Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-06
EVENING STORY
KATY VERSUS GEORGlANA.
BY Jane Osborn.
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Lite


Copyright, 1911, by Associated Liter
airy Press.)
Jerome Dawson had spent the
evening at the club Not that Jerome
usually preferred the smoke-ladden
air of the club lounge to the seclu-
sion of his own small apartment, but
Mrs. Dawson had new maid, and
from experience Jerome knew that
when his mother had new maid she
could neither think nor talk Of any
thing else. And as there was no
subject that bored Jerome quite so
much as discussion Of the various
shortcomings and pecularities of his
mothers servants, he had decided to
be away from home this first evening
of the new regime.
Jerome had not intended to stay
one when he deftly turned the latch
key in his front door. He was sur
prised to see a light in his mothers
small drawing-room.
Jerome whispered his mother
with an air of alarm, as he came into
the room, "she has real lace on her
petticoats.''
Jerome looked blankly at his
mother and then at the clock. who
has real lace and what of it," he
asked.
"she has," whispered his mother,
pointing in the direction of the kit
chen with its adjoining box of q
maids room. Katy, the new maid.
never look through their luggage,
but do like to take look at the
room when they first come, just to
see that they are neat That is how
came to see the real lace. Jerome,
you couldn't get that lace for three
dollars yard. am sure it was
real" /
"she probably had 1t given to her
by her last Mistress" said Jerome
starting toward the door.
"Wait, Jerome" went on Mrs. Daw-
son, OBTAINING him; "she couldn't
have done that for she never had a
place before. The employment agent
said she had come straight from the
country, and I must say she is aw-
fully green. She didn't know q thing
about the dumb waiter and don't
believe she ever used q carpet sweeper
before in her life. meant to speak
to you about her, but you ran of to
the club before I had chance.
Didn't you think she had strange
look, at dinner
mo" said Jerome. not in the least
Interested. what are you afraid Of,
mother?" he asked, anxious to close
the discussion. think she stole the
lace somewhere"
"Heavens!" gasped Mrs. Dawson.
Gould she have stolen 1t To think
they would have sent me q girl like
that-and all the old silver out!"
1t was not until the next morning
at breakfast that Jerome again
thought Of Katy. His mother, as was
her custom, did not join him at
breakfast, and from the top of his
paper Jerome eyed curiouslys the
graceful figure ministering to him.
Assuredly there was something un-
usual about this girl. Was 1t the
look of sadness or pensiveness about
those gentle eyes, or the sensitive
delicacy of the mouth and chin?
So far in fact did Jerome's curl
osity lead him that he asked his
mother impatiently that night II she
had found anything new about the
pretty Katy. But Mrs. Dawsons
suspicious had subsidized. She had
asked about the real lace and had
found out that it had been given to
son understood from what Katy said.
She seemed embarrassed when Mrs.
Dawson asked about 1t, and was quite
Ignorant of the value Of the material.
"She is not at all used to our way
of doing things" said Mrs. Dawson,
"but think she will do very nicely"
Jerome Dawson was thirty, and a
man of more than ordinary good
sense, so when he found himself in
clined to linger over his breakfast,
and call for an extra cup Of coffee
just to watch Katy's graceful figure
and to catch an occasional glimpse OF
her eyes, he began to feel concern for
himself. What difference was it to
him, he asked himself, whether
Katy's Good morning, sir" showed
a touch of weariness?
Before many days had passed Je-
rome felt maudlin pity for the girl.
She must be very lonesome, boxed up
in that little apartment kitchen. The
work she had to do was heavy and
must, it occurred to him, oyertax her
strength.
One morning Jerome came into the
dining room few minutes before his
accustomed breakfast hour, and be-
held the dainty maid carrying the
somewhat clumsy coffee urn in from
the pantry.
LET me take that" said Jerome
impulsively, rushing upon the startled
servant. 1T is too heavy for you."
It was a piece of utter folly, as Jerome
realized the moment he had set the
urn on the table in its usual place,
and he felt additionally annoyed that
he should have made such fool Of
himself before her, before Katy, and
those demure eyes Of hers.
Before this Jerome had been in.
clined to look with favor on Katy,
but now matters stood at different
pitch. He had been taking a foolish
interest in the girl; he had been
thinking about her by day and some
times dreaming about her by night.
Therefore, with admirable logic, said
Jerome to himself, it was Katy's
fault, and Katy would have to suffer,
even If she had to lose her place
for it.
About this time Mrs. Dawson made
q strange discovery. She actually