The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-10-05
Katherine BloQnt'S hove.
By The DutcheSs.
CHAPTER I.
A wilful Girl.

L ever car q 10 go 10. tAcl!lilleu Asiso
BlCunt, Indignantly. Well l must say
I think it hard-very hard-more than
most girls Of my age would bear, -
concluding her slightly mutinous speech
with hurried bitterness, and turning
aside to the window as an ominous
rising in her throat gave warning that
it was high time her eloquence should
come to an end.
ut is utterly out Of the question"
interrupted her father, languidly, 80
put it out Of your head once for all.
/ could not let you have Il farthlng
just now-even suppasfng it were
matter Of life or death-being as hard
up rs | well can be: my usual condition,
by the by. Look here, katherine, il
Darlington calls while | am away,
send him up to the square field, will
you. where | am going about those
partridges? Come, Bel, G liant, get
up, you lazy brutesr sr'-disturbing with
his foot as he finished speaking, two
magnificent pointers as they lay doing
beside his chair.
The coolness of the refusal. know
ing, as she did how idly and seltiShly
her fathers money was sp mt, together
with his whole bearing, reused Miss
Blollnt's quick temper beyond control,
1T would be better for you to give
up your hunters and dogs and dress
your daughter properly than to go on
living beyond your means in the dis
honorable way you are doing" she
cried passionately her fine eyes fash
ING.
'.That is Just one Of the many points
on which you and | SO totally disagree" :"
Archibald Blount answered pleasantly,
no whit moved from his usual ca'1n
gentlemanly demeanor by his daugh-
ters vehemence. moving indolently out
Of the room as he concluded, and clos
ing the door with almost womaily gen
tleness b. hind him.
When he was gone the girl clinched
her small hands tightly together to
keen down the rehellious tears, and,
leaning her heed back against the shut
ter. strove hard to suppress the feelings
ttat rose So angrily within her.
AS she thus stood. battling bravely
with her thoughts, the dazzling August
sun shone brightly down upon her.
flushing her head and face and figure
with It's gay warmth, SO as literally to
frame her in its yellow gold-anl q
very beautiful little face it was TO
frame, richly tinted, changeable and
passionate. expressing only too clearly
at times the secret workings of her
heart.
Numerous were the victims who cried
for quarter to Miss Blount: indeed. she
had it very much her own way with
the sterner sex, few being able to with
stand her tender, Wild childish beauty,
even hardy veterans giving in hope
lessly to the little queen who thinned
their ranks SO mercilessly. Old and
young. grave and gay, succumped with
out murmur to her smiles
With women, however. she scarcely
got on so well, her exquisite unsatisfied
face being no passport to their favor.
They could see no charm in 1t for their
part-voted her "odd-peculiar-h
bly, fast-barely good-looking.' accord
ing to each speakers view of the case,
and sought ito keep her down. with all
their might, though to no purpose;
for. cfter employing all the energy
they were capable of to reduce her to
the common level, they were fain to
confess that Katherine needed them
not. She lived her life alone. careless
Of their appreciation or the reverse, and
but for Harriet Charters would, in
~ probability, have possessed no fe-
male friend.
Her father. Archibald Blount. was
cold, woi Idly and selfish to the hearts
core. No love for his beautiful child
ever warmed or frightened tho stag
nant feelings Of his breast: she was
there-hefore his eyes-the living image
If her dead mother. but to him she was
little more than III encum'rancc, tho
unMi ished for consequence of regret
ted marriage.
1t was small wonder the girl should
under the cir. unstances, p y but little
outward respect to his wishes or com
mands, though in her iHmost hear
there lay hidden for him a lasting love
far stronger than even she herself be
Heyed could possible have existed fol
the father who held her in such sigh
estimation, and spent his time in racin:
or betting, or gambling away the small
incoma-a remnant Of his once prin el1
fortune-tllat sufficed to keep then
from utter destitution.
Leaning back. now. with her heat
against the woOdw rk of the window
she almost swore to herself that n
love dreams shonld come between he
and her hopes Of earthly riches; and
as she thought with bitter earnestness
her reverv was suddenly broken i
upon by the entr nee Of a yong ma
Of four-and-tWenty. who. coming owe
to the window. sank lazilv into chat
directly opp site to her. For momen
he gazed woltleringly at the girl
half averted sorrowful face, whereo
the recent tearS had left their Silen
traces: after which scrutiny he inq' ret
without any very great regard to til
selection of his language:
"What's up?"
For goodness sake, why cann.t 20
speak proper English?" Miss Blour
asked. pettishly. gla acing swiftly roun
from the window as she smoke What