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

hazel eyes and long lashes pale com
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-
yond dispute. Her most intimate friend
would not have denied il 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" IS If she was day. and the
most hopeful of that social scourge as
match makers had long since
! scratched her name of their list Of
possibilities.
\ Miss Kate lived in her own cottage.
and the lawn in front Of il was the
ueatest in G.antley, as the little par
Tor inside was the tidiest. The cat
that monopolized the hearth rug in tie
r,arlor Of evenings was as sleek as
C ould be. AMI exceptionally well be-
Raved. The furniture was old-fash-
Toned. but the easy chairs were COM
Portable, and the room certainly had
coy appearance.
That Miss Kate had a good heart
and kind one can vouch for and su
could many a barefooted lad and many
an overworkej factory girl. There
was no Sunday school teacher in
Crantley as beloved by her scholars.
and they all knew the flavor of her fs-
nous cookies.
was not surprised to hear one day
that Miss Kate chad had a bit of ro-
nance in 3. r. v that the younger
generation q, q. cr heard of and tie
older ones ha&> I.rly 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 a lady's man. ard
iespite the fact that many jaunty caps
'ere set for him. he had not responded
lntil he met Kate Morton at church
estival From that evening he was a
determined wooer and although she
did not apparently reciprocate a;
first. his youth. good looks and a win
ming tongue were finally success: nj
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 1t 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.
or the matrimonially inclined young
ladies who had set their caps for Seth
Gray before the fateful church festi-
val. none had set them so art
fully and hopefully as Barbara
Martin. She was a pretty girl
with sparkling black eyes and
wont to deck out in the gayest colors
and ribbons imaginable. She hal
Spanish blood in her veins. and was
proud OF il. and proud of her temper.
too. Although Seth had never paid
her any serious attention. she had ap-
peared attractive to him until he met
Kate. II IL had not been for that there
is no telling what might have hap
pened.
Misc Martin was not young lady
TO submit to 4 total eclipse calmly.
sand one day. about the time that the
gossips had settled it satisfactorily.
among themselves that the lay 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 NJ 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
Rates mother was living then. AMI II
was brighter to her then it was in
after years.
Barbara Martin told her story we'll.
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 LAY had been named.
1uu uOW ne htpl up lut Nlutl
-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 ut
her side appeared sorely troubled. she
became remorseful ana vowed that she
ought not to have told her. Then she
grew hysterical and rallied against all
men. and Jespised herself for an idics
TO have trusted one OF them.
Her audior was very quie: through
Il all. but Barbara Martin knew that
her shaft had been straight one. and
went home exulting After she hal
gone. Kate did what many another
girl in her place would have done: she
had hard cry. She lid not tell her
mother She could not have told any
one. 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
and she noped-ay, in the loyalty
~ her heart she trusted-that Seth
=. a been misunderstood.
There should be no misunderstood.
ling between them. She determined To
tell him that evening. when he called.
all that she had heard. But tangled
trough her trouble was a sore feeling