Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-01-17

there; she always had passable voice,
and played the banjo we'll. Poor Kate,
her pride was dragged in 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.
Il suppose that is the first part of the
story" broke in Andy Wears. ut is
deuced sad; hope the little girl got
back to her uncle"
"Uncle!" growled Maj. Poole. poor
child, he didn't want her. He was q
cruel-hearted, mean old scoundrel, was
Peter Donovan; he never treated the
girl right when he had her"
Cholly nodded his head affirmatively
to Maj. Poole's assertion, and continued
his story:
"This all happened four years ago;
no one heard anything during that time
OF pretty Kate Donovan, for you SEQ
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, in a place called Pennsylvania,
and would make inquiries, as lived,
no doubt, near there? You know, these
old country people, as they call them
selves, think that the United States are
about as large as an English colony"
do I know it?" interrupted the
major. why, lady in London once
asked me to personally deliver small
parcel of china to her daughter, because
I lived in New York, near where her
daughter was settled. I took the par
eel, thinking to see the address of some
street here. Where do you think tho
fair creature lived?'
New Jersey?" hazarded Wears.
"Maine?" queried another.
moi" roared the major; "Idaho!"
"Guess you didn't accept the commits
sion, major" said Cholly.
SWELL, no. relieved my mind by
reciting sundry words not in Wcbster's
dictionary. Go on, my boy. Tell us
all you know Of pretty Kate Donovan.
II came through Canada on my way
from the west, few days ago." con-
tinued Cholly. eve changed cars at a
place not far from Toronto, and had
some hours to wait for connection.
Strolling around, I came to a place
where a circus was in full swing.
Double tent, side shows, all complete.
Consulting my watch, / found I had
time to see the performance. An Eng
lish steeplechase was advertised as
the chief attraction. 1t had just COM
menced when took my seat in the
first row close to the ring. can hard
ly tell you my feelings when recog-
nized the first lady rider VINO entered
it was Kate Donovan
Good heavens!" CALCULATED the ma
jor. Come to that?"
Eyes, 1t 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 Maj. Poole.
II hadn't to sit long. I recognized
her instantly--and, poor girl, she saw
me-"
"Knew you?" gasped the major.
Yes, she turned pale unded the hor-
rible paint and rouge she was daubed
with; somehow she seemed to lose her
nerve all of a sudden. The horse, a
vicious black beast, swerved to one side
suddenly-major-fcllows,I cannot tell
1t. 1t was too horrible
kate Donovan to lose her nerve on
horseback? I cannot credit it," said
the major, in an awed tone.
II was in the ring and by her side in
moment" Cholly continued, not no.
ticing the majors interruption. "she
knew me, poor girl, when her eyes
opened for the first time. She died with
her hands tightly clasped in mine."
Did she sa-ay anything?" asked
Andy Wears; did she tell you any
thing?"
IF she did, you're not the one I'd re-
peat it to-" said Cholly, fiercely. 1.-THE
last words of a poor dying girl are hard
ly club talk, not if know it."
So saying, Cholly seized his coat and
strobe angrily from the room.
The other men looked at each other
significantly.
Hes hit hard" said the major; "poor
fellow. If you had seen Kate you'd not
blame him. I always thought he liked
her."
And Cholly, as he strobe along the
street homeward, cursed his own folly
in telling the story of pretty Kate to
such an audience. "As if they cared"
he muttered. They were set of hard
hearted, cold, cynical men, and he,
Cholly, was fool for telling the story.
Somehow, he had never realized before
that he had cherished an ideal for the
past four years, and that ideal was
the woman who but few days before
had died in his arms. Tell that idiot
Wears what she said? Cholly smiled
grlmly rs the thought struck him, for
only he knew what those last words
had been. They echoed in his ears
even now in the din and noise of the
New York evening.
"Cholly-dear-dear Chollv."
If she had only said them four years
ago, he thought miserably, as he showed
the key into the latch Of his home door.
Vanity.
GHoULs AT WORK.
Band of Grave Robbers Decorating Rural
Cemeteries in Iowa.
DeS MOines, Ia, Jan, 1.-THE police