The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-06-07

h.,el eyes and long lashes, pale com
r,erion. light brown hair, with here
and there a strand of gray. not pretty
-. attractive looking, simple in man
~ speech and dress-that was Miss
Kate.
That she was an old maid was be-
yopd dispute. Her most intimate friend
would not have denied it if he could;
tsoleh for the matter of that he
could not, belonging, as he did, to the
f.l,ne species, and not being blessed
~th the power of speech. She was
.turned" 35 if she was day, and the
most hopeful Of that social scourge as
match makers had long since
scr,tched her name off their list Of
/, possibilities.
Miss Kate lived in her own cottage,
and the ;lawn in front OF it was the
ueatest in Grantley, as the little par
lof inside was the tidiest. The cat
that mon6polized the hearth rug in tfc
sarIor OF evenings was as sleek IS
could be. AMI exceptionally well be
hayed. The furniture was old-fash-
jonea but the easy chairs were COM
lcrtabIe and the room certainly had d
cory appearance.
That Miss Kate had good heart
and Eind one can vouch for, and sn
couli many barefooted lad and many
u eYcryorkel factory girl. The, e
~ no Sunday school teacher I'm
Csantey as beloved by her sch liars,
nd tiey oil knew the favor Of ner fa-
nous cookies. I
wts not surprised to he 4r one day
ettat Miss Kate had had bit of ro-
nance in her life that /the younger
ssperation had never h card of and TIE
oldel ones had nearly forgotten. There
"a hesa certain handsome young
IN who had cor .rted her in the Old
IN md not ur successfully. He had
- ptscticing Claw for three or four
yssss snd MI Ixprospects were bright.
a MI &c Aial in his manner, but
1eeqd 70 a fault. He was tall and
'efoad y aduldered, had very black hair
- = = to match.
- mi never been a lady's man, and
Ia 10 the fact that many jaunty caps
ANf1k for him, he had not responded
A1H y met Kate Morton at church
3nA From that evening he was a
e1tNQaned wooer and although she
e1sHpt apparently reciprocate a;
Y s<yAh youth, good looks and a win
llng tongue were finally successful
- q last she loved him in return
lndthe gossips began to wonder when
~ day would be set and to surmise
1 1nong themselves that it had been sci
~ was still a secret. Whether il
( toang had or had not ben Seth Gray
- and Miss Kate knew, but the
upe6ips never found out.
" q thA matrimonially inclined young
hdies who had set their caps for Seth
oeay before the fateful church festi
VA none had set them SO art
tdlH sanL hopefully as Barbara
lattln. She was q pretty girl
Nllh sparkling black eyes and
Np1& b deck out in the gayest colors
~ libbons imaginable. She haj
,bIpod In her veins, and was
s90e6ss Il. and proud Of her temper
- Although Seth had never pai1
~ serious attention. she had ap
ofed attractive to him until he met
7 &oea II 1t had not been for that thers
A. "a telling what might have hap
~ Martin was not young lady
submit to q total eclipse calmly
~ one day, about the time that the
eslps had settled it satisfactorily
ong themselves that the day hal
Z been set, she came to the con
Il u oa that matters had progressed
npugh, and made an afternoon
D N her successful rival. She left
pretty airs and graces at home
N4 her gay ribbons that day, and
~ - sad enough figure when hel
eeess ushered her into the parlor-
same little parlor, although Miss
mas mother was living then, and il
~ brighter to her then it was il
~ years.
lAshara Martin told her story well
& 3 wept seemingly bitter tears over
4 uhe told how Seth Gray had wooed
Npn and had promised to marry
u end how the day had been named
q. low he had kept up the cruel de
uql ever after he met Kate her
aaihow heartlessly he had finally
~ her over and laughed at her
when she saw that the girl a
ade appeared sorely troubled, sh,
me remorseful and vowed that she
4 ~ not to have told her. Then sht
lgstsrical and rallied against al
! - and iespised herself for an idic
y nave trusted one of them.
81 her audior was very quiet througl
~ but Barbara Martin knew tha
snan had been straight one, an,
home exulting. After she ha,
= Kate did what many anothe
y her place would have done; sh