Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-03-22


nation was uppermost in his mind
Without a word he rose and turned
to go. At the door he paused an in
slant TO look at her: then there was o
quick. firm step on the gravel walk
the gate shut noisily. and he was gone
From that night Kate never saw Seth
Gray again.
Never saw him again? How many
times she saw him in that doorway
when the cat was purring contentedly
on the rug and the little earthenware
teapot was singing cheerfully on the
hearth. only Miss Kate knew. How
many times that last reproachful
glance looked in upon her during the
lonely nights of the long years that
followed. when the whole bitter truth
was before her. only Miss Kate knew.
How utterly dreary the tidy little par.
lor was at times during the long. long
hours. when the thought of that last
night came back to her: how often the
soft gray eyes wept bitterly when she
thought of the wrong that she had
done him. and that she could never
undo now. Miss Kate and only Miss
Kate knew.
And that was the story Of her ro-
nance. A late train. westbound. car
ried Seth Gray away that night. She
lived her life as best she could. and be
fore her little world the thorns in her
path were trodden unfiinchingly.
Whenever a woman's hand was need
ed. there was Miss Kate: wherever
charitable duties was the hardest. in
the coolest winters. among the worst
class OF people; there was Miss Kate;
and although her purse was not q
large one it was open constantly.
think that il was this constant do
ing of good. this never ceasing heal
ing of bodies. minds and hearts. that
kept the hard lines OF her face. even
when the early gray strands glisten-
ed in her brown hair.
II there was one weakness for which
she had no compassion. il was the
weakness of drunkenness. II there
We're any medicants that left her door
empty handed. they were those who
went there with the fumes of alcohol
on the breath. Truly the drunkard in
her eyes was detestable.
And so the summers and the win
tiers passed until the time came when
Miss Kate had become an old maid be-
yond dispute. New lives came into
the little town and old lives went out.
Girls In pinafores and small boys in
trousers grew to be women and men.
married and set up for themselves:
but to Miss Kate one year was but 4
repetition of another and it sometimes
seemed to her that she was contin
ually going around in circle that hal
long since become monotonous.
II Mis- Kate ever thought that she
might have made her life happier, she
smiling matrons ever occasioned the
slightest envy in her breast, they
could as easily have learned It from
the exterior of the neat cottage as
from its prime mistress.
One wintery March morning she
started out. with a basket on her arm.
to visit sick family and she noticed
a ClONu Vi lutu anu DOy u SHUT
distance from her gate The gibes
that reached ner ears and the incohcr-
ent profanity that followed. told her
that a drunken man was the center OF
the group
She knew that she would be Obliged
10 pass them. but with the determine
ton not to be deferred from her pur-
pose by such an unworthy cause. she
held her head a trifle higher. involun-
tarily drew her skirts closer about her
and walked on. AS she neared the
group she saw that the man was reel
ing: he was a wretcheL looking Great
ure. with unkempt beard and much
worn clothing. She gave him one look
and the basket dropped from her arm.
She walked straight up to him, laid
her hand on his fraycd sleeve and led
him to her own gate. up the gravel
walk and into the old parlor. which
was looking very comfortable this cold
morning
She cried over him and bathed his
face with cold water. and finally cook
cd him the daintiest breakfast imagin-
able. Who would have thought il Of
Miss Kate? And what would the peo-
pie say? Little she cared for Mrs.
Grundy then, Notwithstanding her
tears. there was not lighter heart N
the world that day than hers.
If there had been one bright spot in
her lonely life. II had been the hope Of
this return; and as the years came
and went she hal sometimes felt that
she was hoping against hope. AMI
now he hal come back. What did it
matter how he had come? He had
come and that was enough.
Al first Seth was dazed and insen-
! sible To his surroundings. but when the
breakfast was brought into him ne
ate like a hungry man. Miss Kate.
wise woman that she was. had boiled
some black coffee, so strong that lis
very aroma might have had n SOLDERING
influence. and when Seth had drank
two big cups of il. he began to look
/ around him. The little parlor had not
/ changed SO very much in all those
wears. and remembering how he had
landed in GRAVITY the night before. it
began to dawn upon him where he
really was. Then his eyes rested on
Miss Kate and he knew il all.
He buried his face in his hands AMI
sobbed. But the arms of a woman