Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-08-15
LITTLE ZELDA.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

''She is certainly a remarkably lovely
girl"
This thought was floating almost un
consciously on the current Of Gryce
Lockwook's mind, as, fishing rod in
hand, he walked across the daisied
meadows, availing himself of the short
cut across Farmer Limpet's meadows
to the trout stream, where he daily
waged piscatorial warfare with the
spotted dwellers of the tide.
Gryce Lockwood,a rising young law
yer of Philadelphia, had come out into
the country for two weeks of rest and
recreation.
A sulphur spring had been discover
ed at Wyndledge within the last fews
years, and it had suddenly changed
from quiet trout fishing retreat into
a fashionable summer resort.
The Poynsett Hotel was full, and
Gryce Lockwood, found himself obliged
to OCCUPY a spare room III the house OF
the village dentist, one Doctor Lamb,
while he took his meals at the hotel
and it was concerning Miss Genevieve
Lamb that his thoughts took shape, as
he wandered through the leafy luxuri-
ance of the woods.
Genevieye was a blue eyed, soft
voiced girl of eighteen, with pink and
white complexion, faxen hair, and
pretty hands, all dimpled at the joints.
She taught IN infant class in Sunday
school, visited the poor of Wyndledge,
and theorized with Mr.. Lockwood re
specting ''woman's true mission"
at seems to me-that the popular idea
of equality with man is absurdly er-
roneous," she lisped, lifting her soft
eyes shyly. "What nobler mission can
there be for weak woman than to love,
to work. to guard the sick and suffer
ing, and aid the poor"
And Gryce Lockwood was almost
tempted to think her an angel
Mr.. Lockwood had lived to his eight
and twentieth year in state of single
blessedness. He felt now that he could
afford to marry, and the idea of Gene
we've Lambs blue eyes shining upon
him through life was not at all an un
pleasant one.
"Although, to be sure" he told him
self, 81 had no idea when came out to
Wyndledge, that my fate was awaiting
me here' fz-r.sr
As he stood under the shade OF a
gnarly old apple tree, preparing his
line and tackle, figure suddenly rose
up behind a moss-enameled boulder
a forlorn, slim figure, clad in faded cal
leo, with brown hair floating like an
unkept name about its face, and great
hazel eyes shining out from beneath
long lashes.
"Hellor' shouted Gryce.
81 didn't scare you, did I?'' said the
strange apparition, shifting heavy
tin pail from one arm to the other. 81
kept quiet awhile for you to get by, but
/ guess you don't mean to go by"
'What are you doing? Said Mr..
Lockwood, still staring with all his
eyes.
aPicking huckleherries.
"What are you going to to with
them?"
'Sen them. at the Poynsett House
for pies and things. Four cents a
quart.
''You are young for such work. said
Gryce.
I'm not young" said the girl, with
an impatient toss of her tangled brown
hair that revealed her sun burned face.
I'm sixteen. Pve always worked ever
since l was a child. l amt lady,
like Genevieve."
''Like-whomY
"Like Genevieve, my sister. I'm Eel
da Lamb"
aBIess my SOUL" CALCULATED Mr.. Lock
wood. 'And your mother allows you
to spend you time in this wayg
"Oh, she amt my mother" said Eel
da, with a short laugh. "She's my
stepmother. And Genevieve isn't my
own sister. I'm glad of it, too"
"You are glad of it? WhyY'
because she's so hateful. She boxes
nay ears and pulls my hair, and says
I'm nothing but a plague. So am, 1
s'pose. Some folks cant help being
plagues-l most wish had died last
fall, when had the scarlet fever. l
guess Genevieve would have been glad
if had" "a, 4
"But." cried the bewildercd hero, "if
you are DIR. Lambs daughter, why do
you never appear at the tableS
"Oh, somebody must do the house
work, you know" said Zelda, "and |
scour the pans and pots, and wash the
dishes. 1t isn't fit work for Genevieve's
white hands And if there are any new
clothes bought Genevieve has them. No
body thinks of me"
@But what do you do with the huck-
cherry money!
aMy stepmother takes it to buy
things for the house"
This was an entirely new revelation
to Gryce. ie H. :,
That Genevieve Lamb, whom he had
believed an angel upon earth, could be
cold, and selfish, and arrogant like this,
seemed an impossibility, but here WAS