South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-08
HOW KATIE PLANNED FOR HER
MISSES AND HER LOVE.

"Plees. Missis Graham. May 1
spik 10 you ."
The old familiar phrase on
Katie's lips gave me a tiny heart
ache with the prospect I had be
fore me OF soon losing her. IL was
the morning after Mother Graham
and 1 had surprised Katies and
Jim's love-making in the kitchen.
and Jim told Us that Katie and he
were soon 10 be married.
What is II. Katie 1 said. en-
coura gingly.
Il like to talk to ycI. Katie said.
''Vot you do for girl ven ! get mar
ried. eh2' Katies earnest face
and voice robbed the words OF any
tinge OF impertinence
Il do not know, Katie" I an
swered. as frankly as she had asked
the question. Il shall be very sor-
~. indeed, TO lose you"
You not need to lose me" Katie
said shrewdly with a sly little smile
at me. If you stay out here"
why, what do you mean,
Katie?" I asked startled.
Il tell you" Katie came close
to me and put her hand on my arm
confdingly. My jim. he such good
worker He know all about garden.
lawn. COW. He know everything, dot
Jim" She paused. evidently 10 re-
fleet upon the multiplicity OF Jim's
attainments, and / waited patiently
for her TO go on.
He know all about furnace. too"
iuh he t,oT
four five. six furnaces to feex each
day here in Marvin. Now 1 tink
dis: You know dot little house out
dere ?" She indicated a little two
room shack at the back of the Bren-
nan property which Mr.. Brennan
had used for tools and for sleeping
room for the hired man"
You see dot?" she repeated.
Yes, Katie" l answered. seeing
dimly what the girl was getting at.
A Country Estate
Well" 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 do DAT work for nothing,
just little stuff not cost you mooch.
winter. Awful nice here in winter,
Jim say. and Jim and I stay, take
care of you. Jim he fix furnace,
shovel snow, do all tings IKE dot.
Maybe you get nice COW and schick-
ems. Jim take care, and I can make.
oh, such fine butter" Katie spread
her hands ecstatically.
Den If you want to go city two
three weeks. when il stormy" Katie
went on, you go board somewhere,
and Jim and me always here, take
care of tings while you gone. Have
IL 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
good deal of thought upon elab-
Grating this plan of hers. but il had
taken me so much by surprise that
for "A moment or two / could not
think what to say to her.
Then tbe full realization OF what
IL all meant flashed over me. 7 had
always loved the country, had al
ways longed to live I'm it in the win
ter If this plan OF Hates were
only feasible il would solve all my
problems. The city was but an
hours ride away True. we were
half a mile from the station. but
taxi cab charges were very mod
crate. and as for Dicky and me. the
walk 10 and from the station, ex-
cept in stormy weather, was just
what we needed.
II tho decicfOr bod raetad u-i+l !,
myself I would have assented joy
fully at once to Katie's proposition.
but l had both Dicky and his moth
err to consider. I had no idea what
attitude Dicky would have, but I
had a pretty shrewd notion that his
mother would oppose the PROPOSE
ton strenuously If for no other rea-
son than TO annoy me because Of
the rebuke 7 had given her concern
ing her treatment OF Jim and Katie
the preceding evening.
As ! looked up from my DELHI
erations caught Katie's big
brown eyes fixed upon me with a
dog-like devotion in their depths
that was a revelation to me. real
ICED with surprise that the girl SC
tually loved me. and that not even
the JOY OF her prospective marriage
20 Jim had compensated her for
parting with me.
put my hand on her shoulder
affectionately
The Haunting Phrase.
II think that plan would be very
nice. indeed. Katie" I said. and
will think II over. IL would just