Show i J It t was New Years Year's Eve Kate Vivian Vivian Vivian Vi Vi- vian the dressmaker In High Street was making preparations for the I sleigh ride party to be given the next evening by Major Frank Fontaine It Isn't as if we were going all aU by byS byI I S ourselves remonstrated Kate to her fiance who had come to her to protest that afternoon The are to be of the party and Mr Hyde and Susie and and and- Kate said George Grayson taking her hand tenderly into his do not go Let my wishes weigh with you for this once Respect my prejudices If prejudices prejudices prejudices dices you choose to call them and give up this mad expedition But Kate Jerked the plump pretty little hand handi handout handout i out of his I am going she said her dark ii eyes sparkling with rebellious deter deter- I have promised Major Fontaine and I do not intend to break my word e Kate he reasoned do you know what all al this means I don dont t understand you she said It means mens that our engagement will willbe i. i be bro brol broken n. n It means that you aret ar are wearied wearies wearies' me that me-that that you prefer the ther r 1 R brilliant brille rit jT of Frank ry Fozi fl my humble devotion f S Once more he offered r F r I Late ate said he pale but 1 quiet quiet la second she hesitated and a the trace of that 1 1 In her face his heart bea beat I high his breast But alas the eyes gli glittered ered disdainfully once again the the l lovely vely coral lips compressed themselves into an invisible thread of scarlet She laid her hand lightly in his Good by she said with formal formal for formal for for- mal courtesy And so they parted George Grayson went back feeling as if he had left a dead corpse behind him Im He had loved little Kate Vivian so eo well so truly He had toiled so perseveringly and incessantly to make a home for her he had lived his life so to speak entirely with reference to her her and and now she had thrown him away as carelessly as if he had been beena a a withered bouquet or a worn glove Are all women like that I wonder wonder wonder won won- der he said to himself Do all aU love dreams end like mine While little Kate on her part was flushed and jubilant with a sort of fevered fevered fevered ered elation half frightened to think that she had really broken with withe George Grayson half angry that he e had had the will and resolution to toc fling off the chains of her bondage c And even while she was selecting her prettiest dress to go on the sleighing expedition and sewing new ribbons upon her silky Gainsborough hat she flung the needle down and burst into a hot sparkling shower of tears Let him go she said Major Fontaine Is richer richer more handsomer more stylish And I r am almost sure that s Major Fontaine loves me Next day she sho put on the black velveteen dress which had taken so BO many months of her earnings at the dressmakers dressmaker's atelier to pay for and set setI I upon the sleighing party t i 4 It was an Ideal New Years Year's afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon th the meadows crusted over with 5 frozen pearl the woods all aU l I with icicles the sun rising high in inthe the blue cold heavens and every little roadside stream sealed in shining t 1 ID 1 t plates of ice Katie Vivian had never been on the boulevard before It was all new to her the hosts of gliding sleighs the in hands the crowds assembled along the sidewalks to watch the gay throng and a thrill of innocent girlish pride arose in her heart as she leaned back in the luxurious luxurious luxurious rious little cutter with its red velvet lining its glossy black fox robe Its chimes of silver ringing bells and the arching neck and dilated nostrils of the superb Jet black horse which drew them Major Fontaine In his sealskin coat and cap his long drooping drooping droopIng droop- droop Ing mustache and the diamonds lamonds that sparkled in his linen linen Kate Kate thought as she sho glanced timidly up at him from under the brim of her Gainsborough hat what a brilliant life it would beto be beto beto to glide along like liko this at his side And presently they left the crowds and the hotels and the swarming sleighs behind and dashed onward through lonely woods alongside the he ghostly glitter of frozen cascades athwart dark glens where the orange sunset lay in bars of or gold for miles and miles of gliding swiftness Until all of a sudden there was a creaking splintering sound sound sound-a a mad forward plunge of the jet-black jet steed steed and and Katie was flung into a snow drift by bythe bythe bythe the side of the road It was nothing serious after the first shock and terror terror terror ter ter- ter- ter were over and Major Fontaine lifted our frightened little heroine tenderly tenderly tenderly ten ten- derly out of the snow It was only a fallen bough across the road he explained I didn't see it in the twilight but Sultan shied atIt atit at atit it and the cutter is broken And now you will have to walk with me a few steps up the road road fortunately fortunately there Isa isa is isa a hotel near by and by-and and wait walt until the rest of the party come up and we can patch the cutter together Pray do not allow yourself to be annoyed The moon will be up In half an hour and we shall have a delightful return trip And so Katie brushed away her tears and smiled once more as she accepted the support of his arm arm up the hillside Several young men were lounging on the steps of the hotel as they came up to to all of whom Major Fontaine ap appeared appeared appeared ap- ap to be well known and Katie was was iWas is lei Jed it by the bustling landlady into i t j 4 ia i a. a cheerful little sitting room red- red curtained and carpeted with a staring design of roses amt where there was a wood fir fire burning on the hearth and a shaded lamp nhe table And here she sat rather listlessly waiting for the rest of ot th the party when the loud laughing v voices of the young men adjourning from the piazza into the barroom struck discordantly on her A ears regular little beauty said one I congratulate you Fontaine Fontaine Fontaine Fon Fon- taine said another When Is It to come off said a Third third Of course its it's a foregone conclusion remarked yet another Dont make fools of yourselves said Fontaine sharply the matter cried died a loud voice Are we mistaken ken Isn't it Miss I Blanche Boisseau after all Certainly it isn't retorted Fontaine Fontaine Fontaine Fon Fon- taine brusquely And Til trouble you to make a little less free fre with that ladys lady's name l in a place like this Its It's only little Kate Vivian the dress dress- maker She's good form and the best of company and I brought her up here Just for the fun of the thing But Butas as for being engaged to her her that that's nonsense And now leave off talking stuff and help me with the cutter will you Only little Kate Vivian the dressmaker dressmaker dress dress- dressmaker maker Th The hot blood rose to h her r t f I Ii i 4 J 5 4 r q s 9 j S. S 1 SS i T w i ss 45 h HEN cheeks like a boi boiling boiling tide at the accents accents accents ac ac- ac- ac cents of cool contempt In which the words were spoken He despises me she said h 1 said to fo herself herself her self He has only brought me here hereto hereto hereto to amuse his idle fancy fanCY fancy and sand and all the while I foolish I-foolish foolish I I I have been Imagining imagining imagining ing that he loved me Oh what is his frothy fancy to th deep noble enduring enduring enduring en en- during love of George Georg Grayson Oh what a fool what wha an Idiot I have r rAnd been And during all the long homeward ride Katie Vivian spoke to toMajor toMajor toMajor Major Fontaine ft t. She Isn't as good good fun as I thought said the discomfited discomfited cavalier to him him- self Ill be hang hanged d If I T ask her out again And besides besides Blanche might hear of it and there would be the deuce and all to pay f George Grayson was as standing sadly by the church door hat evening waiting waiting waiting wait wait- ing for tor his mother t rt to come out fromi from W I 1 I the New Year service when a little hand fell softly on his arm arm and and a tremulous voice whispered the on one word George Katie he cried his he heart rt giving given 1 an upward bound My Katie Yes your Katie George yours George yours forever forever forever for for- ever ever sh she answered hiding her flushed flushed flushed flush flush- ed face against his sleeve And oh T have been so silly But I bell believe eve I never shall be again if only you will forgive me The subject was never again alluded to and Katie Vivian was married to honest George Grayson In the spring He has has' a heart of gold she said And I would rather be his wife than to sit upon a throne |