Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-04-03
i, MISS KATE.
BY JEAN Z. SoMERToN.
BY JEAN Z. SoMERToN.

hazel eyes and long laSneS, pale cOu-
plexion, light brown hair, with here
and there a strand of gray, not pretty
but attractive looking, simple in man
ner, speech and dress-that was Miss
Kate.
That she was an old maid was be-
you'd dispute Her most intimate frienI
would not have denied it if he could;
though for the matter of that he
could not, belonging, as he did, to the
feline species, and not being blessed
with the power of speech She was
turned" 50 if she was day, and the
most hopeful of that social scourge as
match makers had long since
scratched her name off their list OF
possibilities.
Miss Kate lived in her own cottage,
and the lawn in front of it was the
neatest in GTantley, as the little par
lor inside was the tidieSt. The cat
that monopolized the hearth rug in tic
parlor of evenings was as sleek as
could be- and exceptionally well be
heved The furniture was old-fash-
ioned, but the easy chairs We're COM
Portable. and the room certainly had
cozy appearance.
That Miss Kate had a good heart
and kind one can vouch for, and sp
could many barefooted lad and many
an overworked factory girl. There
was no Sunday school teacher in
Grantley as beloved by her scholars,
and they all knew the flavor OF her fa-
nous cookies.
90 Ioy
that Miss Kate had had a bit of TO
nance in her life that the younger
generation had never heard of and TIE
older ones had nearly forgotten. There
had been a certain handsome young
man who had courted her in the Old
days and not unsuccessfully. He had
been practicing' law for three or four
years and his prospects were bright.
He was genial in his manner, but
proud to a fault. He was tall and
broad shouldered, had very black hair
and eyes to match.
He had never been lady's man, and
despite the fact that many jaunty caps
were set for him, he had not responded
until he met Kate Morton at church
festival. From that evening he was a
determined wooer ,and although she
Iid not apparently reciprocate a.
first, his youth, good looks and win.
ming tongue were finally successful.
So at last she loved him in return
and the gossips began to wonder when
the day would be set and to surmise
among themselves that it had been set
and was still a secret. Whether it
really had or had not ben Seth Gray
knew and Miss Kate knew, but the
gossips never found out.
Of the matrimonially inclined young
ladies who had set their caps for Seth
Gray before tne fateful church festi-
vai, none had set t.lem so art
fully and hopefully as Barbara
Martin. She was pretty girl,
with sparkling black eyes and
wont to deck out in the gayest colors
and ribbons imaginable. She had
Spanish blood in her veins. and was
proud of it, and proud of her temper,
too. Although Seth had never paid
he~ any serious attention, she had ap-
peared attractive to him until he met
Kate If it had not been for that there
is no telling what might have hap
pened.
Miss Martin was not young lady
to submit to a total eclipse calmly,
and one day, about the time that the
gossips had settled it satisfactorily,
among themselves that the day hal
finally been set she came to the con
clusion that matters had progressed
far enough, and made an afternoon
call on her successful rival. She left
her pretty airs and graces at home
with her gay ribbons that day, and
was a sad enough figure when her
hostess ushered her into the parlor--
the same little parlor, although Miss
Kate's mother was living then, and it
was brighter to her then it was in
after years.
Barbara Martin told her story well,
and wept seemingly bitter tears over
it. She told how Seth Gray had wooed
and won and had promised to marry
her, and how the cay had been named
and how he had kept up the cruel de
ception ever after he met Kate her
self. AMI how heartlessly he had finally
thrown her over and laughed at her.
Then. when she saw that the girl at
her side appeared sorely troubled, she
became remorseful and vowed that she
ought not to have told her Then she
grew hystercal and rallied against all
men, and lespised herself for an idiot
to have trusted one OF them.
Her audior was very quiet through
1t all. but Barbara Martin knew that
her shaft had been a straight one, and
went home exulting After she had
one, Kate did what many another
81 in her place would have done; she
u hard cry. She did not tell her
9ther. She could not have told any
&c She hated to think that even
Barbara Martin knew the man she
loved in such an altered light, but the
mere fact of thinking Of him softened
her and she noped-ay, in the loyalty