L P Fisher
VOLUMK V.
ALBANY, OREGON. FEBRUARY 14, 1873.
NO. 24.
CAPTAIN KATE.
"I am going down to tlio lake
shore where it's coo' and quiet:
where I needn't work or even think,
but do just as I please." That's
what I said to Fred Gorman.
Fred looked blank, " Don't go
this afternoon," he said. "I wanted
you to go to Madame W's to-night,
and be presented to Captain Kate,
the new belle." " Thank you,'' I
responded ; 'but no more girls of
the period for me, if you please,
i had rather be excused."
"Oh, but you must see 'Captain
Kate !"' lie wei.t on, "that's what
they call her, because ot the follow
ers she has ; she's worth seeing."
'I know the style," I said willi
a majestic wave of the hand. "Bold
eyes blue,erhaps, black probably
rather tall, immense chignon,
laughs and cracks jokes like a troop
er, and never says a word ot sense
1 repeat it, my friend, not any for
me
"Hut just wait " began Fred,
and 1 interrupted, with another
wave of the hand.
".My friend, I shall leave town
this afternoon for the lake ; should
like your company, but it you
choose to stay, 1 go alone. I want
nothing of this Kate or any other
woman."
"l'on my soul!" cried Fred,
widening his blue eyes. "What
has come over you, the king of male
flirts? 1 Seen bitten, eh?"
"No, simply disgusted," I an
swered loftily. "I'm tired of work
and women, and am going to leave
both. Will you go !
"Not till nex week; then I'll
follow."
' All right," I said, and we part
ed. King of flirts Fred had called
me, and that term needs some ex
planation, tir 1 shou'd regret hav
ing any of my friends think me that
most detestible alfair, a man but
terHy. I was thirty, not bad looking,
and a well-to-do young lawyer,
possessed of a nice little property. I
had a due appreciation of woman
liked most of them extremely well,
loved none ; paid them some harm
less compliments, chatted, walked
and drove with them. But as tlirt
ing why I spoke no word of love;
gave no lair lady any reason for
thinking I was in love, and Mrs.
Grundy gave mo the appellation of
" Male Flirt." Well, never mind;
I didn't.
I wem down to the lake shore
that afternoon and engaged rooms
at a private dwelling.
"We have three boarders now,"
the pleasant little lady said, "'and
xjct one more to-morrow after-1
noon a young relative from the j
city ana mere are just room tor
one more."
Those I engaged aud domiciled
myself immediately in my quarters,
but not at all p'eased with the pros,
pective young lady. There were
two already but harmless individ
uals, I mentally observed at the
table; one a studious damsel who
wore sieclacles and looked at the
ceiling ; the other an invalid, aud
wife of the male boarder. But
this "com i g girl" who was she,
and what did site want to disturb
my coveted peace and country quiet in Ids meanest character, and en
for? No doubt she woii!d He a ! lists your sympathies, not with one,
dashing, slashing, fianicr and sashed but with all. He is inimitable he
style of girl, who would dare j is incomparable. Others may, in
me into making love to her, and j their style, liens interesting, to me
give me no peace until I did,. ! lir- j there is none like him."
tations might lie all very well, butj A deeper flush had come into her
a follow didn't want to be dragged cheeks and her eyes grew wider
into it, when he was in search of and darker,
peace aud quiet. This was my "Decidedly pretty now," I in
menial stylo of soliloquy until the formed myself, "and rea ly an intel
coming girl came. I watched l.er ligent little person."
(tom my window as the hack set' After that, Miss Whiting and I
her down. Small, dressed in gray, I were quite sociable. 1 sought her
veiled, That wa all I saw, save ' society; si c did not avoid me, but
I wo moderate si'zed trunks, AH; treated me precisely as she would a
until two hours later I saw her at
the table, and took a private inven
tory. Bather lielow the medium
height and slender in figure; fair,
with faint color in her cheeks; her
hair in dusky brown, curling, or
rather waving, not quite to the
shoulders, and tied with a blue rib
bon from the smooth brow; eyes, a
quiet brown and clear as a summer
lake. That was all, I think, that
a noticed. No; the mouth was
very sweet and pretty, and totally
devoid of that society smirk and
haughty curl, which are so decid
edly repulsive in women. I re
member thinking of that, and then
quite forgetting Miss Whiting until
the following day.
