The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-10-24
Cheating
Catherine
Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa'
per Syndicate.)
BY INES MACDONALD

The last Of her line was Catherine
Van Wye, who lived with two maiden
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 a Van Wye-sOmething rTer,
something fairer, something so much
closer to heaven than any one of the
common people"
After fashion Catherine was pref
ty, but little too slim, q little too wan.
Her blood may have been blue, but also
it was thin. She was delicate, 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 gentility-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 well-set head
and sturdy shoulders, and wonder
about men in general as represented by
John. If it had ever occurred to him,
John mig hit have encouraged Catherine
| to think about him in particular. He
might have even done this so success
| fully that she would have elOped with
him, for John was a good-looking boy,
but he had never once given Catherine
thought. A certain little maid in
the stone front over in the next block
| completely filled 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 and vitality-and John was mad
about her.
However, Johns presence always
set GATHERINGS curious mind to Won
dering about men in general. 1t wasn't
nice, of course, for to wonder about
men was quite vulgar, she knew that
her aunts had said so. They had i'm
pressed upon Catherine that she was
Van Wye and a sacred thing, and she
believed it. The idea of mans even
so much as touching her gave her shiv-
ers of horror-especially an ordinary
man of the People-for the People
were terribly common, and Catherine
was patrician, very patrician, indeed.
Then one afternoon it so happened
that Adele had occupied so much of
Johns time and thought that he had
neglected his job and the car so much
so that that neglected piece of mechan-
ism stalled right on busy crossing on
the avenue. 1t certainly was embar-
RAISING, for the traffic policeman was
as sore as wounded rhinoceros. He
called John mutt" and would prob
ably have said worse things than that
if 1t hadn't been for GATHERINGS patri-
clan presence. But the engine would
not start and the traffic was piling up
behind them while the traffic regulator
became more and more angry.
"Here!" 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.
"You oughta be on the force, with
them shoulders" The policeman
grinned- his thanks to Jim Brand as
they rolled the big car up to the curb.
But Jim only laughed and waved his
hand in half salute as the other went
back to his job.
'"Thank you very much indeed" said
Catherine primly as Jim Brand turned
to her with his hat in his hand, and
her eyes as she sat in the car were al
most on level with his own. His first
thought was that she would have been
pretty if she had little more life to
her.
"She'll have to go to the garage,
miss" offered John meekly.
"Tll get you taxi" smiled John
Brand. He did so, and handed her into
1t 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
and 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 l 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.
"I--I 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 looked-and then
| looked away, wondering if 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
| asked.
IL should be"-she entered the