Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-06-18
81 WHAT KATY DID. w
BY ELLEN FRISELL WYCKOFE.



MISS DOROTHY turned the Sunday
M newspaper over idly. The lazi-
ness of the autumn day had crept
into her. She worked in a govern
ment office down town, and the lux
ury of her friends home was new
to her. Mrs. Durant was travelling
with her husband, and Miss Dorothy
was looking after the children. Just
now she held the crisp, new paper
~listlessly. Her keen interest in n
world and it's doings had vanished
with other youthful follies.
Through the hall came the sound
of the children's laughter. Bess and
Ben were having breakfast. A church
bell somewhere rang for an early
service, Miss Dorothy glanced care
lessly down the column. Her eyes
stopped at the church directory.
They were very pretty eyes, soft and
gray, and q sudden flash of interest
shot into them. The hand that held
the paper was not quite steady, and a
delicate flush flew to Miss Dorothy's
cheeks.
Katy, Miss Durant's pretty maid,
came out to sweep the steps. She
glanced smilingly at Miss Dorothy,
who sat bolt upright in the canvas
reclining chair, with the color of
the pink morning glories in her
cheeks.
"Katy, do you know just where st.
Cecil's church is?" Miss Dorothy's
hand had fallen with the paper and
there was a far-away look in her
eyes and a new tone in her soft
voice.
Katy looked up brightly. "St. &C.
ellis, ma'am? 0, but just don't 1? For
isn't it the church where I was chris
tened and confirmed? Isn't it our
own church, mine and fathers" and
Katy beamed up happily from the
last step.
"We have a new rector. now,
ma'am. and such a fine man he is,
too. Already he has the hearts out
of all of us. 1t is to the rectory
that | go when I have my Thursdays
out"
Miss Dorothy looked down with
shining eyes. "To the rectory, Katy?"
eyes. ma'ah, for Mrs. MacAliister's
a frail body and he's very careful Of
her and so instead of looking us up
at II homes she has lis by turns at
the rectory. We have tea and music.
Sopnn4i,pnc fhn ,anfnp htYoco1e Gin pp -
Miss Dorothy leaned back and Ka-
ty noticed that the pink color was
gone from her cheeks. Miss Doro-
thy was q very handsome woman
People said she must have deliberate
ly chosen her lonely life. They said,
had chilled the beauty of her face.
Z Bess and Ben came down in Holt
day attire and begged to be taken
out. 1--WE like Katy's church, Dolly,
better than ours. Take us there.
They have little boys that sing and
you don't remember to be tired"
Miss Dorothy fell an easy victim
to the tempter's wiles. When she
came down ready for church, v e
the children noticed a new beauty
in her flushed face and frightened
eyes. She was always attractive
this morning she was more. She was
a lovely, fascinating woman athrob
with the Joy of living.
cts the bit of blue in her gray
gown that goes to her eyes so, and
the CLINT of the sunshine in her hair;
but I'm lost when it comes to the
pink in her cheeks and the spring
in her STEP" Katy said refectively.
watching the church-goers around
the first corner.
Miss Dorothy found st. Cecifs a
dim, fine old church in a world-for-
gotten corner Of the city. The rest
full oldness of it welcomed her like
the arms of a friend.
Miss Dorothy sat quite still with
the children beside her. Her face
was soft and sweet. her lovely lips
tremulous and her eyes bright and
tender. Her breath came in little I'm
certain gasps. She was half afraid of
what she had done. The light of a
marvellous old window fell upon her.
A tremor of music that scarcely at
first disturbed the silence foated
toward them like a faint echo from
another world. The melody deepened
and grew and a splendid anthem
swept down from the hidden choir.
A door at the back of the pulpit
opened and the preacher stood be-
lore his people. Miss Dorothy knelt
With the others, but she heard no
word Of the prayer. In an instant
she had gone back over the years to
a time long ago when the preachers
face, eager and boyish then, had been
close to her own, when his voice, low
and passionate, had pleaded with her
for a goodby kiss! For this only,