"A very quiet, sensible appear
ing and rattier pretty young wo
man," I have said to myself, "and
not one likely to molest me in any
way."
1 strolled out to a little arbor the
next forenoon, with a book in my
hand, and found Miss Whiting,
with a book in her hand, seated in
said arbor.
"I beg pardon," I began ; "I did
not know the place was occupied."
"Make believe that it isn't she
said, "and come in. There is ample
room, and I am so much interested
in my book, that I shall not even
see ivou."
Feeling decidedly complimented
at the closing sentence, I seated my
self on the opposite bench and open
ed my book. But I did not pro
gress rapidly. Miss Whiting was
so interesting in repose, made such
a pretty good-looking picture, sit
ting there, that I could not but
watch her.
How interested she seemed to be
in her book, and how utterly obliv
ious of my presence ? Was I such
a nouentity then ? I began to teel
very uncomfortable. If she would
only glance at me ! but she wouldn't.
Once she picked some crawling
thing from her dress, and tossed it at
the door, but never glanced at me.
"Miss Whiting," I said at length,
"pardon me, but I am tired of
making believe, i had rather think
the arbor occupied."
Miss Whiting kept on reading,
and answered quietly :
"Very well, consider me here."
Not to be worsted in this way, I
said boldly. "Well, but I want
you to talk to me."
She closed her book, keeping one
slender hand between the pages,
and lifted her childishly calm eyes
to my face.
"It is a very pleasant day Mr.
T ester," she said, with perfect grav
ity. "Decidedly," I responded.
"Much cooler since the shower,"
she observed
"It is," I assented
'Looks like rain in the east,'' she
remarked. ...
"It does," I said, and then we
b th laughed.
"Now," she said, "I hope you
will let me go ou with my book
It is Dickens' Great Expectations,
and if you have ever read it, you
can understand my interest."
"Do you like Dickens," I asked.
"No," she said, " I love him.
From the opening page to the
'Finis,' his books are gardens of
delight to mo. He interests vou
- v " .' 1"
younger brother. Not just that
either, for she was a little more re
served; and yet we had some
very pleasant chats together. She
conld talk sense, ftnd'L prided my.
self on my abilities in that line, and
so almost a week slipjied by before
I knew it.
"I think I should find it very
dull here but for you," I said to
her one day. "Odd, too, when i
dreaded your coming so."
She looked up wonderingly
"Dreaded my comiiigl"
"Yes; I feared you would be one
of the slashing Kind, aud would
dress to kill, and talk me wild, and
give me no peace."
"What gave you that idea ?"
"I don't know, unless it was be
ing bored to death by my chum,
Fred Gorman, about a 'Captain
Kate,' the belle ot the season, and
thought you might be her style.
"And did you ever see this Cap
tain Kate?" asked Miss Whiting,
lifting her calm lakes of eyes to
mine.
"No; but I can imagine her," I
answered.
"And what do you imagine her
like?" ,
7'hereupon I gave her a descrip
tion very much as I had given Fred,
and closed by saying:
"Now, that style of girl I can
not tolerate and tearing that you
were one of them, no wonder I
dreaded you."
"Then you did not consider me
at all like Captain Kate?" she
querried, archly.
"Not at all' I said decidedly.
"As I told you in the beginning,
but for you I should feel stupid and
dull. Your society renders it very
pleasant, aud yon are in all things
the opposite to my fears.''
"Oh, thank you !"
She said it so dryly, that I look
ed up to catch the hidden meaning
of the words, but she was reading
and her face was as calm as usual.
