The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-10-31
Cheating
Catherine
o0
Hy INES MACDONALD
(copyrisht. 1919 by the Mcclure Nevsps-
per syudicats)

aunts In the old colonial mansion
that had been the home Of the Van
wyes for a hundred and forty years.
Stiff and prim had been her upbring-
Ing, and not for a single instant had
she been permitted to forget that she
was Van wye-something rrer.
something fsirer, something SO much
closer to heaven than any one Of the
common people"
After n fashion Catherine was pret-
~. but little too slim. little too wan.
Her blood may have been blue. but also
IL was thin. She was delicnte. but
Catherine had wealth. was cultured In
the Ignorance OF life as her grandmoth-
er had been-this showed In her shy.
rather wondering eyes-but she did
have one redeemIng trait which might
save her from a barren life of old
maid gcntility-and that trait was
curiosity.
The only man Catherine knew who
was anywhere near her own age was
John, the chauffeur. She used to sit
primly behind John In the car and
study the back OF his weil-set head
and sturdy shoulders, and wonder
about men In general as represented by
John. II Il had ever occurred to him.
John might have encouraged Catherine
to think about him In particular. He
might have even done this so success
fully that she would have eioped with
him. for John was good-looking boy.
but he had never once given Catherine
n thought. A certain little maid In
the stone front over In the next block
completely filed Johns head and
heart. Poor Catherine could never
have competed with Adele. the little
maid. for Adele had blood-red lips and
daring eyes-she was all curves and
dash aud vitality-and John was mad
about her.
However. Johns presence always
set GATHERINGS curious mind to won
dering about men in general. II wasn't
nice. of course, for to wonder about
men wns quite vulgar, she knew that
her aunts had said so. They had i'm
pressed upon Catherine that she was n
Van Wye and sacred thing. and she
believed It. The idea of a mans even
no much as touching her gave her shiv-
ers Of horror-especialiy an ordinary
man OF the People-for the People
were terribly common. and Catherine
was patrician. very patrician. indeed.
Then one afternoon II so happened
tnat Adele had occupied so much of
Johns time and thought that he had
neglected his job and the car. so much
No that that neglected piece OF mechan-
Ism stalled right on n busy crossing on
Che avenue. IL certainly was embar-
rassing, for the traffic policeman was
rs sore ns wounded rhinoceros. lie
called John a mutt" and would prob
ably have said worse things than that
II IL hadn't been for Catherine's patri-
clan presence. But the engine would
not start and the traffic was pilfng up
behind them while the traffic regulator
became more and more angry.
''IIerei" he roared. "Swing her down
the middle Of the block next the curb -
And as he heaved his massive weight
against the back corner OF the heavy
car one Jim Brand detached himself
from the passing throng and Joined in
pushing the heavy car out of the way.
them shoulders" The policeman
grinned bis thanks to Jim Brand as
they rolled the big car up TO the curb.
But Jim only laughed and waved his
hand Ia half salute as the other went
back to his job.
Thank you very much indeed" said
Catherine prlmly as Jim Brand turned
10 her with his hat In his hand. and
her eyes as she sat In the car were al
mnst on level with his own. His first
thought was that she would have been
pretty II she had little more life TO
her.
.'She1l have TO go to the garage,
miss" offered John meekly.
"Fll get you n taxi" smiled John
Brand. He did so. and handed her into
II most naturally by taking firm hold
of her arm. And no young man had
ever before taken hold of GATHERINGS
arm. From the taxi she leaned out
md thanked him again, smiling just a
little excitedly. for this was an ad-
venture. Then, summoning all her
courage, she said: ''Were you going
downtown Perhaps ! could drop you
somewhere"
SO Jim Brand got In beside her and
they rolled down the avenue. at length
stopping In front of GATHERINGS home.
IL was really on my way up
town." confessed Jim Brand, humor-
ously. "but WANTED to ride with
yOu'
Catherine didn't know what TO say TO
that, so she just loosed-and then
looked away. wondering II either Of her
aunts was observing the tableau as she
and the strange young man stood there
on the walk.
you're not offended. are your he
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