The Western outlook. [volume] (San Francisco, Cal.) 1894-1928, 1915-04-17
RUNAWAY KATHERINE
In Her Wanderings She Meets
Cupid, Well Disguised but
Efficient.
BY DAN La GRANGE.

crazy.
She had reached the age OF nine
| teen without anybody having sus-
pected her of a weak brain. On tne
contrary. those who knew her pest
said she would make her marx In lhe
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 goodby and then the 1olhs
were gone. The girl dumped down IN
to the hammock and did some tnlnA'
ing and musing preparatory to going
crazy.
"They get ready and go right on as
if | didn't count for shucks! sne pout.
ed. "Then go and be hanged, put !
shan't always be here to be snubDed.
Everybody has good time but me.
Does any one call except on mother!
Has ever a young man driving past IN
an auto stopped and asked what tune
It 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 "
the rule. Miss Katherine raised up
on her elbow and gave the hammock
pillow a swat with her fist
"Tll run away-thats what VIII
dol"
And she didn't put the matter on
until next Christmas, but walked rignt
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 a sort OF lnstlnct
told her that she should have ola
clothes on when she did 1t.
The cook was singing in the kitchen
and the gardener loafing, and neither
one of them saw the crazy girl as sne
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
vet a quarter of a mile away when
she was sheltered.
So far so good She had gone crazy
and had made fair start toward run
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 a 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 it in half a miles walk.
She was wondering if she should not
suddenly regain her senses and return
to the house when man stepped from
behind tree and gave her an awful
fright
] He was a bent and withered old
man. with hands more like claws, and
he eyed her in a malevolent way as
they stood for 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
joint" he shouted
II didn't know you were here
"You are lying to me. There's a
reward of a hundred dollars for me,
dead or alive"
But | don't want it." said the girl
in 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 ran
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 small fire smoldering near by.
sit down." exclaimed the old man.
| Miss Katherine drew in her breath
to scream.
eff you do, I'll hit you'll" 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 If she provoked
him, she forced smile and a half
laugh and said:
"Oh, well, don't want to go home
yet anyway, so we won't care about
the road
Isn't that pretty good house for
an old man to build?" he asked after
a grumpy silence.
Indeed, but it is real cute" was
answered.
And l built it in day"
Then you are smarter than most
men half your age"
DO you know my manner"
No, / never heard it."
Its Cupid"
The words came out so nat and the
situation was so incongruous, that
MISS Katherine burst into a laugh.
I've brung about over hundred
matches between couples, and that's
why they call me Cupid"
Are you out in the woods to hunt
up match for someone?"
NO, ! came out her, to sleep and
dream and listen to the whispers, but
as soon as | saw you / knew who
should marry you to-"
We'll, who is it,"
It's VIII Irwin. incest man in this
state. He comes to my son David's,