News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-10-06
MIKES KAlf.
-lOl
BY CATHERINE THsIER.


On one of the promontories of oul
New England coast, where in winter
the winds rage most fuCiously and
the waves dash fOaming against the
bare rocks, struggling fishing ham.
let is seen as one rounds the point.
1t is a wretched, pove ety-stricken
place; with houses destitute of paint
dark from exposure, and almost all
of them leaning, as if for protection
towards the hill-slope on which they
stand. A place where men, women
and children seem to grow more
dOgged and rough as each passing
year leaves them poorer and more
! fOrlorn.
1t was in one of the worst of these
houses that Mikes Katy lived-so
called to distinguish her from Tim
O'COnner's own children, for Katy
was waif, eight years o.d, taken in
by the O'COnners when her only rela-
tive, Mike McCann, was drowned in
a Cove two years befors my story
opens. And that she was an outsider
poor Kate was but too well aware
for did not Mrs. O'Conner tell her so
a dozen times a day, and the young
O'COnners almost as OfteL?
1t was not a happyli life for the child,
! and as often as she could she would
brave the wrath of her adopted fami-
ly and run down the hill to the Nc
Clures, and there find perfect happi-
ness; for young Jim Mcclure, al
though ten years her senior, was al
ways glad to see her, and Jim was
Katy's hero, and, as she thought,
possessed of all the virtues to be
found in the Cove.
They were strange companions,
these two, when they walked along
hand in hand: Jim a brawny, good
natured fellow, his head bent towards
issmall friend, whose round. freckled
fact, snub nose, and blue eyes fairly
beamed with satisfaction at having
"my Jimmy" by her side-and Jim
almost as pleased to have Katy.
One afternoon in the early spring,
when the fishermen were beginning to
mend their nets and repair their
boats that they might6Ainreadiness
for the fishing season, MS. O'COnner
and Katy had n serioEzs disaggree-
ment, which ended in Katy, with
many tears, protesting that she
would stay there nolOnger; and, seiz-
ing her shawl, she fled to seek her
Jimmy and pour into his willing ear
her grievances.
She knew that he was not at home,
but down by the Cove mending his
nets, and thither she ran; but when
she reached the place, although she
heard many a "HelIo, Katy!" she
did not hear the longed-for can
what has that O'Conner bin a-dOin'
now, me darlint?" and, looking
around through her tears, she saw
that Jim was not there.
Where is he?" she asked.
"Ef you name jim, he's over at
the TOngs," spoke up one of the men,
Katy's heart sank within her; she
had already run some distance, and
the "TOngs" was almost mile from
the Cove; but Jim she must have, sc
off she started again, with head bent
down and her shawl wrapped tightly
about her, for there had just been q
heavy storm, and the wind was still
strong and the waves we're running
high.
She knew that jim sometimes went
to the Tongs to gather shells for his
sister, who wrought them into curl
Gus articles, which, during the sum
mer, she sold at the hotel twelve
miles down the coast. And over a
the Tongs there were quantities o
yellow and orange snail-shells, o
which she used a great many.