The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-07-16

she went. My friend, an Eng llshman,
who told me just what l have told you,
tried to follow her and offered to do
what he could for her in a monetary
way. He was a gentleman and meant
well by her. She refused all offers Of
assistance and disappeared as if the
Mediterranean had swallowed her up.
He heard Of her again at Marseilles.
She had been singing in a cafe there.
She always had a passable voice and
played the banjo well. Poor Kate! Her
pride was dragged in the dust her heart
was broken"
Cholly paused to wipe the perspiration
from his face and take a few sips from
a tumbler beside him. The old major,
for a wonder, kept silence, from time to
time shaking his head sorrowfully.
Il suppose that is the first part of the
story" broke in Andy Wears. 1T is
deuced sad. Hope the little girl got back
to her uncle
"Uncle!' growled Major Poole.
Poor child! He didn't want her. He
was a cruel hearted, mean old scoundrel,
was Peter Donovan. He never treated
the girl right when he had her."
Cholly nodded his head afirmatively
to Major 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 see, she
wasn't Mrs. Gordon, after all. An aunt
of hers did have the grace t. write to
me, making inquiries. She had heard
that Kate was in the United States, in
a place called Pennsylvania, and would
l make inquiries, as l lived. no doubt,
near there? You know, these old coun-
try people, as they call themselves, think
that the United States are about as large
as an English county,
do l know it?' interrupted the ma
jor. "Why, a lady in London once asked
me to personally deliver q small parcel
Of china to her daughter because / lived
in New York, near where her daughter
was settled. l took the parcel, thinking
to see the address of some street here.
Where do you think the fair creature
lived?"
New Jersey?" hazarded Wears.
"MaiDe?" queried another.
"No!' roared the major. "Idahor'
"Guess you didn't accept the com.
mission, major" said Cholly.
well, no. I relieved my mind by re-
citing sundry words moi in Webster's
Dictionary. Go on, my boy. Tell us all
you know Of pretty Kate Donovan
Il came through Canada on my way
from the west a few days ago" contin-
ued Cholly. 1--WE changed cars at a
place not far from Toronto and had
some hours to wait for connection.
Strolling around, I came to o place
where a circus was in full swing-dou-
BILE tent, side shows, all complete. Con-
sulting my watch, I found ! had time
to see the performance. An English
steeplechase was advertised as the chief
attraction. 1t had just com menced when
I took my seat in the first row, close to
the ring. lean hardly tell you my feel
ings when l recognized the first lady
rider who entered. 1t was Kate Dono-
van"
Good heavensr CALCULATED the
major. "Come to that?'
Yes; it was Kate, graceful, 1.-THE,
nervy as ever, looking like a queen
among those painted judys and rough
men,"
How could you sit there and see it?"
groaned Major Poole.
Il hadn't to sit long. I recognized
her instantly, and, poor girl, she saw
mel"
Knew your" gasped the major.
"Yes; she turned pale under the hor-
rible paint and rouge che was daubed
with. Somehow she seemed to lose her
nerve all of a sudden. The horse, a vi
cious black beast, swerved to one side
acknowledgements, fellows, l cannot tell
it, it was too horrible"
Kate Donovan to lose her nerve on
horseback? l cannot credit it," said the
major in All awed tone.
Il was in the ring and by her side in
a 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 fercely. 1.-THE
last words Of a poor dying girl are hard
ly club talk, not if l know it,"
So saying, Cholly seized his coat and
strobe angrily from the room.
The other men looked at each other
significantly.
He's hit hard said the major.
Poor fellow! If you had seer Kate,
you'd not blame him. I always thought
he liked her."
And Cholly, s he strobe along the
street homeward, cursed his own folly
in telling the story of pretty Kate to
such N audience. ,"As il they cared"
he muttered. They were a set of hard
hearted, cold, cynical men, and he
(Cholly) was a 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 a few days before had
died in his arms. Tell that idiot Wears