The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-02-26

miserably unhappy, and people said
Gordon i'll treated her. However that
may be, she did not stay with him very
long. One day woman appeared at
the hotel where they We're staying.
She was gaudily attired specimen,
not overcultured. She registered as
Mrs. Captain Gordon and forced her
self into the Gordon private rooms.
Gordon hadn't word TO say. He
owned up that he had married her five
years before somewhere, where his reg
iment was stationed-I forget where.
There was a terrible scene, which end
ed by Kate leaving the hotel. No one
knew where she went. My friend, an
Englishman, who told me just what
have told you, tried to follow her
and offered TO do what he could for her
in a monetary way. He was gentle
man and meant well by her. She re-
fused all offers of assistance and disap-
peared as if the Mediterranean had
swallowed her up. He heard of her
again at Marseilies. She had been
singing in cafe there. She always
had passable voice and played the
banjo well. Poor Kate ! Her pride
was dragged into the dust her heart
was broken"
Cholly paused to wipe the perspira-
ton from his face and take few sips
from a tumbler beside him. The old
major, for wonder, kept silence, from
time to time shaking his head sorrow
fully.
al suppose that is the first part of
the story" broke in Andy Wears: at
is deuced sad. Hope the little girl got
back to her uncle"
"Unclep' growled Major Poole.
"Poor child He didn't want her. He
was a cruel hearted, mean old scoun-
drel, was Peter Donovan. He never
treated the girl right when he had her."
Cholly nodded his head Affirmative
ly to Major Poole's assertion and con-
tinued his story:
''This all happened four years ago.
No one heard anything during that
time of pretty Kate Donovan, for, you
see, she wasn't Mrs. Gordon, after all.
An aunt of hers did have the grace to
write to me, making inquiries. She
had heard that Kate was in the United
States, i'm place called Pennsylvania,
and would make inquiries, as | lived,
no doubt, near there there? You
know, these old country people, as
they call themselves, think that the
United States are about as large as an
English county"
"Do L know it," interrupted the
major. "Why, lady in London once
asked me to personally deliver a small
parcel of china to her daughter because
| lived in New York, near where my
daughter was settled. | took the par
Gel, thinking to see tae address Of some
street here. Where do you think the
fair creature lived p"
New Jersey ?'' hazarded Wears.
"Maine?" queried another.
"Nor' roared the major. ''Idaho ~
"Guess you didn't accept the COM
mission, major" said Cholly.
"Well, no. / relieved my mind by
reciting sundry words not in Webster's
Dictionary. Go on, my boy. Tell us
all you know of pretty Kate Donovan. T"
II came through Canada on my way
from the west few days ago." con-
tinued Cholly. 1--WE changed ears at a
place not far from Toronto and had
some hours to wait for connection.
Strolling aronnd, | came to place
where a circus was in full swing-dou-
ble tent, side shows, all complete. Con-
sulting my watch, found | had time
TO see the performance. An English
steeplechase was advertised as the chief
attraction. 1t had just commenced
when took my seat in the first row,
close to the ring. | can hardly tell you
my feelings when | recognized the first
lady rider who entered. 1t was Kate
Donovan"
Good heavens ~ calculated the
major. "Come To that?"
"Yes; it was Kate, graceful, 1.-THE,
nervy as ever, looking like queen
among those painted judys and rough
men,
"How could you sit there and see it?'
groaned Major Poole.
~ hadn't to sit long. | recognized
her instantly, and, poor girl, she saw
me ~
"Knew you? ?" gasped the major.
ayes she turned pale under the hor
rible paint and rouge she was daubet
with. Somehow she seemed to lose hel
nerve all of a sudden. The horse, a vi
cious black beast, swerved to one sid,
, suddenly-major, fellows, cannot tell
it was too horrible"
"Kate Donovan to lose her nerve OF
srseback? | cannot credit it," sale
the major i'm an awed tone.
"I was in the ring and by her side il
moment" Cholly continued, not no
ticing the majors interruption. ''ShC
knew me, poor girl, when her eye'
opened for the first time. She diet
with her hands tightly clasped il
mine.'
"Did she say-ay anything?" asked
Andy Wears. ''Did she tell you any
thing?"
'If she did, you're not the one IL
repeat it too" said Cholly fiercely
"The last words of a poor dying cir
are hardly club talk, not if | know it.
So saying, Choily seized his coat ant
strobe angrily from the room.
The other men looked at each othe
signiii cantly.
"He's hit hard" said the major
"Poor fellow! If you had seen Kate
you'd not blame him. l alway
thought he liked her."
And Cholly, as he strobe along tn
street homeward, cursed his own foil
in telling the story of pretty Kate +
such an audience. "As if they cared,
he muttered. They We're set of har
hearted, cold. cynical men, ana h
(Cholly) was fool for telling the stor,
Somehow he had never realized befor
that he had cherished an ideal for th
past four years, AMI that ideal was tn
woman who but few days before ha