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To-Day's Short Story. I

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To-Day's Short Story. KATHIE'S ROMANCE. Kathie Fernald comes up the drive, a big dog trotting soberly at either side, crosses the terrace, with a nod and smile to the two sitting there, enters the open door as lightly as the sweet west wind that follows her, and goes upstairs unannounced, the brass- shod heels of her sma.ll walking boots clicking musically over the tike of the hall floor. "Do you not think Kathie Fernald pretty- and 'taking,' Doctor Majturin ?" speaks Juliet Ormond's slow, serene voice, with just a lazy lifting of the dark almond-shaped eyes to his face. I thought her beautiful last summer, and most charming," returns the gentleman addressed, half absently, yet taking exception to that participial adjective in spite of himself. Ah i" syllables the mellifluous voice, persuasively. "And not now? But why not, pray, if I may ask?" She seems changed, to my eyes, from the way ishe looked then," says Robert Maturin, frankly, yet with a troubled shadow on his honest face. I can see but one real difference about her, and yet to me it alters her whole appearance." "I suppose you mean the style of short-cut I hair which she has taken up?" with a shift- ing gleam in the slow, black eyes. -AVeil, it has become 'the fashion.' It is quite the I rage, too, among those youne women who are a little-no, not quite fast—I don't mean that exactly; but-well-just dashing enough to be fond of horses, dogs, toboggans, and tricycles"—(Dr. Maturin winces. Does not he himself remember how fine and fearless a horsewoman Kathie Fernald is, and that she own.s to a likiag for dog¡:!? And he knows she has toboganned at the Exhibition. But tricycle-s-oh, never !)-"a.nd it is also much affected by the literary and lecturing sister- hood. Besides, it is very becoming to Kathie, and she knows it; it is not everyone to whom it is given to wear baby curie eo bewitchingly—ehe never wae so perfectly chio in her liie. I think she is just m 'taking' as she can be." All this in the low, placid tone of languid criticism, watching its effect the while from under drooping eyelids. He makes an impa- tient gesture at the close. "I dont admire dashing girls, nor 'taking'! ones either; and as for ciucv I hate the word in connection with ladies. And short hair I do abominate, however becoming its wearer may think it; a tastefully arranged coiffure has more charms for me," with an approving glance at the well-kept black coils on hia handsome companion's head. She smiles & little; her masked battery has not been play- ing all in vain. And Kathie Fernald, sitting in unsuspected proximity a-o the open window of the room above, where she has gone to await her friend's return, inadvertently overheads it ail. She is a sha-pely, graceful girl, with some- thing irresistibly fresh and winning in her air; there is always a flash and a sparkle like that of new wine about her. It is the rich wine of life and youth, with health and strength at their untram.melied beat in the fair, quick body. She has a real sea-shell complexion, a. trifle darkened sometimes by sun and wind, but never much injured; wide, velvety, dark-grey eyes, and a wonderful crop of gold-bright ourlis cut short, and rippling evenly all over the fine little head, uninterrupted by any parting from crown to forehead. Now the red-rose lips quiver: He thought me boa-utiful last summer." Then the white teeth set: "Juiiet Ormond of all women!" Again: "He abominates short hair. forsooth!" But here the shining head cresta itself like a bird's—yet, oh, so proudly!—and there are no tears, but a steel-like flash in the lovely eyes that watch Doctor Robert Maturin aa he presently strolls alone across the lawn, lighting a, cigar as he goes, to aid his reflec- tions. Juiiet, Ormond watches him, too, with Mack eyes, lazy yet covetous. Yes, he is well worth winning, this handsome, frank young fellow, so earnest and sincere of heart, with his growing practice and the goodly property his father has left him. For —tell it not in Gat&-the fortune which the 1a.te Caleb Ormond has contrived at last to leave his faecina-tin.g relict is rather a shabby one, though she has skilfully covered all defects as yet. So she begins to weave her spell with "nods and becks and wreathed smiles" for Robert Maturing unwary heart; and indeed the manages to keep him at her side for the next two weeks, an apparently devoted cavalier, but well outside of that chatrmed orbit wherein Kathie Foriladd moves, a "bright, particular star." However, though out-side, some very lin- gering, pathetic, glances are cast over into that circie by this poor, beleaguered disciple of iBsculapius, who yet knows not how to heal himself. "Robert Maturin" It is the voice of a lovely white-haired lady, calling him sharply—an ola friend of his. and also of Kathie Fernald's. She has just intercepted one of those ltftfg, wistful looks with which he has followed that young lady, and stops him in passing. "Robert Maturin, you like Kathie Fernald very much, don't you?" with the abruptness of age and long acquaintance. "I'm afraid I do or did," he admits; then dreamily: "I thought-her sinnply perfect, onoe my very ideal of a most lovely woman. But new she is changed." A long pause. No, Mrs. WooLsan," he finishes at length, impa- tiently, "1. could forgive a woman anything, but this fashion of short hair, that is a folly I despise." "Oh, hush! For shame, to epeak like that of Kathie Fernald's hair!" cries the sweet -1,1 1 o rl tt i n/li r*n,nrut.lT7 14 Tf » vm n -i..j.J, ..I.I./U.L&"u.