The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-01
TIE EVENING STORY
seThe UgIv Ducklinp., ;,

to get my watch %
"Oh, forgot
"Of course you forgot" snaps the
older girl, inpatiently. II didn't sup |
pose you'd do it when asked you. It |
is doubtful though, whether YOU for
got or were just too lazy to GO
katherine'S eyes fill with tears as
she hurriedly leaves the room.
Il believe you're too hard On her,
Annette, says her friend. ''She is so
sensitive, and looked heart broken
when you scolded her"
why, Mabel, how ridiculous4 Kitty
never cares when we scold her. tt
doesn't hurt my conscience to say
anything to her because she takes it
so indifferently."
Tn afraid she does care,'' replies
Mabel, slowly. 81 don't want to
preach, but is it right when she doesn't
deserve it?'
"Oh, but she does deserve it. She
Torgets everything, loses everything,
and does nothing but read all day
long. She's eighteen now, and is sup
posed to keep house for Murton, Caro-
lyn, and me, but Carolyn and I have
most of it to do. If she were delicate
in any way I shouldn't care, but she's
strong and healthy-and good-for-
nothing. We call her the ugly duck
ling"
An hour later, Katherine comes
down stairs to prepare supper. Mabel
goes to her and lays both hands gently
on her shoulders.
What is the matter, dear?' she
asks, looking down into the dark eyes,
red and heavy with weeping.
Il have a headache" says Kath-
crime, smiling bravely up into her face.
Don't bother about me. TIN soon go
away
Carolyn comes in from work pres
entity, and tossing her hat on the
couch, goes into the kitchen.
I'm as hungry as a wolf, Kitty. Is
supper ready2"
mot quite" falters Katherine, try
ing to hide the fact that she is Just
putting the steak on to fry.
Carolyn takes a. quick view of
| things, and then says. sarcastically,
! "Of course it was a waste of breath to
/ ask you but I thought perhaps some
great miracle had been performed,
and we were actually going to have
supper on time. But verify, the day
/ of miracles is past"
When she leaves the room Kath-
crime goes to the window and presses
her heated brow against the pane.
| why is it." she signs, "that when
try the hardest I make the most COM
plete failure. I wish I had not been
born"
A burning smell warns her to return
/ to the stove. A tear falls on the burnt
meat and she thinks with a tremulous
smile, ''Well, it has at least been
/ sailed" Then as she turns again I'd
| the window-"My life is made up Of
repentance and resolutions-but not
of efforts. While I repented about the
watch, I delayed supper. and while
repented about that, I ruined it.
At supper, Katherine does not es-
/ cape comment, not only on the steak
/ but everything else.
Murton, being a boy, is. of course, the
/ loudest in his complaints, Katherine
/ seems not to hear a word, but eats he1
supper in silent Indifference. Mabel
however, can see beneath the surface
/ and her heart aches for the lonely child
/ They take Mabel home after supper
| and Katherine seems the gayest one
/ of the party, but next to the lightesi
heart the heaviest is apt to be the mos
playful" and that night she cries her
| self to sleep.
At last. Murton and the two oldest
| girls decide to hire the homework done
/ and Katherine obtains a position a:
clerk in one of the dry goods stores. She
does not say much about her work, bu
| at the end of the second week she come:
home very early, and lays her weeks
| wages on the table. For once, she has
| almost lost her self control.
There" she says, her voice TREMBLING
ever so little, they, too. have found GU
that I'm no good. I am discharged
For a moment no one speaks, whe1
| Murton breaks the silence, crying ang
rily, We'll, you're the first person OF
earth I've seen who can't do anything
and who's absolutely no good no mat
ter where one puts you. You needn'
think I'm going to hunt you anothe
place You can drift along as yol
| please You're in the way and worth
less everywhere. I think you were
mistake"
Katherine's face is a study during
this explosion. 1t shows surprise, grie
and shame, but at the last becomes
triumphant She turns silently ant
leaves the room, almost with smile.
You were too hard. Murton," say
Carolyn 'She didn't deserve that
20, it was awful" cries Annette.
"Of course it was if I'd meant 1t,
admits Murton slowly But she know
1 didn't-surely."
He goes up town and an hour late
returns and losses letter on the Ia
BILE. II went to the pOstofdce and go
that for kitty I wonder who it's from
Il think so,'' says Carolyn. ''Let'i
omen it and see what it is. She neve
cares il we open her mail"
durton opens it and gazes on TN
contents in establishment. "a checl
for five hundred dollars!" he says
''What on earth does it mean p
The girls are breathlessly reading
the note. Its a prize for a story
she's written" cries Annette IlS e., z Ane
he wants her to write for him reg
ularly. at her own price"
ssThree cheers for the Swan" cries
Murton. Lets go tell her"
They rush upstairs and burst int
Katherine's room. She is lying on the
bed. her face buried in the pillow.
kitty" says Murton, gently, bend
ing over her.
. s'Sbe's asleep" whispers Annette.
whats this 2'' says Carolyn, pick
ing 1p a bit of paper, placed con
lspicuously on the mantel. In a mo-
ment they are all bending over It.
''I have wanted to take my life be,
fore when all went wrong, but j
seemed wicked and cowardly to do i
lust to put an end to my own misery
But tonight. when. Murton said l was
a trouble to you all, | felt 1 could DC
it-for your sakes. Forgive me-no
for taking my Hfe but for not doing
it before. Don't blame yourselves
II know that was a mistake. I m sc Sc
lonely tonight, but III soon be witr
- TIL Mabel good-bye.-