Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-09-17
KATIE'S CATCH.

to1llng all day and often half the night
for barely enough to keep soul and body
together! 1 must endeavor to find some
thing that pays better than this ceaseless
stitching. But here comes mother /
must chase away this weary look"
Mr.. Ashley had been government clerk
and lived up to every cent of his income,
just managing to keep up genteel APP
pearance and send Katie to an excellent
school.
But Mr. Ashley died suddenly, and the
little family was left entirely destitute.
Mrs. Ashley was an invalid. She could
help in no way to support her little fam
lily. So Katie, when only 16, was forced
to leave her studies and put her shoulder
to the wheel. A sewing machine was pur-
chased, and bravely she went to work.
Katie love, this will never do You
must not work SO constantly. Get your
hat and go take walk, and, my child
She hesitated. "Well, I've been thinking
that possibly, if you would try yourself
and not depend on friends you might get
a position. l should think General Looms,
If he knew you, would give you work. Go
and ask him, Katie"
"What about the general, motherp l
know him by sight and to speak to lit
tie, and he is a fine old gentleman, l
think" said Walter Ashley, boy of 10
years, who had entered the room and
caught the last part of his mothers re,
mark.
How, or rather where, did you meet
him, Walter?" asked Katie.
"Why, I see him most every afternoon
up where we go fishing. Well, it would do
you good to see him when he has fine
luck. believe he would sooner draw up
black bass than greenbacks, Walter an
swered.
"Oh Walter, some time when he is in
such good humor could you not tell him
who you are and ask him to give me some
thing to do9" Katie asked in tone and
manner half serious, half in fun.
"Now, as If he would mind what boy
said No, Katie, you come and go with
me. Ladies often come up to the fishing
ground. Then, when he looks pleasant
enough, you ask him. am going now. I"
They were soon after on their way to
the fishing grounds. When in sight of the
place, Walter said: "The general is not
there, but he will come by and by, guess
I'm glad we are first. I'll get good po-
sition."
Soon his line was dropped, and few
minutes after Katie saw him draw it up
with q triumphant exclamation.
'What a beauty Oh, there comes the
general Amt glad he didn't get here
before He would have caught this Now,
watch him, Katie. I'm going to have a
brisk time, think"
Katie raised her eyes to the approaching
form timidly for an instant, but an in
slant only, for surely there she found
nothing to encourage longer gaze.
General Looms looked decidedly cross,
and the expression changed not for the
better during the two hours the girl sat
and watched.
Then at last, tired and disheartened,
she coaxed Walter to return home.
"What lucks" asked Mrs. Ashley, meet
ing them at the door.
Splendid! See what feastr' ex-
claimed Walter. He had quite forgotten
the real purpose of Katie's going.
ooh, Walter, mother means something
Of moro Importance than your fish," Katie
said, adding: "No luck for me, mamma.
could not dare to speak to him. He
looked awfully cross"
"Well, that's SO. He did. I never saw
him SO before. But the fish did not bite
for him. L guess that was the reason"
said Walter.
Day after day, when Walter returned
from school, she would put aside her work
and accompany him, returning to the anx.
ious mother ever with the Respondent
look on her pale face.
Twelve days passed thus. To Walter it
was beyond comprehension. He declared
that always before the general looked
pleasant. Sometimes he was really jovial
and on two or three occasions had spoken
with much kindness to him.
~ declare, Katie, it is the strangest
thing ever knew. From the time he
comes in sight he looks CROSS and grows
more so until he or we leave" Walter
said
"Then will not go any more. l be-
lieve I must have something to do with
his changed bumor.'
"Oh, nonsense, Kate! never meant to
imply anything of that kind. Of course,
as ! told you before, neither of us has
anything to do with it. Come on.
Again they arrived in time to secure the
place for Walters sport, and Katie began
her watchful, wistful gaze.
1t was not long before tho familiar
form came in sight, nearer and nearer,
until the poor girl could plainly see the
same old look, and 1T really seemed to her
he uttered an angry, impatient exolama-
ton.
General Looms stopped not at his &C.
customed place, but came right up to
where they sat. Planting his rod into the
soil in the vicinity of Katie, he looked at
her a few seconds and then said in very
amiable tone:
ibid think you would have staid home
such an afternoon. Can't you find any
thing more profitable to be about?"
Poor Katie, trembling with fright,
stammered:
"No, sir"
Before she could control her emotion
sufficiently to say anything more the gen.
eral exclaimed:
"Then can. Do you write fair hand?
Can you count rapidly? But you can learn,
If you do not already. Listen to me. Come
to me tomorrow, and I'll put you to work
and keep you SO busy you will be glad to
rest and not come here every afternoon"
"You are SO kind, so very kind!" Katie,
who found her voice, exclaimed "How
can thank your"
"By keeping off my fishing ground.
Don't you know, ever since you have been
coming here you 10 occupied my place,
and, being young lady, couldn't very
we'll ask you to remove, and so I'll give