^^56.'] Kate Osborne. 223 



[For the CincinnataB. 

 KATE OSBORNE. 



BY PHILO BUREITT. 



(Concluded from the April number.) 



On the next Wednesday afternoon, as Farmer Osborne was sitting 

 down to tea, a hackney carriage, bearing trunks ponderous and band- 

 boxes voluminous, was driven up to his broad gateway at Grassy Orove. 

 Looking out, the Farmer caught a glimpse of his daughter as she sprung 

 from the carriage with a fawn-like bound, and came tripping up the 

 lawn ; he could not tarry and await her coming, but, running down the 

 steps, he caught her slender waist in his stalwart arms, and raised her 

 ruddy lip to his as though she were yet an infant ; while Kate, clinging 

 around his neck, as in infancy she oft had done, both smiled and wept in 

 the fullness of her joy. "Come in, my daughter; come in," said the 

 kind-hearted father. " Come in ; you must be tired and hungry. " Here, 

 Peter," turning to his Teutonic attendant, and in the thoughtlessness of 

 his joy, handing him a roll of bank notes of sufficient amount to have 

 hour^hi the carriage, horses, and driver, -pay that man his carriage 

 hire ; bring in the luggage ; and tell the man to have his horses fed ; and 

 then take him in to his supper." Farmer Osborne was a native Virginian, 

 and on all occasions well sustained the characteristic hospitality of the 

 * Old Dominion.' 



Having made a hasty toilette in her own little girlhood's room, Kate 

 joined her father at the tea-table. But, as a very unusual occurrence, it 

 must be noted that the good Farmer's appetite could not be tempted even 

 by the delicate rasher of ham and his own chosen corn-bread, smoking at 

 • his side. ^ His mind was too full of gladness, his heart too full of fond- 

 ness, to yield any attention to the coarser claims of hunger. The meal 

 was therefore soon dispatched. 



So, as he had ordered, Kate had come home. And in the evening, as 

 they sat in the cottage porch, the thought suddenly occurring to 'his 

 mmd. the Farmer rather abruptly asked-'' I say, Kate, did you come 

 all the journey alone ? " " Yes, well, no-not exactly ; " Kate demui-ly 

 answered. " Fell in with some one you knew, perhaps ? " sugirested her 

 father. - Yes, sir ; a gentleman of my acquaintance was comino- West 

 as far as Chicago, and kindly took charge of my bag^ao-e, etc " - Oh 

 yes, yes ; that's all right," said her father; " gentlemanlv fellow, I dare 

 say ; zangs, it shall be my oyster-treat when I meet him. What did 

 you say his name was ? " 



