Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-01-10
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|IncOrrigible|
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She Effected a Result by
Stroke of Genius
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By F. A. Mitchell
By F. A. Mitchell


Kate Tracey as a little girl was an
incorrigible tomboy. She climbed trees.
rode the horses to water (straddle) 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, averrlng that she en-.
joyed 1t. Altogether Kate was by no
means a model girl unless a model Of
all that dutiful child should not be.
Nevertheless her parents adorsd her.
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
err. II the housemaid was otherwise en-
gagged. would put things to rights,
moaning that she was obliged TO do 50,
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. 1t was of no
avail. for her only reply was, II 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
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 n misdemeanor Kate would
rebel. Then there would be trouble in
the family sure enough. for IL there Is
one thing a parent knows that he
should not slur over 1t 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 DO
no evidence of repentance in her words.
One Of Hates peculiarities when she
was passing from childhood to woman
hood was 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. withou, 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
GOO hor na,ntod on the ,addors ha,d
tboro nv a eramon Iybenevor tho eouIn.
meDt was hurried TO n fire. She was
made an honorary member NJ tbo com.
nanv and whom sbe reached nm age
whom s,cb action could No Hangar lao
federated they nresented bar with a
gold badge. But she never got over
ber nonchant for going N ares and M
an alarm even at the dead NJ night
would nut ber head out of tho window
IN discover the Iocation Of the burnIng
bu,IdIno
Every nm. was c,r,ou. os IN what
.ort ~ narso, Eato ,oo,ld ,,rn an,
when sbe came N Tho aoa ~ dIacro,ion
Tn ono rasnoct ana one rosnoc, onIv
thero was a oroat change wherever
sbo trouhlod bor noronts sba ,yo. verv
mnch tronhiod horsoIr Tbouob sh.
oon,In,aS 90 ,norr1 thar, h1 har an,Ico
sha mas oI,vova ,r,lv ronentont uer
,athar enaii,, oana 20 ho,,ova ,h., sha
oonISn,t hoin 90 and ondnrod 70 Jor
mother ho,,aved sho could ho,n q con.
,Innad a. ,nonrn har do,oh,or,s nor.
,,..as,. - ..,.I.aa -, ~. "a
ohovod hor a. ,honoh sha wora nor
maid instead ., nor naront
Ka,a ha1 a,,n.ns b. = S.uo-,. ,.t,
hous ana ,,,ha,, ,,,e,,,, -, -, 80,
80 no. a. &c., whon ,n,.,ros ,,nor
-. s,,ttoct r. .r.-raa - oa,,1S-,.
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