dress in a
hurry"
Katie laughed.
ut doesn't take lie SAD long to prink
as it does you, Kate" she said; I'LL
be ready in good time; don't you be
afraid. Papa is always later than he
has any idea he will be-"
Another half-hour and Katie had
really made her way upstairs and laid
out the dress and ribbons she meant to
wear, and begun to brush her hair.
Then she espied the Sunday-school
book she had been reading the after
noon before.
Il declare" she said, stopping short
in her work, Il forgot all about that
book. l wonder what became of
Norm Decker? l do hope he got to be
somebody. I'll just read a few pages;
there will be plenty Of time to dress,
after that; papa is sure not to come be-
fore the two o'clock train. know as
well as / want to, that we shall not get
back tonight. I'll put up my night
things in bag and have them all ready.
and papa's too, so he can be comfort
able if he has to stay, but first III read
just little bit. D"
So saying she pumped herself on TO
the white bed which Irish Kate had
made up nicely for the day. and in two
minutes more was so absorbed in the
fortunes of Susie and Nettie Decker. to
say nothing of Norm and Jerry, that all
thought OF dressing or of packing was
forgotten. One more warning she had.
Her cousin Edna, who was young
lady and had charge of her uncle's
house. looked in and said: "Why,
Katie. you ought to be dressed, dear. l
heard Uncle tell you he might come at
any moment, and it is nearly lunch
time"
IN be ready" said Katie, dreamily;
''papa is sure to be late"
But it is late already, child; the
lunch bell will ring in fifteen minutes. "
We'll, it doesn't take me fifteen min
utes to dress. and papa won't go before
the two o'clock train. l feel sure. Edna,
you ought to read this book; it is real
exciting"
I'm afraid you will be excited in an
other way before long" was Edna's
last warning. but she shut the door and
went on with her work.
Five, ten minutes more, and faint
tinkle of a bell about to ring made Katie
realize that her few minutes had been
many, and that the morning was gone.
She raised herself slowly to a sit
ting posture, still with her eyes on her
book. If she could only find out wheth-
er the General was Jerry's father she
would be content to wait for the rest.
Suddenly she threw the book from her
with such force that it landed on the
floor, kicked off her slippers and began
to button her shoes with anxious haste.
She was thoroughly aroused It was