Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-01-29

to Major Poole's assertion, and contin-
ued 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, in a
place called Pennsylvania, and would
[ make inquiries, as | 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 [ know it?' interrupted the ma
| jor. why, a lady in London once
! asked me to personally deliver small
parcel of china to her daughter because
| lived in New York, near where her
daughter was settled. took the parcel,
thinking to see the address of some
street there. Where do you think the
fair creature lived?"
New Jersey?'' hazarded Wears.
"Maine? queried another.
~ roared the major. Idaho"
mission, ma jor,' said Cholly.
''Well, no. I relieved my mind by re-
citing sundry words not in Webster's
dictionary. Go on. my boy Tell us all
you know of pretty Kate Donovan.
Il came through Canada on my way
IFOm lno w est, rev DAYS ago, cOnCln-
ued Cholly 1--WE changed cars at a
place not far from Toronto, and had
some hours to wait for connection.
Strolling around [ came to a place where
a circus was III full swing. Double tent,
| side shows, all complete. Consulting
my watch, I found | had time to see
the performance. An English steeple-
chase was advertised as the chief at
traction. 1t had just commenced when
[ took my seat in the first row close
/. to the ring. | can hardly tell you my
| feelin"s when [ recognized the first lady
rider who entered-it was Kate Dono-
| van"
Good heavensv' CALCULATED the ma jor
| Come to that!'
Eyes. 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 Maj. Poole.
L hadn't to sit long. l recognized
her lnstantly-and, poor girl, she saw
me-.
''Knew you?'' gasped the major.
Yes. she turned pale under the horri-
bic paint and rouge she was daubed
with: somehow she seemed to lose her
nerve all of 4 sudden. The horse a
vicious black beast, sWerved to one side
suddenly -major-fellows, | cannot tell
1t. 1t was too horrible"
"Kate Donovan to lose her nerve on
horseback? l cannot credit it, said
the major in an awed tone.
Il was in the ring and by her side in
a moment" Cholly continued, not motto
| ing 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 anything?'
IF she did, you're not the one I'd re-
peat it to- said Cholly fercely. "The
last words of 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.
He's hit hard" said the major: poor
blame him. | 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 We're 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
what she said? Cholly smiled grimly as
| 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-dea
If she had only said them four years
ago. he thought miserably as he showed
his key into the latch of his home door,
Vanity.