Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1915-04-13
RUNAWAY KATHERINE
In Her Wanderings She Meets
Cupid, Well Disguised but
Efficient.
BY DAN Ia GRANGE.

teen without anybody having sus-
pected her Of a weak brain. On the
contrary, those who knew her best
said she would make her mark in the
world, girl though she was.
Her parents had planned to go away
for a week, and Miss Katherine was
to boss the manor house during their
absence. A good-by and then the folks
were gone. TAe girl dumped down in
to the hammock and did some think
ing and musing preparatory to going
crazy.
"They get ready and 60 right of as
II didn't count for shucks!" she pout-
| ed. Then go and be hanged, but l
shan't always be here to be snubbed
Everybody has good time but me.
Does any one call except on mother?
Has ever young man driving past in
an auto stopped and asked what time
1t was? OF course not! don't amount
to pumpkins, don't!"
1t is generally believed that people
go crazy with whoopee, and make
bee line for the kitchen and the butch
er knife, but there are exceptions to
the rule. Miss Katherine raised up
on her elbow and gave the hammock
pillow a swat with her fist.
"Tll run away-that's what will
dol"
And she didn't put the matter off
until next Christmas, but walked right
upstairs and looked for the Oldest
| things In her wardrobe. She hadn't
planned where she was to go nor what
she should do, but sort of instinct
told her that she should have old
clothes on when she did 1t.
The cook was singing In the kitchen
and the gardener loaflng. and neither
one of them saw the crazy girl as she
passed out of the gate into the road
and down the highway forty rods until
she got the shelter of bit Of woods.
There was an auto coming, but 1t was
yet quarter of a mile away when
she was sheltered.
So far go good. She had gone crazy
and had made fair start toward rum
ming away and having adventures ga
lore. Where should she run to? With
no money in her purse and very sim
pie role. Suppose it was that of
hired girl? Shed hire for a week and
then skip back home, and there would
be incidents enough to keep her relat-
ing for month.
Miss Katherine was about to ap-
proach the highway and sit down.
This cut her off from the road, and
she went farther into the woods. She
thought there was another highway
back of the woodland, but she did not
come across 1t in half a miles walk.
She was wondering If she should not
suddenly regain her senses and return
to the house when a man stepped from
behind a tree and gave her an awful
fright.
He was q bent and withered old
man, with hands more like claws, and
he eyed her in a malevolent way as
they stood for a moment.
I'm looking for the road over here
she almost whispered.
You are liar!" he croaked.
"But there-there is a road?"
you have come to spy on old
John!" he shouted.
81 didn't know you were here"
"You are lying to me. There's
reward of hundred dollars for me,
dead or alive"
"But I don't want It," said the girl
in a voice she tried to make wheed-
ling. "All want is to find the road
and go home"
You can't go!"
She sprang away from him and rar
at her best pace, but he had her before
she had gone 100 feet. She screamed
once, but he raised his fist to strike
her, and she was silent. When he
took her by the arm to lead her along
she realized that he had fierce grip,
and though she tried her hardest to
break away he could easily handle
her. A few rods from where she en-
countered him was a brush shanty
with a small fire smoldering near by.
"Sit down." exclaimed the old man.
Miss Katherine drew in her breath
to scream.
"If you do. I'll hit you!" warned
the old man.
The girl had always heard that in
sane people must be humored. and
finding herself In his power and in
danger Of violence II she provoked
him. she forced a smile and a half
laugh and said:
"Oh well. l don't want 10 90 home
yet anyway, so we won't care about
the road"
Isn't that a pretty good house for
an old man to build?" he asked after
a grumpy silence.
Indeed, but 1t is real cute" was
answered.
And built II in a day"
Then you are smarter than most |
men half your age"