The northwestern bulletin., 1923-09-01
Kate Breaks the
News
By JANE OSBORN

0o9s9aasssaa1s h
tG isaa. by Mcclure Newspaper syndieass.)
Kate was known to the residents Of
hapleville as the city messenger.
Every morning she went to the big
city thirty-three miles away, where
she shopped on commission for the
haplevilleites. What made her diff
ferent from an ordinary commission
shopper was that she also performed
errands-errands strange and rare.
many Of them. For doing these err
rands she charged for the time ex-
pended at the rate Of dollar an hour.
But what with always cheating her
self little In the figuring Of the time,
and railroad and street car fare, Kate
did not become rich. Often she came
home from her rounds In the city very,
very tired. but she could not rest un-
til she had reported to her clients.
She was hurrying along to the sta
ton one morning when Mrs. Granger
hailed her from q second-story win
dow. Mrs. Granger had a curling iron
In the hand which she used to beckon
Kate, and she wore q dressing gown.
She asked Kate to come upstairs and.
As the Changers were good custom
ers, Kate decided to take later train,
and did as she was told.
II just phoned you, but they said
you had gone. What q blessing I saw
you" began Mrs. Granger. I've a
queer sort OF errand. but I'm sure you
can do It. You see I'm starting this
morning to the shore, motoring down
with friends to be gone week, and
I've thousand things to attend to.
"You know my nephew, Tom Ben
toni NOT Well, It doesn't matter.
He hasn't been here long, but he's uv-
ing here with rs now-commutes to
the city. Very nice young man-no
trouble-hair not what you'd call real
red but reddish, and such nice eyes
but that doesn't matter.
"As I was saying, I'm getting of,
and to add to the confusion just got
q letter from my sister, Toms mother,
out In Oregon, and she says that
Toms dancee has Just sloped. I didn't
tell you that Toms engaged, did II
Or, that u, he was until this hap
pened. You see the diflculty. Vt puts
him in very trying position-and
he'd given her such O nice ring, too.
We'll, my sister wrote to tell me Of
Il and asked me to break the news
to Tom, fearing that he'd take II hard
and not liking to write telling him Of
II. You know she thought I'd let him
down easy. And, Of course she does
want him to know before he gets q
letter from the girl OF course !
know the writing.
The idea is that Tom must be told
before he gets that letter. He might
take II very hard: red-haired people
arc 80 impulsive, though, of course,
his isn't a real red-just that nice
shade like dried oak, leaves. You get
the situation. don't your I'd tele-
phone, only Of course I couldn't break
the news gently that way. Just drop
In at Toms Office, ask 10 see him and
well. somehow let him know that that
girl has gone and eloped without Civ
ing him a shock.
"Tm sure you can do It You're 80
tactful. His ONCE is-well, I can't
remember now, but you'll find 1t in
the telephone directory. He's an ar
chitect-Tom Benton. You'll find It."
Kate protested with what courage
she could. but Mrs. Granger paid NO
attention.
You'll do II, know" she insisted,
"and, Of course. I'll make It worth
your WHILE" She pressed q ten-dollar
bill into Kate's hand. "Take this to
pay expenses--tau fares and every
thing, and I'll give you ten dollars
more when I get back to pay for the
work. There's a dear" And with
that Mrs. Granger disappeared into
her dressing room to continue her
preparation for her trip and Kate was
loft to make her way to the front door
Of the Granger house and then on
down to the railroad station.
Kate was anything but fiirt-stili
she had firted, II casting bit Of
smile at a strange young man at .
railroad station might be called firt-
ing. He went In on the 8 S:30-the
train that Kate tried to catch on Sat
urdays. He was always on the plat
form when Kate rushed In at the last
minute. and he had not been very
skiliful in hiding from her the fact
that he found her charming,
Kate had. Of course, become con-
scious of the strangers glances and
she might have squeiched him quite
quickly by always going In the walt
ing room instead Of standing out
there on the platform, but there was
something about this young man that
put ideas Of squelching 10 rout. He
had such nice eyes, Kate told herself.
and that seemed to make q difference.
So when Kate went into the ONCE
of Mr.. Tom Benton, on the errand
from Mrs. Granger. and found that
young man to be none other than the
nice-eyed young man Of her platform
fiirtation, she was Immediately put at
something Of a disadvantage In tho
A.