The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-02-14
SUCH FOOLISHNESS THERE Is
IN LOVERS REMARKS Is
OFTEN ExEMPLIFIED.

Lane flung back her bright brown
curls and bent a little lower over
the piece of crocheting she held in
her hand.
Maud Anthony laughed. Real
ly, Katie, you need not speak so
angrily. Everyone thinks you are
going to marry him, and, for my
part, l think he will make some
one good husband"
You need not trouble yourself,
Miss Anthony, to look after my af-
fairs; you must have enough to
look after. When I need your ad-
vice l will surely let you know. So
bid you good afternoon"
AS she walked hastily away
footstep on the other side of the
hedge checked her flight, and in a
moment Wilkes Lee, the subject of
the conversation under the elms,
scrambled up into sight, without
seeming to have seen Katie, and
FASTENED away.
| The strange little heart of Katie
gave a sudden little start as she
recognized her old friend and low
err, as she paused, murmuring:
81 wonder if he heard what we
said? l wouldn't have had him
for all the world! A plague on
Maud Anthony! She forced me to
say it. / suppose she is glad, too,
for now she thinks | don't care for
him."
For a moment Katie was silent,
as she worked nervously at the
pretty diamond ring than encircled
| her finger. 1t was gift from
Wilkes-a betrothal ring.
81 don't care" she at last broke
out, pouting. Now that I've said
it, I'll show Miss Anthony I mean
it. There" as she drew the dia-
mond ring from her finger and cast
it into the bushes, Gle there and
rust for all care, Much good
may it do you, Maud. too. You can
catch him, l know, but what do
care?"
A moment Katie stood there,
looking in the direction of the
the other side of the hedge Wilkes
Lee strobe quickly away, saying,
sheepishly:
We'll, well, pretty scrape you
came near getting into, my boy.
Don't mean to be an eavesdropper,
certainly; accidents will happen,
you know. So she don't care for
you, Ell? Well see. I'll warrant
she doesn't know her own heart
yet. | think I'll run away a few
days, and she'll get over her fit"
Katie waited patiently for many
days for the visit Of her one ardent
lover and then concluded that he
had not only overheard what she
said that day in the garden, but had
taken her at her word.
There was grand masque ball
at the Anthonys, positively the af-
fair of the season those said who
ought to know. Katie was there,
looking prettier than ever; trllle
paler, no doubt, though for the
world she would not have the
sharp sighted gossips surmise the
real cause.
The ball was in full blast when
the closed carriage of the Lees was
whirled up to the door, and the
occupants, en- costume, announced.
No one doubted even for a mo-
ment that the tatll, distinguished
looking fellow, with a lady leaning
heavily on his arm, was Wilkes
Lee, but who was his companion
who was she? This was with all
the theme of wonder, and none the
less with Katie than with the CO.
quette, Maud Anthony. Some said
It was his wife; perhaps he has
married in a foreign land. Some
said no; Mrs. Lee had said only
today that Mr.. Lee was coming
home unmarried.
The mask seemed not to have
eyes or ears for anything save the
lady beside him. And lower and
lower sank Katie's poor little heart
as the evening wore on, and still
Wilkes made no effort to distin.
guish her among the crowd.
At last, when she could restrain
herself no longer, she quietly slip
ped away from the throng and went
out into the moonlit garden and
wept alone in a seat under thu