The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-02-15
4 POSTAL EPISODE.

1t was pretty room, this cell 90, as
Katherine Gray called her paIlOr and
alcOye suite in the Norman, Cedar
street, Blank city. There was a piano;
there were books. easy-chairs, pictures.
Besides the furnishings that i'll these
days are called necessary there were
the countless small things that make
a room something more than mere
shelter. Behind gay screen, Slightly
ajar, there was tiny gas-stove and
singing kettle; a nalf-open door of
cabinet revealed odd pieces of china
and shining silver.
This is what the sun shone upon
through the big east bay window New
Years morning. This and Katherine
Gray at her breakfast table. The
postman had made his one round for
the day. Some business house had
sent her calendar and there was one
letter This she was reading. She
made pretty picture as she sat thus.
With all the rest of the world she was
having a holiday.
Il wish" she said-she had fashion
of thinking aloud when alone-"I wish
that this letter could have been de-
layed until tomorrow. | don't like
being so disturbed on New Years day.
There is saying that as the first day
goes so goes the whole year" Then
she laughed; and she looked very pref
ty when laughing. Il wonder if I'm to
have proposal of marriage every day
in the year and feel as bad about every
one as | do about this?"
Then she rose and walked to the mir
ror. The reflection was not pleasant;
she smiled as she looked at it, But
she said: "There's no use in being
hatterel by the glass, Katherine; the
fact remains that this is your birthday
and that you are 81 years old to-day.
Here in your hand is an offer of mar
riage from an eminently worthy and
respectable man, who would take YOU
away from cell 80 and its 'kitchenv-
parlor air, and set you in handsome
home, where you wouldn't have to
hide your head in q bureau drawer,
bake and boil in single dish, or eat
'boughten pie'-who would make a
lady of leisure of you, and who. best Of
all, or what ought to be best of all,
would love you and be good to YOU.
And yet" she continued, you hesitate
With little lines coming around Your
eyes and mouth, with work and worry
and weariness stretching out indeti-
nitely before you-you hesitate. | am
surprised. You don't show your usual
good business sense, your keen appre-
citation of 4 good bargain
Truly. she was not insensible to the
material advantages that were offered
10 her in this letter from Nh. Browne,
wholesale grocer and dealer in canned
goods. She loved ease and beauty
and luxury; she could use them to the
adorning Of any position that might be
offered her. She was tired of work
and the continuous struggle for bread.
She had achieved some success in a
business way, and that, too, in the
face of every instinct of her being.
She had made something approach
mo a home in this little suite of
rooms. Ii certainly was a great i'm
nrovemeut on the gregariousness of the
boarding house. hut in katherine's
secret soul she felt it to be a narrow
and lonely life.
As she sat thus, with her hands
claspcd above her head, she thought:
If it were not for that letter received
/ and answered ten years ago to-day
/ lhe first of the year is a fateful day to
! me, surelv-I know what MY reply
would be to this one. If could only
1 forget-but | may as well start my life
anew to-day as any time"
Then she went 10 her desk and took
/ down the old calendar. you've had
Your day and you may rs well 20 with
| the rest One nail drives out another.
! Your successor is here, with his ready
made wisdom BY the way, I'll see
| what sort this is" she said. It's some
advertising scheme. no doubt but it
may have message for me, just the
! same.'
She read: BE more afraid of the
companionship that enslaves than OF
the solitude that leaves you free Use
the Hi@hnyer bicycle. Best in the
world"
She read the quotation twice, smiling
as she did so, and hung the new
calendar in its place.
At 3 o'clock she made careful
street toilet and went out for her din.
ner. Determined not to dine alone
she invited little Joe, the newsboy
who brought her morning paper and
who did small errands for her anC
I other occupants of the Norman, 10 &C
with her.
To be sure. when she asked him i
he had been 10 dinner, he admitted
that he had been "wid de @ang to dt
mission. But dat" he said, don't cut
no fgger. kin eat jes' as well fer al
dat"
He verified his assertion. katheriu,
never had more satisfactory guest.
Yer bet it was bully" he said th'
next day to a properly envious crowl
Of boys None o YOU fellers eve
seed anythin' like it. Twas way-ul
rcstrent, where dey have chany wi,
Towers onto it, an silver. an glas
tiags wot don't know der names of
An wife table-clolhs an napkins wot
used jcs Ike 4 genlem does. an
waiter wot stood behind nv cheer an
waited on me jes like he did de rest
He didn't dast do nothink else wi,
Miss Gray's eyes lookiu' right at him
An dere was soup an turkey, an in
guns. an jell. an iee-cream, an pie
an puddin'-an | was only sorry /,
iilled up so at de mission
: Katherine sat in the early winte
twilight at her piano, singing som