The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-23
PETRucHIo OF TODAY.


subject Of marriage to me again, sIr.
Rockwell
You used to call me Ethan he
demonstrated.
when I was a child If I call you
that now people viii say we are en-
gagged"
which ought to be the truth. You
know your fathers wishes. Katharine
Yes, but with all due respect 70 the
memory OF my father, his wishes IN such
q matter can never become paramount
to mine. Don't speak Of it again"
Very well, Katherine; I win wait for
you 10 mention it before speak again %
Pretty. willful Katherine laughed
You win wait until the trump of doom.
( then. I think I am well named. I am
Katherine the shrew, and daring viii
! be the Petruchio who attempts the task
/ of tanning ne.
And Katherine was indeed wild; bit
! it was the wildness OF the birds that sing.
/ the wiilfulness Of the winds that blow,
the untamed spirit Of the waves that
! dash their white crests against the rocky
/ coast. She was Winsome, Iowa bic, hot
/ tempered, unreasonable; possessing a 1ae
| scorn for conYentiOualities and q quick
! appreciation Of purity and goodness
For ten years-ever since her dying
father had left her, child of u, to the
care of Mrs. Rockwell-Ethan had danced
attendance upon the little beauty, humor-
/ ed her Whins and catered to her wishes
Gentle Mrs. Rockwell expOstulated vita
her son.
You are wasting your life, Ethan.
Katherine doesn't care for yo1 IN the
way you wish, and with a loud burst
of motherly indignatiOn) she isn't wor-
thy OF such devotion as yours. 1 wish
you would bestow it upon some enc who
appreciates it
The evening following Katherfne's re-
buff Ethan failed to appear at the din
ner hour, and a brief note informed his
mother that he had gone TO call ca an
old friend katherine felt distinctly ag-
gTfeved. Ethan always brought flowers
or confections-some trihing evidence OF
his thoughts for her; he might have sent
something by the messenger boy.
The next morning, ct breakfast, Ethan
remarked to his mother that Miss Bruce
was In town for the winter, adding:
You must call soon. Anice is more
charming than ever. Her FIVE .'ears
abroad have been spent to good adzan.-
age"
The weeks that followed held many bit
ter trials for Katherine. She had grown
to look upon Ethan rs her own proper
~, and there were times that she hated
Miss Bruce, though she could bat &C
knowledge the charm of her personality.
Miss Bruce was about Ethan's own age.
girl, but she possessed q certain inoe
Enable magnetism that was as powerful
as it was fnGescribable-
Pretty Katherine had a host Of ad-
mirers, and lacked not for attention, tut
she had always depended upon EthsO.
and she began TO miss him soreiy. lie
was rarely at home now Of an svenus,
unless Miss Bruce was there, and he
never seemed to think OF Katherine any
more. The flowers and the bon-bons and
the invitations TO theater and concert
were now for Miss Bruce. Ethan seem
ed very bright and happy, and NJ look
ed years younger.
Mrs. Rockwell was delighted.
81 do hope Ethan and Alice will mar
~" she said conidentiSlly to Rather
Inc. L always liked her when she and
Ethan were school children together
Il hope so, assented Katherine; they
seem so well adapted to each other
'',rhey are, indeed" returned the moth
er. "Anice is SO Intellectual"
Dear little Katherine was not n the
least intellectual, and she knew IT, and
just now she felt very stupid and COM
monplace indeed. She felt that her Pc
lite, rounded little figure was ''d"npy."
that the glorious rose Of her dimpled
cheek was ''blowsy," and that her soft,
short black hair looked rough and like
q '-tomboys."
Her misery reached it's height one
evening when one of their young com
panions said: Katherine Grey, you sure
~ are never going to allow an old maid
Ike Miss Bruce to carry Of such = prize
as Mr.. Rockwell-right before your eyes
too"
But Katherin'es fine sense OF justice
prompted her reply: Miss Bruce is
younger than Mr.. Rockwell, and you
know yourself she is q most noble and
charming woman
It was nearly spring. Miss Bruce was
to leave tomorrow for her brothers home
in northern New Hampshire, and Mr..
Rockwell was TO accompany her as far
as Concord
In the library, curled UP in a misera-
Bile little heap in big armchair, Kath-
arine was wondering II Ethan would
bring Miss Bruce there after they were
married. She tried 10 think what life
would be like with all the years 10 come
as wretcbedly unhappy as this winter
had been Her honest little heart ac-
knowledged that she deserved Just what
she had received, and she loked back up
on her scornfuI treatment of Ethan with
an aching heart.
She did not hear the door as it was
opened, nor Ethan's light step; she was
aroused by the touch of his kind hand
upon her head, and his pleasant voice
questioned: What is the trouble, little
grip
Thrown entirely off her guard, Kath-
crime sobbe6 out. Are you going TO
live here after you are marriedT'
he gathered the pitiful little figure up
in his arms, noting the tumpled hair, the
wet cheeks and red eyes.
TT shall be Just as you say, sweet
heart: if you would rather i've some
where else, we viii"
But 1 meant Miss Bruce" she pro-
tested
And I mean you" he answered I've
waited a long time for you 70 mention
marriage. Now that you have, I don't
intend TO be put OF again When shall
it be?"
He laughed with the 5ouoy usness OF a +
boy when Katherine replied: In June,
my Petruchio.
Later Katherine whispered confidential
": 7 am sorry for Miss Bruce, Ethan
There is no need. Miss Bruce IS my
friend, as LOYAL and true as she is wise
and good but her heart lies buried in
the grave of Barrie Mckenzie, who died
% years ago.
And Katherine never knew that II was
Miss Bruce herself who had suggested
to the modern Petruchio the method By
which 70 tame his Observation-Disclosures
lis Sun.
Filth ard Point
Very few people want q Know he
truth unless Il fits their prejudice
r---ar-v ono who doesn't like you Is lock- !