The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-11-05
Gemein Houses halo for this gloritied

crockery belonging to Sister Baum
who had died the week before; certail
lovers of rocco furniture bewailipg Al
' ancient clock which had brought twenty
five cents, and a priceless harpsichort
sold for firewood. Dolly, l learned hat
been carried off by cousin living il
pennsylvania, who charged hersel
with the girls keep" She was, the,
assured me, helpful young woman,
: good housekeeper, and the best hant
with children"-which is more thar
could be predicated ON sight of an,
=. pictured Madonna of Southern Europe.
Dolly and her fortunes had died out oi
l. my remembrance when, couple of wears
later, | landed from an old-fashioned
stagecoach with a dozen other passen
gers, late at night, at the door of pre-
tentious inn in country town in the Al
leghenies. 1t was raining hard outside
cross women in water-proofs, whining lit
t tie boys in knickerbockers, lunch bas
kets, screaming babies in crushed, white
, plumcd hats, umbrellas and gaping
leather valiscs were hudt led in one damp
mass in the whitewashed parlcr, a kero-
sene lamp flaring on the mantle shelf,
and lady-boarder, with red chignon,
calmly playing Twilight Dews" on the.
piano.
Suddenly, enter to us-Dolly. Her
marvellous hair was not in frouzy halo,
but tucked up in comb. She was
| ly hri,r
an apron with the pocket full of keys. |
knew her the moment she opened the
door. She went quickly, quietly, to one
and another
Yes, madam, the rooms are ready
Yes, the fire is burning quite clear And
you are all back already? Where are the
dear children? Let the baby come to
Dolly. shall have time to put her to
sleep presently. All, how wet you aren'
loading herself with dripping cloaks and
overshocs- Come upstairs at once, it is
SO comfortable-it is almost too warm
there. | shall bring your supper up my
self as soon as you are dry"
One of the men asked if She were the
ehambermaid-thcse were all menial
things that she did But she carried
quiet and comfort about with her. and
we were wet and shiycring What Dolly's
social rank was did not matter to US nor
her. Tanning had not ovcrdrawn the
rarity or fine quality of her beauty Her
eyes were dark and blue, and as full of
| light as any mediIval saint's-but pro
test they seemed most beautiful to me
when she brought me a cup of hot tea or
went tugging up the stairs with the
drivers lame and dirty boy in her arms.
/ George Tanning was Of our party; he
had come up TO the mountains for the
| trout-tishing. He happened to enter the
hall, dripping, in his oil-skin coat, as she
came down again, tray Of dishes in her
hand. do not believe he really ever
would have gone back to Bethlehem to
find his Madonna but tEis was not the
less terrible shock to him She held out
one OF the many. M uoelr "Ss.l
| She had been WELL and was very com
| fortablc-oh, as comfortable as could be!
There was "a good deal to do. She had
not time to be idle or melancholy-an
she went on to see that his chocolate
was properly made.
George looked ghastly-nauseated
| He went to the other hotel that night, but
said nothing He was too well-bred to
make his moan over his dead Illusions for
the benefit Of the public. One could not
but wish maliciously that he would come
back to see chow many tunes, waltzes,
dances ami lullahies" his musical instru
ment was giving to the very common
world about her The landlord and his
wife had adopted hcr-she took the part
of the daughter of the house. dolly
was known to the public of three coun-
ties Nobody called her a heroine or a
medieval saint, but the public team
sters, and traders, and tourists-were
only so many human beings whom the
modest, friendly girl had fed or cared for
when they were hungry or tired. Each
man and woman fancied they alone had
discovered how blue and soft was her
eve, how delicate and gentle her voice !;
/
always modest and friendly.
There was a good deal of gossip in the
inn about young farmer whom Dolly was
going to marry, but George Tanning was
spared that. He went up the mountains
the next day through the pelting storm,
LATTER trout" he said.
Two winters laterP T. Barnum brought
his travelling museum to Philadelphia.
Attached to the show was "a hippodrome,
in which young girls ran chariot and
hurdle races, driving three or foul
spirited horses abreast. George Tanning
! took my boys and their mother to look al
the horses and audience, a queer phase OF
American life In the midst of head
E long race l heard the little man give {
croan and mutter, Good God. has sht
! fallen to that?"
| Following his eye to the arena | saw
r Dolly in flowing robes of spangled blue
O standing in gilt chariot driving three
6 horses abreast at frightful speed. He
r ewes were flashing, her soft checks burn
@ ing; her yellow hair floated behind her
. 1t was for the moment Boanerges rush
i inc to victory; the next the poor creatur
had disappeared behind the curtain
Il With some confused thoughts of the bes
:. way to appeal to unrepentant errln
e ones, | followed her there when tn
J. crowd had dispersed. She had taken o.
4 her butterfly attire, and in a gray sui
Il and sober bonnet was walking composed
ly toward her cheap boarding house
!, holding little boy by the hand Sh
turned on me, beaming.
l. "To think of meeting me- Every da
a some old friend found her out. 1t wa
a so pleasant! This was Joe, her boy, an
ri the baby was at home. A girl-yes.
= good to have it girl. He was in Nebrask
had gone out to find them hon'
m This riding was little trick OF hers. Il
ae had written about wonderful bit
C. ground to be had for $4O0, and Mr.. Ba
,ir mum just then offered fifty dollars wee
irl for chariot drivers. In two months
to there was the money, you see- Such
e. surprise for him." All this with flush
e. and wet eyes, and thousand lit
no bursts and thrills of delighted laughte
of The appeal TO poor lost creatur
in seemed strangely inappropriate Ju