The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-23
T,.z Hr1 ea
lncOrrigible
She Effected a Result by
a Stroke of Genius

By F. A. Mitchell


Kate Tracey as a ~ lie girl was an
incorrigible tomboy. She climbed trees,
rode the horses to water (straddlel and
would have played baseball If she could
have found enough girls similarly
minded to make up the necessary
teams. Furthermore, she was care
less, scatter Drained and generally rep
rehensible Neither her father nor her
mother could do anything with her.
Seedlings had no effect Punishment
she laughed at, averring that she en-.
joyed it, Altogether Kate was by no
means a model girl unless a model of
all that a dutiful child should not be.
Nevertheless her parents adored her.
II she left her room in disorder to go
out to the barn to play hide and seek
with the boys-they used to treat her
as one of their own number-her moth
er, If the housemaid was otherwise en-
gagged. would put things to rights,
moaning that she was obliged to do so,
but unable to provide against her
daughters doing the same thing again.
Her father would endesvor to show
how it troubled her mother, but seem
ed unable to impress her with a sense
Of her fault. or. If be did, it was of no
avail, for her only reply was, Il forgot
It," No matter how severely he scold-
ed her, within q few minutes after he
had finished she would be in his lap
with her arms around his neck, appar-
emily forgetful Of her offense.
Kate never talked back" to her par
ents except under one condition. She
had pet dog, which she loved better
than all the world beside. If any one,
even her father or mother. punished
the dog for a mlsdemeanor Kate would
rebel. Then there would be trouble in
the family sure enough, for if there Is
one thing a parent knows that he
should not slur over it is rebellion on
the part Of his child. When the dog
was suffered to go In peace Kate would
beg pardon according to the formula
laid down for her, but there would be
no evidence Of repentance in her words.
One Of Kate's peculiarities when she
was passing from childhood to woman
hood was a fascination for the fire de
partment. The moment she would hear
the first tap of the signal bell she would
listen, counting the strokes, and when
they were finished, without referring
to the book of districts, she could locate
the fire. Not far from her home was a
hook and ladder house. The first time
her father knew of her fire proclivities
he was coming home one evening while
an alarm was being struck. The hook
and ladder conveyance was coming
down the street, the horses galloping.
the gong changing, dogs barking, and
what was the fathers astonishment to
see his little daughter running beside
the truck. A man standing on the foot
board reached down, swung her up
beside him, and the whole passed out
of sight
The scolding Kate received that
evening was more impressive than any
before delivered. Nevertheless at the
next alarm the action was repeated,
and it soon became a regular thing TO
see her mounted on the ladders, held
there by fireman, whenever the equip
ment was hurried to a fire. She was
made an honorary member of the COM
pany, and when she reached an age
when such action could no longer be
tolerated they presented her with a
gold badge. But she never got over
her penchant for going to fires and at
an alarm even at the dead of night
would put her head out of the window
TO discover the location of the burning
building.
Every one was curious as to what
sort Of person Kate would turn out
when she came to the age of discretion.
In one respect, and one respect only,
there was a great change. Whenever
she troubled her parents she was very
much troubled herself. Though she
continued TO worry them by her antics,
she was always truly repentant Her
father finally came to believe that she
couldn't help ii and endured it. Her
mother believed she could help it, con
tinued to mourn her daughters per-
verseness and waited upon her and
Obeyed her as though she were her
maid instead of her parent.
Kate had always been a favorite with
IVY anu hAFNh 6iO"l hlCN JOuhB lAlSh
to her as lovers. When lectured upon
the subject she averred she couldn't
help it; the fault was not hers, but the
mems. No one believed her except
her father, but whether he understood
her better than other persons or wheth-
er she was capable of making him be-
lieve white was black, and vice versa,
nobody knows. He was certainly not
an unbiased judge.
Be this as it may, every now and
again some young fellow would make
Kate's acquaintance, suddenly become
very attentive and after awhile drop
out. Had she been a beauty or rich
those about her could have understood
what was the attraction; but, since she
was plain and without fortune, no one