Katherine Lauderdale; Vol. 2 of 2

KATHARINE LAUDERDALE
BY F. MARION CRAWFORD Author of “saracinesca,” “Pietro Ghisleri,” etc. Vol. II With Illustrations by Alfred Brennan New York MACMILLAN AND CO. AND LONDON 1894 All rights reserved Copyright, 1893, By F. MARION CRAWFORD. Norwood Press: J. S. Cushing & Co.—Berwick & Smith. Boston, Mass., U.S.A.

Katharine let Ralston accompany her within a block of Robert Lauderdale’s house and then sent him away.
“It’s getting late,” she said. “It must be nearly ten o’clock, isn’t it? Yes. People are all going out at this hour in the morning, and it’s of no especial use to be seen about together. There’s the Assembly ball to-night, and of course you’ll come and talk to me, but I shall see you—or no—I’ll write you a note, with a special delivery stamp, and post it at the District Post-Office. You’ll get it in less than an hour, and then you’ll know what uncle Robert says.”
“I know already what he’ll say,” answered Ralston. “But why mayn’t I wait for you here?”
“Now, Jack! Don’t be so ridiculously hopeless about things. And I don’t want you to wait, for I haven’t the least idea how long it may last, and as I said, there’s no object in our being seen to meet, away up here by the Park, at this hour. Good-bye.
“I hate to leave you,” said Ralston, holding out one hand, with a resigned air, and raising his hat with the other.
“I like that in you!” exclaimed Katharine, noticing the action. “I like you to take off your hat to me just the same—though you are my husband.” She looked at him a moment. “I’m so glad we’ve done it!” she added with much emphasis, and a faint colour rose in her face.
Then she turned away and walked quickly in the direction of Robert Lauderdale’s house, which was at the next corner. As she went she glanced at the big polished windows which face the Park, to see whether any one had noticed her. She knew the people who lived in one of the houses, and she had an idea that others might know her by sight, as the niece of the great man who had built the whole block. But there were only two children at one of the windows, flattening their rosy faces against the pane and drumming on it with fat hands; very smartly dressed children, with bright eyes and gayly-coloured ribbons.