The Project Gutenberg eBook, Kate's Ordeal, by Emma Leslie

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Title: Kate's Ordeal

Author: Emma Leslie

Release Date: January 7, 2007 [eBook #20307]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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KATE'S ORDEAL

by

EMMA LESLIE

[Frontispiece: William in the shop.]

The National Sunday School Union
57 & 59 Ludgate Hill, London, B.C. 4
Printed 1887

CONTENTS.

THE MESSAGE

DID SHE FORGET?

IN LONDON

THE LOST PURSE

A DISCLOSURE

AT THE THEATRE

CONCLUSION

ILLUSTRATIONS.

William in the shop . . . . . . _Frontispiece_

Miss Eldon's visit

KATE'S ORDEAL

CHAPTER I.

THE MESSAGE.

"Do you think Katie Haydon is pretty--I don't?" and the speaker glanced
at her own bright curls as she spoke.

"Well, I don't know whether she is exactly pretty, but she always looks
nice, and then she is so pleasant and merry, and----"

"And so vain and stuck-up," put in the first speaker again.

"Oh, how can you say so?" said another, a plain, quiet-looking girl,
who had not spoken before. "Mother says she would make such a nice
nurse-maid; so quiet and bright as she is, children would be sure to
take to her."

"Well, I don't know so much about that, Mary, but I know she has asked
teacher about a situation--her mother wants her to go into the nursery."

"My mother wants me to do the same," said quiet Mary Green, "but
although I have spoken to teacher I do not expect to hear of anything
until Katie is suited, for she asked first, and people are sure to
choose her in preference to me." This was said without the least touch
of envy or jealousy. Before anyone could reply to it, Katie herself
joined the group. "Are we not late?" she said, breathless with