The next day Fred came. I was
standing at the gate, when he came
up from the hotel, and, after the
greetings, Fred brought his hand
down ou my shoulder.
"So, lien, my boy, you jumped
from the frying nan into the tire,
didn't you? Ha! Ha! good joke.
How did you like her ?"
I turned in astonishment, "hike
who? -what do you mean?"
"Why, Captain Kate, of course."
"I haven't seen Captain Kate,
thank you," I replied with dignity.
"What, don't Miss Catherine
Whiting board here with her step
aunt, Mrs. Dearborne ?"
I jumped three feet into the air.
"Von don't mean " I began,
while Fred interrupted coolly.
"As a jumpist, you are a success-
1st. As a stupid blockhead you also
excel. Yes, Miss Whiting is Cap
tain Kate."
"But Fred," I Raid, helplessly,
"she is so innocent and childlike,
aud rarely pretty and so sweet and
quiet."
"AH put on," said Fred, shaking
his head, gravely. "She's a regular
flirt, and those are her arts. She's
weaving her nets around you, I see,
successfully."
The emotions of my heart
I should find it dilticu't to explain.
But I found Miss Whiting in the
arlwr, halt an hour later, after Fred
liad left, and I lifted my hat with
a flourish, and knelt at tfev feet.
"All honor to Captain Kate," I
said in mock huitulity.
She closed he book with a'most
a yawn.
"You've fo)nd out," she said,
"who told yuu.?
"Fred. And I shall ask pardon
fir remarks I made yesterday ?"
"Certainty not," she said sweetly.
"Vou bad never seen me then."
"And now I have" a proposition
to make," I began. '-We're to j
spend several week together hero,
and report calls you a terrible
flirt"
"So it does you," she interrupted.
"I heard of you before I left town."
"Very well," I continued, "the
more need of my proposition. It is
this. Let us enter into a league to
have a grand flirtation ; each know
ing there is no danger of a broken
heart on either side. Thus we have
nothing to fear, nothing to guard,
and can be very happy."
"But what is the need?" she
asked. "We haiii't flirted before
why need we now ?"
"Because we couldn't help it ;
and it is better to go about it with
a full understanding than to sly
alxmt it in the old way. Thinking
you harmless, Miss Whiting, 7
could have gone on all s'ummer
and never dreamed of flirting;
knowing you to be Captain Kate, I
shall suspect you of malicious inten
tions every move you make. There-
tore let us agree to a flirtation and
all will be well."
"I agree," she said archly," and
here is my hand on it." She gave
me her land I remember thinking
how soft and shapely it was and
I raised it to my lips.
"Would your heart come with
it ?" I said, aud she laughed mer
rily. "Bravo, a good beginning! I
see you are no amateur!" she cried;
and we launched into a sea of flirta
tion. I told Fred of our arrangement
the following day. I thought lie
looked pleased.
"All right, old fellow," he said,
shaking my hand heartily. "I'm
glad to know you are not my rival,
tor I am m earnest. 1 want to mar
ry Miss Whiting, if I can, and I
didn't like to think I was fighting
against yon. You are quite sure
you are in earnest ?"
"Ouite sure," 1 answered. "Go
on, my dear boy, with my blessing ;
but don't marry her until I leave,
and so spoil our flirtation."
"Uh, no I I shouldn't think of it
under a year. My business won't
permit, and I suppose she is willing
to wait," and Fred looked as grave
and thoughtful as if it were settled.
p . ...
"No doubt she will, wait any
length of time you suggest," I said,
so dryly that he looked quizzical
ly. Seeing mo perfectly serious, he
continued :
"Aud, Ben, couldn't you seeing
you have no intention there your
self couldn't you speak a good
wort tor my prospects? Speak
about that uncle of mine, that went
to India twenty years ago, and has
never been heard of since. You
couldn't put that in though ; just
say he went there, and I am the
only heir."
1 assured r red that I would do
so. "Just as well as not," I said.
