The Washington times., 1894-12-26
Ths Fortuna T6ll6r.

the pretty little hand that his eldest daughter
/ sought to place over his mouth.
"No." he said, II will not keep quiet
repeat that the whole custom of sending New
| Years cards is a d-n bad one, and 1t ls time
| to put an end to it. What are the results OF
such nonsense?
"First. | get my mail bag an hour later
| than usual. and. secondly. 1t is crammed so
! full with the stupid stuff that l can hardly
| get il openlh
At length the old gentleman's efforts were
rewarded, the bag sprang open and he emp
| tied its contents with impatlence on the
breakfast table.
read my God! are they all for you, ka-
thinka?"
Don't be so unbearable, papa, and please
don't call me Kathinka."
The old gentleman replied to his daugh-
ter's request with an uninteiligi6ie growl
and went on drinking his coffee.
Just look what a lot there are Tor me-
! cried Katharine, pi!ing the letters upon the
table in front of her and her face lighting up
with pleasure.
Are they all for you?"
''Yes, all. Now you can see what it Is to
| be known as beauty.
sAnd an heiress.'' added the father.
''Yes. and an heiress, she repeated thought
fully
"Bui is there nothing there for my little
| Lili?" asked her father
Katharine shrugged her shapely shoulders
impatientlv.
why. of course not. II a girl expects
to be shown much attention she must be
little more pushing and important.
And an heiress, too, was the fathers la
comic addition TO the sentence.
~ really should be very grateful, father, if
| you would not allude so much to my money,
was the rather curt protest.
~ can't help it, Katharine, when l see my
| little Lii here as beautiful as the flower that
gave her the name, and-well, she is not an
heiress, do you understand? That's the whole
thing"
Katharine made no answer. She was busy
studying the handwriting on the envelopes.
young girl who had hitherto sat opposite
to her in silence LETT her seat. went up 10 the
high bailiff, and putting her fair young arms
round his neck gave him kiss.
A world of love shone in his eyes as he
looked at her with pleasure and stroked her
soft cheeks.
Never mind, LiIi.' he said slowly. Il am
glad that you dom get such pile OF letters
| I'm grateful, too, that you're not an heiress.
Perhaps then no one Will tako ycu away from
me.
Tears came into the girls eyes, for, though
she said no word, yet the thought that no one
had remembred her or cared enough for her
TO send her New Year card made her sad.
But she forced herself not TO cry and tried to
I conceal the few tears that would not be kept
back by kissing her father again lovingly on
the eyes and lips.
The high baliff OF Krohn. the father Of
these two girls, had married twice. His first
wife, lovely, proud, but vain woman, dlet
soon after the birth of little daughter, and
: left her the whole OF n large fortune. His
second wife. the daughter of a country clergy
man, brought him no wealth but a sweet and
beautiful disposition. When she, too. died
after two years married life, he felt over
Whelmed and had never since wholly re-
covered from the blow.
Katharine. the elder of the stepchildren,
had just finished her twentieth year, and, as
she was as roud, pretty. and just rs vain as
her mother. had already laughed at many
PROPOSALS for her hand-and money. No one
has so far been able TO take her fancy.
Lii was in almost every respect the oppo-
site of her sister. Small of figure. quiet and
retiring 1t happened that she was often en-
tirely overlooked. 1t certainly was not right
OF father to love one daughter more than
another.
) Still he did so. and 1t was plain to every
, body that it was the SOFT sweet patient Lii
who was his favorite.
1t made Katharine feel annoyed to see her
S father so gentle and affectionate toward hel
| sister. for she said, with sharp look al them
; both:
! What kissing again cannot understand
\ how you find pleasure in ALWAYS lying round
D each Others neckS'
9 ''You are out of sorts, Katharine said hel
; father. lone of the cards you expected has
I not come perhaps. | would almost wager
: that among all those letters there is none
from Baron Horn. eh?''
1 Z katharine grew shade paler at these
0 words.
5 II certainly expected card from Baror
Horn, she replied, trying to conceal her an
Z / noyance "He surely has sent me onel Are
ma
Z oughly?'a
o ''Yes. think so. Bot you had better look
Q yourself; it would not be the first time that q
q letter has remained stuck In one OF the cor
4 ners."
s "Ah, 1 thought so,' exclaimed Katharine
! ner OF the bag.
, She glanced quickly and sharply at the ad-
! dress. and then with an exclamation of vexa-
! ton let the letter hurriedly drop.
! Not from Baron Horn, after alp asked
! her father. picking it up. land yet-that is
! his writing. Heavensi Why, it's for you
! Lii; it's addressed to you.'
| ''Ohi impossible" said Lii, quietly, while
| faint blu h rose to her pretty cheeks. Il
| must be q mistake.
"By no means" returned her father, smil
! ing Here, open it. Let US all see it. oh
| what a lovely card. Why, Katharine. wher
! are you goIng?'
But the father received no answer, Katha
rine hurriedly gathered up her letters an(
q left the room in whirlwind.
The aforementioned Baron Horn was
young nobleman who had just returned from
|. Africa. 1t was vel known that he took grea
a pleasure in visiting the Won Krohn family
and under all manner of pretexts took ever
opportunity to be with them. OF course ever
l. one thought that the attraction was the ricl
IT and beautiful Katharine, and she herself tool
"a particular pains to spread this view of tn
matter.
Z Accustomed as she was TO a large numbe
n of enthusiastic admirers she had never for
e moment imagined that the baron could in
j. terest himself in her quiet little sister unit
l, she was reminded to-day in u rather un
Of pleasant manner of the possibility of such 6
sr thing.
o She read her letters through and beeam
g better humored.
.'How stupid of me to get so cross" )" sh
said, as she smiled at her lovely face in tn
glass. 1T is not possible that he fayors Lii
when he knows me-"
There came gentle knock at the doc,
and the servant girl came in and announce
that the carriage was at the door.
Katharine q: once rbmembered that Baro
Horn had promised to go for a drive wit
her, and with this thought her face grey
| bright once again.
charitable bazaar was to be opened in
neighboring town, and, as the father was nc
| able to go, Baron Horn had offered his escol
to the two young ladies.
The baron was as punctual as most lovers