&J.u. dI .u.J..1')' "'lit: misfortune was no worse. We—her friends- are proud of it, if she is not." "Misfortune!" in blank amazement. Is it possible you do not know why Kathie FcrnaJ.d wears short curls to-day? Let me teU you, then. She was at the Hart- woods' country house last autumn when it burned to the ground. Ah, I see you begin to guesss, but you don't know yet. You have thought it was a whim of hers to follow a. freak of fashion; but, no, there is not a more womanly woman alive than Kathie Fernald, and such a spirit, for ail her sweet face. I remember you have been long away, but I suppose you had hea,ro of this. Well, it so happened that the night of the Are there were only women in the houf-e, not even a manservant on the place, and the fire had made great headway before it was dis- covered at all; still, they had got safely out, and were standing about half dazed, as usual, on such occasions, when Kathie Fer- nald, who had been everywhere and helping everybody, rememhered a young .servant- girl, who was confined to her room by ill. nesa, and had been forgotten in the rush. It wasn't haif a minute before she had snatched a blanket which some one had brought out in the hasty flight, wet in the basin of the fountain near by. wrapped it a.round her, and was off like a flajsh. She went back into the fire-doomed hOUBe-that slight young girl-ilp the smoking stairways, and actually succeeded in dragging the frightened maid down and out into safety. I tell you it was a deed the most courageous man might wed have hesitated to attempt, for the smoke and flameis were dreadful, and the chance of escaping with life bnt narrow. Her lightness and quick strength saved her, though; ghe was not much hurt, after aJl- our brave Kathie—only a few blisters, which healed without sear, her health is so perfect. But her magnificent hair wts ruined—you know how luxuriant it was-bein,g unbound, most of it was burned to a, cirider, and it all had to be cut off close to the skin. It was a trial to her, for she was justly proud of it, that lovely hair; but she bears it bravely, tnough she, too, despises short locks," woman-like, finishing with this sharp thrust at her discomfited companion. A long pause. "Does Juliet Ormond know all thiÛ" he asks .at length, very slowly. Juliet Ormond? &he, too, was at the the time it happened; and with the utter absence of reason which diistfnguish.es some people at such times, she even was selfish enough to ask Kathie if she was going into the burning house again, to just bring out her jewel-case, which was on the dressing-table in her room. Mrs. Hart- wood told me the whole story; she said you should have aeen Kathie's eyes flash at this most idiotic request. I think I see how she looked now," smiHing across at Kathie her- self, who at this moment turns to approa-ch her eagerly, but, seeing who is with her, moves quietly aeide, a look of sudden hauteur dimming the epcvrkle of the sun- shine face. "Of course, Juliet Ormond knows it," goes on Mrs. Woolson; "and I am surprised then pauses, discreetly deciding to say no more, having, with ft woman's intuition, readily divined the whole, situation. So am I surprised," speaks Robert Maturin, quietly, in that pause, that 1 should be eoioh an unmitigated simpleton"; and he turns -away, chew-in«: the cud of eweet and bitter memories," yet with' his whole heart in a g-low of love and admira- tion for Kathie Fernald and her heroic deed. "I never meant you to know it at all," says Kathie herself, between smiles and tears, when, having sougiit her that same evening to plead his cause, he gently touches the soft cropped curls with a few reverently tender words straight from his full heart; "never, after you accepted Juliet Ormond's false estimate of me." But the only punishment she imposes upon him for his harsh judgment is this: &he decrees that he eball wait till the "behy, curls" ha.ve grown larog enough to "do up," before she will bend her bright hea-d to the wreath of "bridal 'bondage"; and so well he loves her, that though he feels even this to be a heavy penance, yet he bears it cheer- fully for her sweet sake.

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