Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-21

Kate Tracey as little girl was an
incorrigible tomboy. She climbed trees.
rode the horses TO water (straddleI 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. 3
Seedlings had no effect. Punishment .
she laughed at, averring that she en- ,
joyed il Altogether Kate was by ne
means a model girl unless a model OF 4
all that a dutifui 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 endeavor to show
her how selfish was this conduct and
how it troubled her mother, but seem
/ ed unable TO impress her with sense
of her fault. or, If he did. It was OF no
avail. for her only reply was. Il 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 forgeuful OF her offense.
Kate never talked back" TO her par
ents except under one condition. She
had a pet dog. which she loved better
than all the world beside. II any one,
even her father or mother. punished
the dog for a misdemeanor Kate would
rebel Then there would be trouble In
the family sure enough, for If there Is
one thing 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 Rates peculiarities when she
was passing from childhood to woman
hood was q 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
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. man standing on the foot
board reached down. swung her up
beside him. and the whole passed ont
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 a regular thing TO
see her mounted on the ladders. held
there by fireman. whenever the equip
ment was hurried to q fire. She was
made an honorary member of the com
pany. and when she reached an age
when such action could no longer he
tolerated they presented her with a
gold badge But she never got over
her penchant for going to fires and al
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 HeI
; father finally came to believe that she
couldn't help it and endured it HeI
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 heI
maid instead of her parent
Kate b 81 always been favOrite with
boys and when grown drew young mer
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
r cr she was capable of making him be
licve white was black. and vice versa
nobody knows. He was certainly moi
e ar unbiased judge.
BE this as it may. every now and
: again some young fellow would make
Rates acquaintance. suddenly become
very attentive and after awhile droI
out Had she been n beauty or rict
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
rot a girl to permit familiaritIes, sc
that this could not be taken into &C
count
The truth is Kate Tracey was q child
OF nature-uOt governed as other peo
+ pie are by such precepts as are laid
down in we'll regulated households. but
subject TO her own whims. The world
loves novelty In Kate the young mer
discovered novelty enough for dozer
girls. They found waywardness. IN.