"Will bring your perfections all to
light, and say nothing of your fail
ings." Fred thanked me warmly,
and we parted.
Captain Kate was in the garden
when I returned. She was dressed
m blue, thin gauze stuff, and a trill
ot lace at her throat and wrists.
She looked exceedingly pretty and
told her so.
"Good," she cried, bringing her
shapely hands together. "I dressed
purposely to make you pay compli
ments, ami have succeeded. am
really, truly pretty ?"
"Really, and truly," I echoed.
"And my eyes are not bold," and
I do not seem like a trooper?
"Voureyes are the sweetest in
the world, ami you seem like an
angel."
She breathed a long breath.
"How nice! Now, where have
you beeu ?"
" IV see Fred the linest fellow
alive. Got a rich uncle in India,
somewhere, a;.d is the only heir."
"Docs this constitute tiiieness?"
she said a litt'e artitnlly.
"According to a woman's idea,
yes. But that is not alt. He's a
splendid fellow, good, intelligent
and steady."
"Rather a pleasant follow," she
acknowledged, "aud waltzes like
an angel."
"Are angels proficient in that ac
complishment?" I laughed.
"Well, I suppose so," she retort--ed.
"You call me an angel, and I
waltz beautifully."
I should never have recognized
Miss Whiting for the girl f had
known before. She dropped her
quiet, calm, child-like self and as
sumed the gay, dazzling mask of
Captain Kate.
She dressed becoming and ele
gantly, yet with no show or glare
of colors, else it would not have
been becoming. She studied my
taste in all things, and fairly daz
zled me with her wit and beauty.
Yet I think I missed Miss Whiting
sorely, for a few days after depart
ure and Kate's advent We walk
ed, we sat, we drove, we talked to,,
gether. Fred occupied all the spare,
moments, and, few as they went,' he
seemed very hopeful about all .
things, though lie never succeeded
in anything. He had paid his un
divided attention to three young
ladies, at different timet, and had
been certain of success, and each
time failed. He was. not cut down,
however, but he was looking con
fidently forward to his union with
Captain Kate.
"You have helped me a great
deal, Ben," he would say, ' and I
thank you heartily for your kind
words. When I am settled, con
sider my home your V
"Certainly," I would respond.
"I will, Fred."
So three weeks slipped by, and in
two more I should depart. Our
flirtation continued unabated. Kate
was bewildering, I sometimes trem
bled tor my own safety. Once,
when standing near to her, my lips
jomehow came in contact with hers,
and I had never felt quite safe since.
thatday. "Kissing provoketh love,
I said, "an J I will avoid that here
after." So I did, and we sailed, and
rode, and flirted delicionsly through
the remaining two weeks, and one
morning I awoke with the uncom
fortable feeling on me that it had
all come to an end, and I 'was to
leave on tne forenoon train. I also
arose with another knowledge that
I was very much in love with Cap
tain Kate ; yes, decidedly irrecover
ably in love. I had an odd feeling,
too, thats it was just what Captain
Kate intended, and I determined to
keep my secret locked up in tny
breast. So I complimented her in
the old mock way, through the
morning, and was conscious that
under all her gayety, there was
lurking disappointment. And then
I nerved myself tor it aud went to
the arlwr to say the last farewell.
"With my most heart-felt thanks
for the pleasant flirtation you have
kindly indulged me in, and wishing
you all happiness in the future, I
will say good-by."
" And, who will I dress tor now,
and who will pay me pretty com
pliments, and admire me."
"Fred will sewe as a substitute,
won't lie?" I asked, but she shook
her head, gravely.
"Thanks tor the continent," I
laughed. " And now may the fates
provide for you, until you return to
town."
So I left her,, with a greater pain
in my heart than lever had before;
a paiu that grew deeper and deeper
evfry step that I took, till at the
toot of the hill it became uneuduni
h'c, and I turned around and walk
ed defiantly back to the arbor.
Captain Kate's face was in her
bauds, and tears were falling upon
her dress,