The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-09-03
fin
Incorrigible.
She Effected a Result by
a Stroke of Genius
By F. A. Mitchell
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

| IOue tue HOEbcS " WdleT tSLKduUieD anu
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 dutiful child should not be.
Nevertheless her parents adored her.
If 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 ell.
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 endeavor to show
her how selfish was this conduct and
how 1t troubled her mother, but SEEM
ed unable to impress her with a sense
of her fault. or, If he did. it was of no
avail, for her only reply was, 81 forgot
it," No matter how severely he scold-
ed her, within 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
70 cNk--
had pet dog, which she loved better
than all the world beside. If any one.
even her father or mother, punished
the dog for misdemeanor 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 Hates peculiarities when she
was passing from childhood to womans
hood was fascination for the fire dee
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 establishment 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 1t soon became regular thing to
see her mounted on the ladders. held
there by a 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 q
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 verj
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 it and endured 1t. Her
mother believed she could help 1t, 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
AAotC hoO OCC1l a La WIFI
boys and when grown drew young men
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 he
lieve white was black. and vice versa.
nobody knows. He was certainly not
an unbiased judge.
Be this as 1t may. every now and
again some young fellow would make
Hates 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
could give a reason for it. She was
not girl to permit familiarities, so
that this could not be taken into ac-
count.
The truth is Kate Tracey was child
of nature-not governed, as other peo-
pie are. by such precepts as are laid
down in well regulated households. hut
subject to her own whims The wn~'f
loves novelty. In Kate the young me-
discovered novelty enough for dozeu
girls. They found waywardness, I'M
consciousness Of her own peculiarities
and innocence. Compared with other
girls she was like glittering gem to
a lump Of coal All that glitters may
not be gold. but beast. bird and man
kind from tine immemorial have been
attracted by that which shines rather
than that which is somber.
Kate turned off suitors In droves
without even mourning the slightest
blame from any of them. She was
obliged to infiet some grievous
wounds. but always managed to apply
balm that averted a change from
love to hate. However, the day ar
rived when two lovers came down
upon her at the same time, and she
was sorely puzzled.
James Tisdale and Ernest Brown
were the two young men simultane-
ously struck by Kate Tracey's charms
Since she wanted neither of them 1t
was not possible for her to decide be-
tween them. Unfortunately she did
not know of the rivalry and bitter an
imosity that had sprung up between
them. One evening she was struck
with establishment upon receiving an
anonymous note informing her that
the rivals were intending to fight for
her In an opening In wood beside the
river, a secluded spot about a mile
from the town. at 8 o'clock in the
morning.
This was n stumper for Kate. The
idea Of bloodshed occurring on her &C
har uar Rra<