Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-12-19
"Perhaps she is isill-alone-in want,

And the more pondered on the
matter the more uneasy grew.
"Perhaps she is dead!n
And with the last Overwhelming
thought came the full revelation o1
my own heart.
had grown to love HetIy Dorrance
Well, why not? ! could afford wife
as well as most men. Hetty was only
a work girl, and lame also, but she had
a face like one of Heavens angels, and
a heart as white as a lilly. OF that /
felt certain. Iloyed hcr-why should
/ not marry her?
So | sat down and wrote her a little
note saying simply that / loved her,
and asked her if she could consent tic
become my wite-and | concluded BY
saying that would call on the morrow
to receive her answer.
Just as / had sent my letter off there
came a knock at the door.
.Mr. Harvey, are you alone? Can
| speak to you for one momentw
els that you, Helena Ardent Why,
[ thought you were married and gone
to California" | cried.
II am married--to a spendthrift and
a villain!" said she, with a little,
hoarse laugh, "and | am going to Cal
ifornia to morrow, but | wanted to say
aword to you first. I wanted to pay
you for something
"For whats?
HThat roll of work which people
accused Hetty Dorrance, the lame
girl, of taking
Helena, did you take that?"
"Yes,n she cried, recklessly, II did
take it. ! wanted money sorely then;
the landlady wouldn't let me have my
trunks to be married until | paid her
what / owed her. / was standing by
Lame Hetty that evening. | saw her
put the piles Of work on the desk-I
saw Them slip and fall off the heap. I
was just going away, and it was an
easy thing for me to stoop, as if for
my own pocket handkerchief, and pick
them up. [ Ipawned them, thinking /
could easily redeem them, but | never
did. Here is money to pay for them.
/ hope Hetty was not blamed"
"She was though said /, slowly.
"I can't help it, said Helena,
fightily. | have done my best. Will
you see that she is righted?
HAs far as | can.o
And Helena went away, Tnuttering
to herself something about all her ac-
counts being closed at last. paid but
little attention to it at the time, but I
remembered it afterwards.
/ went the next evening to Hetty's
simple lodgings, over 81 baker shop.
9sMiss Dorrance?n saId the bakers
wife, coming OF of back room, with
a baby in her arms. " Why didn't you
kaowe She's moved away
Moved! And my letter."
:" We cot q letter here yesterday, sir,
and forwarded it to her. No. 26 Az
enel Square, SIR
So | went to No. 36 Avenel Square;
a little gem of brown stone house,
all bay windows and balconies, stand
ing in it's own grounds, and there was
Hetty at the easement, watching for
me.
"Hetty," said 7, "did you get my
letter?n
"Yes, Mr.. Harvey
/" And what is your answer ~
"That / will be your wife, Mr.. Har
vey, and that Pm-oh, SO thankful, to
have gained good mans love!r
/ stopped and kissed her daisy face.
" / suppose you are working here:
Hetty?n said I. 1t is handsome house.
"No,n said Hetty, half laughing and
half crying. sI live here"
'SHetty! You'll"
aMy great-uncle died." said Hetty.
g He was an old bachelor and hated
Us all-but he couldn't take his money
with him. had inherited his fortune
eIt can't be possible" said I rub
bing my forehead.
But it is possible" said Hetty,
Z and it is true. ] was going to send to
you to pay that 80 bank note back
when / got your letter."
~ have been paid, my girl" said I, |
and / then told her about Helena Ar
len.
The next day | saw little para
graph in the papers, how an unknown
with the words ssHelena Ar
LEM written on her pocket handker
thief, had drowned herself at the foot
If one of the East river piers.
That is my story. tits simple enough,
Ind yet think, it has the elements OF
.omance in it.