New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-10-14
How Katie Planned for Her misses"
and Her Love


| and Her Love
! "Plees Missis Graham, may I spik
| to you"
| The old familiar phrase on Katie's
| lips gave me a tiny heartache with
the prospect I had before me Of soon
! losing her. 1t was the morning after
! Mother Graham and [ had surprised
| Katies and Jim's love-making in the
! kitchen, and Jim told us that Katie
! and he were soon to be married.
"What is it, Katie?' I said en-
| Couragingly.
st like to talk to you,' Katie said.
''Vot you do for girl ven I get mar
ried, eh?' Katie's earnest face and
! voice robbed the words Of any tinge
of impertinence.
'I do not know, KATIE answered,
as frankly as she had asked the ques-
ton. II shall be very sorry, indeed, to
lose you.''
you not need lose me-" Katie said
shrewdly, with a sly little smile at me,
eff you stay out here
why, what do you mean, Katie?'
/ asked, startled.
IT tell you Katie came close to
ME and put her hand on my arm
confidingly. MY jim. he such goot
worker. He know all about garden,
lawn, COW. He know everything, dot
jim" She paused. evidently to re-
feet upon the multiplicity Of JIn's
attainments, and I waited patiently
for her to go on.
HE know all about furnace, too,"
she said, land last winter he have
four, five, six furnaces to feex each
day here in Marvin. Now I tink dis:
You know dot little house out dere?'
She indicated a little two-room shack
at the back Of the Brennan property
which Mr. Brennan had used for tools
and for sleeping room for the hired
man."
you see dot?" she repeated
Eyes, Katie" I answered, seeing
dimly what the girl was getting at
A Country Estate
''Vel,' Katie went on, you tell dot
Brennan get his tings out of dere,
den my Jim he feex dat all up nice
for little house for me and jim. He
Go dat work for nothing, just little
stuff not cost you mooch, you get
Den you stay out here dis winter.
Awful nice here in winter, Jim say,
and Jim and I stay, take care of you.
Jim he feex furnace, shovel snow, do
all tings like dot. Maybe you get nice
cow and schickens. Jim take care,
and T can make, oh, sue fine butter.''
Katie spread her hands ecstatica1ly.
Den if you want to go city two,
three weeks, when it stormy Katie
went on, you go board somewhere,
and jim and me always here, take
care Of tings while you gone. Have
it all nice warm, ready any day you
want to come back. Vot you tink?"
looked at her in a dazed sort Of
fashion. She evidently had put a good
deal Of thought upon celebrating this
plan of hers, but it had taken me so
much by surprise that for a moment
or two I could not think what to say
to her.
Then the full realization Of what 1t
ali meant flashed over me. I had al
ways loved the country, had always
1onged to live in it in the winter. If
this plan Of Katie's were only feasible
it would solve all my problems. The
city was but an hours ride away.
True, we were half a mile from the
station, but the taxi cab charges were
very moderate, and as for Dicky and
me- the walk to and from the station,
except in stormy weather., was just
what we needed.
If the decision had rested with N.Y.
self T would have assented joyfully at
once to Katie's proposition, but I had
both Dicky and his mother to con-
slider. I had no idea what attitude
Dicky would have, but I had a pretty
shrewd notion that his mother would
oppose the proposition strenuously if
for no other reason than to annoy me
because Of the rebuke had given her
concerning her treatment of jim and
Katie the preceding evening.
AS I looked up from my delibera-
lions I caught Katie's big brown eyes
fixed upon me with a dog-like de-
votion in their depths that was a
revelation to me. I realized with sur
prise that the girl actually loved me-
and that not even the joy of her
prospective marriage to Jim had COM
pensated her for parting with me.
I put my hand on her shoulder
effectionately.
The Haunting Phrase. !
II think that plan would be very
nice, indeed, Katie" I said, and T
will think it over. It would Just suit
me, but do not know what Mr.. Ora
ham and his mother will say to it."
dot old vomans she not like it,
Katie rejoined, and her tone showed
that she had not forgotten the affront
my mother-in-law had put upon her |
the night before "but Meester Graham
he easy. You joost spik nice to him. |
lof him, say you want stay out here. |
do joost vot you want I know. |
Jim, he dot vay.''
Katie's air of sophistication in the
little ways Of men was so amusing
that I overlooked the impertinence
Of her advice concerning Dicky.
II will let you know about this
when we decide, KATIE said quiet
ly, and moved away.