River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-11-21

" hey all think am Theft
:" don't, Hettyi'
" know that, sir. Ishould drown my
sell, IL AT least one person in the world did
not believe was Innocent "a
The winter wore itself away. The busy
season was succeeded by one Of comparative
dizziness; and among the hands struck off
the list was Hetty Dorrance.
"Once thief, always thief" said old
Jones, the cutter. had Just as soon. that
girl should not work for us
Well, 'retorted the old man, cautiously,
it is necessary TO curtail the list a Titles and
1t may as.well be Hetty AZ any one.n
But Hetty Dorrance never came to learn
her doom. Day after daywe by and the
familiar rap of her crutch sounded no more
ON the floor. grew uneasy.
Perhaps she is ill-alone-in want,U
thought
And the more pondered on the matter
the more uneasy | grew.
Perhaps she is dead -
And with the last, overwhelming thought
came the full revelation of my own heart
had grown TO love Hetty Dorranoe
Well, why not | could afford wife as
well as most men Hetty was only work
girl, and lame also; but she had face like
one OF heavens angels, and a heart as white
as lilly. OF that felt certain. | loved
heT-why should not marry her?
30 sat down and wrote her littlenote
saying simply that loved her, and asked
her II she could consent 10 become my wife
and | concluded by saying that would
call on the morrow to receive her answer.
just as ! had sent my letter off, there
came knock at the door.
Mr. Harvey, are you alone2 Can
speak TO you for one momentP
IL that you, Helena Arden WHY, |
thought you Were married and gone to Cali
fornia y cried.
" am married-to spendthrift and a
villain " said she,w little, hoarse laugh
and am going 10 California tomorrow {;
but want to say a word to you first. |
wanted to pay you for something"
For what ~
That roll OF work which people accused
Hetty Torrance, the lame girl, of taking. y
Helena did you take that? y
es, she cried, recklessly. " took IL !
/ wanted money sorely then; the landlady
wouldn't let me have my trunks to be mar
ried until ! paid her what owed her. |
was standing by Lame Hetty that evening.
| saw her lay the piles of work ON the desk
i saw them slip and fall off the heap.
was Just going away, and it was an easy
thing for me TO stoop, as if for nv own
pocket handkerchief, and pick them up. |
pawned them, thinking | could easily re-
deem them but | never did. Here is mo-
ney TO pay ior them. | hope Hetty was
not blamed"
4" She was though, . said |, slowly.
=" can't help it, said Helena, flightily.
] have done my best. Win You see that
she is righted Y''
''As far as | can"
And Helena went away, muttering to
herself something about all her accounts
being closed at last paid but little atten-
ton to it at the time, but | remembered it
afterwards
went the next evening TO Hetty 3 simple
lodgings, over a baker shop.
Miss Dorrance2 said the bakers wife.
coming out of a back room, with "a baby in
her arms. why, didn't you know /? She's
moved away
"Moved And my letter z"
3" We got a letter here yesterday, sir. and
forwarded it to her. No. 80 Avenel Square.
sir"
so | went to No. IS Avenel Square
little gem of a brown stone house. all BAY
windows and balconies standing i'm its own
grounds, and there was Hetty ut the case.
ment, watching for me.
Hetty, : said l, " did you get my letter?''
" Yes, Mr.. Harvey
"And what is your answer ?'
" That | will be your y ife, Mr.. Harvey
and that | am-oh, so thankful. to have
gained a good mans lovelV
] stopped and kissed her daisy face.
| suppose you are working here Hetty ~
said |. p" 1t Is handsome house."
" No." said Hetty, half laughing and half
crying. . live here"
Hetty You"
MY great-uncle died. said Hetty.
He was an old bachelor and hated us all
but he couldn't take his money with him.
| had inherited his fortune
" 1t can't be possible, y said rubbing my
forehead
a" But it is possible,n said Hetty. land it
IL true. i was going TO send to you 10 pay
that $40 bank note back when got youf
letter"
. have been paid, my girl" said /, and
| then told her about Helena Arden.
The next day saw little paragrapb in
the papers, how an unknown woman. with
the words Helena Arden written on her
pocket handkerchief, he'd drowned herself
at the foot of one of the crowded East river
piers.
That is my story 1t is simple enough /.
and yet | think, it has the elements of ro-
nance III it,