The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-12-27

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isn't in mr. heart tonight."
BNt you are going to sing for papa
and mamma, and all Of Us, soon. They
are 50 glad they can hear you. and you
must sing something pretty What
viii it be, Hu1dah?',
You must come here II you would
hear me, Hazel. That Is the masquer-
ade, and am not going, You know.
Masquerade! Why Huldah''
Hush! it would be masquerade
for me- ! should not be myself in that
satin dress, and you would hardly care
to hear me sing in this rusty, brown
one. I have no other; so, Hazel, you
must be content to call this grand
| songs"
| Hazel understood now; but she had
set her heart on hearing Huldah sing
at her own home, and she was not dis
appointed. Some good fairy sent . won
derful package to the young musician,
and in the package was folded pretty
dress of shining grey, with cherry rib
bons, dainty enough for any fifteen-year-
old girl But Mr. Nordhoff footed the
good fairy's bill.
urIJ~L l.I- - 1.xxI~
friends exnectations hit sang sweetly
enouoh to have charmed any audience.
Her Old father had made music life
long strdv and all the vesrs If bar
Young life had been passed under his
| instruction. Heart and voice were full
of music. and it was no wonder that
Mrs Nordhof-s enthusiasm fully
equaled Hazers, or that MANY a time
afterward Huldah sang to enraptured
listeners, amid the warmth and light
and beauty her artistic sense knew so
well how to appreciate.
But suddenly a sorrow came. She
and Hazel must part. for the Nord-
hoffs were going abroad. Hazel would
see the charming places and beautiful
people, while poor Huldah sang her
songs to herself, in her lonely garnet,
or obeyed the capricious whims Of mad
anne, in whose shop she sometimes
served.
Don't forget me, little one," she
pleaded. with fearful eyes; and Hazel.
clinging to her neck, promised: Il nev-
er will forget you, Huldah; and 1 will
truly come back to YOU, very. very
seon-''
Hou soon neither Huldah nor Hazel
dreamed, as they looked out into the
future: but one sad day there was a
terrible railroad disaster, that chilled
the hearts of those used to calamity.
and among the long list of killed and
missing were the names of Mr.. and
Mrs. Nortfhoff. Poor little Hazel. when
they asked her who were her friends
and where she would 90. the bewildered
child could only think of Huldah. To
her her sorrowing heart turned in her
distress, and she cried, piteously,
"Send me back to Huldah. She will
love me and take care of mer' And to
Huldah she came.
1t would be a long. tiresome story
| were to tell YOU of all the trouble that
| followed. How ont of all that great
property which had long been held un-
| der the Nordhoff name hardly a nit
tance was left to the little orphan. The
vast estate was heavily involved. and
when Huldah took Hazel again into her
heart and home. it was as a dependent
upon her bounty: but she took her cheer
| fully. even thankfully.
Nothing can ever part us now. can
it, Huldah5 Hazel asked. in her sweet.
beseeching way. Il can help you
sweep and dust, and keep the brown
box. tidy, and you will have all the more
time to sing and play
| 1t was a hard task. though, for Hull
dab to fill two hungry mouths. Mad
anne lad so little for her to do, and
nothing else seemed to offer. LIFETIME
tend in Madame's shop" pleaded Ha-
eel, ''and you can find something bet
ter to be doing" But after one at
tempt she gave up that plan in despair.
She could run with willing feet to wait
on customers, and her nimble fingers
made swift work in doing I'D purchases,
but remember figures she could not, and
her puzzled headnevercould account for
the intricacies of the dime-and-dollar
part of the transaction. Neither was
the sc something better to be DOING
easy to find in such a great CITY. and
consequently they both often went hun
CRY to bed, but kept up brave hearts
through it all. Something will surely
turn up when we're not looking for it,
I'm sure, Hazel persisted stoutly, and
her great faith kept Huldah from los
ing heart.
One bright afternoon. Hazel straved
far away from the dingy little shop and
tenement houses. She was thinkino.
in her childish way. of Huldah. and
wishing she might find a nurse Of GOLD
living in the street. to carry home and
tell her she need not eo bun1rr an
more. She heard stra;es Of music steai.
ing softly out upon the air. and stopped
short. in her planning. to listen.
Before her lowered GREAT iyv-orowp
church, with the sunshine lighting nm
its stained windows till thev gjowad
listened awhile. then stole softIv n
She followed the music, up the long.
carpeted aisles, under the dim half
light that pervaded the place, up the
dong. winding stairway. on, on. on. un-
til she paused, at last, beside the white
haired old organist who was waking
the sweet melody which lured her thith-
er. She came so gently that he did not
notice his listener at first. Suddenly his
eyes fell on the child standing by his
side in half-breathless awe. The lipht.
streaming family down from the hiph
window, just touched the face with a
sweeter beauty and lighted up the curls
till they cleaned ike gold. Something
in the sweet, sad face, in the wistful
eyes and rapt expression, touched his
heart, and he reached out his hand:
Did my music draw you in here.
little one?''
"Oh, it was beautifulr' Hazel spoke
rapturously and with little ecstatic
gasp, as she drew nearer to him. II
wish Huldah could only have heard il.
1t would have made her cry. know.