The Topeka state journal., 1911-05-04
THE EVENING STORY
Katy Versus Gcorgiana.
(By Jane Osborn.)

ence Jerome knew that when his
mother had new maid she could
neither think nor talk of anything else.
And as there was no subject that bored
Jerome quite SO much as a discussion
of the various shortcomings and pecu-
liarities of his mothers servants, he
had decided to be away from home
this first evening of thu new regime.
Jerome had not intended to stay out
late, but the clock was striking one
when he deftly turned the latch-key in
his front door. He was surprised 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 moth
er 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 kitchen
with it's adjoining box Of a maids
room. katy, the new maid. I never
look through their luggage, but I do
like to take look at the room when
are neat. That is how I came to see
the real lace. Jerome yoI couldn't
get that lace for three dollars a yard.
am sure it was real
''She probably had it 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 place
before. The employment agent said
she had come straight from the coun-
try, and I must say she is awfully
green. She didn't know thing about
the dumb waiter and I don't believe
she ever used a carpet sweeper before
in her life. L meant to speak to you
about her, but you ran off to the club
before / had a chance Didn't you
think she had strange look, at din
ner?'
mo" said Jerome, not in the least
interested. What are you afraid of,
the discussion. Think she stole the
lace somewhere"
"Heavens!" gasped Mrs. Dawson.
"Could she have stolen it? To think
they would have sent me 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 pa
per Jerome eyed curlousiy the grace
full figure ministering to him. Assur-
edly there was something unusual
about this girl. Was it the look of
sadness or pensiveness about those
gentle eyes, or the sensitive delicacy of
the mouth and chin?
lead him that he asked his mother i'm
patiently that night if she had found
anything new about the pretty Katy.
But Mrs. Dawson's suspicious had sub
sided She had asked about the real
lace and had found out that it had
been given to her, at least that is what
Mrs Dawson understood from what
Katy said. She seemed embarrassed
when Mrs. Dawson asked about it, 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 inclined to
Iinger 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 be-
gan to feel concern for himself What
difference was it to him he asked him
self, whether Katy's GOOD morning,
sir,'' showed a touch of WEAKNESS?
Before many days had passed Je-
rome felt a maudlin pity for the girl.
She must he very lonesome, boxed up
in that little apartment kitchen. The
work she had to do was heavy and
must, it occurred to him overtax her
strength.
One morning Jerome came into the
dining room a few minutes before his
held the dainty maid carrying the
somewhat clumsy coffee urn in from
the pantry.
LET me take that" said Jerome i'm
pulsively, rushing upon the startled
servant. at is too heavy for you" 1t
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 a fool of
hi coJf hofnrn hor hnfnro KafU and
those demure eyes of hers.
Before this Jerome had been in
c1ined 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 sometimes
dreaming about her by night. There
| fore, with admirable logic. said Jerome
to himself, 1t 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
| a strange discovery. She actually
found the maid reading French poetry
and what was more KATY made an at
tempt to hide the book at being dis
covered. To be sure, French poetry
wasn't in itself harmful, but Mrs.
Dawson was sure it augured Ill. An
| other suspicious symptom, coupled
with Katy's decided good looks and
charming manners, was that she had
positively no friends. She had worked
for the Dawsons for two weeks and
she had gone out only to take short
walk in the park and on errands for
| her mistress.
Really you must help me out on
this" Mrs. Dawson said to her son,
"even if you aren't interested People
have had all sorts of anarchists and
nihilists and things in their houses be-
fore now, and if anything should come
of it, and it should get into the papers.
II don't know whatever should do
i That night Jerome went home with
ldeep-Iaid plans-but, alas! Katy had