The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-06-11
LITTLE ZELDA. !.
By HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

3HT Y0 SYST
By helen FORREST GRAVES. % y
"She is certainly a remarkably lovely
grill" aa .
This thought was floating almost tin
consciously on the current Of Gryce
Lockwood's mind, as, fisbing.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. q a8
Gryce Lockwood, a rising young law
yer in Philadelphia, had come out into
the country for two weeks Of rest and
recreation.
A sulphur spring had been discovered
at Wyndledge within the last few years,
and it had suddenly changed from a
quiet trout.fshing retreat into a fashion.
able resort. - ~ ,s'
The Poynsett Hotel was full, and
Gryce Lockwood found himself obliged
to occupy spare room in 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 bis thoughts took shape, as
he wandered through the leafy luxuri.
ance Of the woods. q Z y ia3n
Genevieve was a blue eyed, soft.voiced
girl Of eighteen, with pink and.white
complexion, aaxen hair, and pretty
hands, all dimrled at the joints. She
taught an infant class in Sunday school,
visited the poor Of Wyndledge, and
theorized with Mr.. Lockwood respect.
ing "woman's true mission" eieei,,,, aa
7'It seems to me that the popular idea
of equality with man is .absurdly erro
neous,' she liAped, lifting her soft, eyes
shyly. .What nobler mission can, there
be for weak woman than to love, to
work to guard the sick and suffering
and aid the poor2's rs1sroa 3 al ffso
And Gryce Lockwood was almost
tempted to think her an angel eo7i y7er
4 Mr.. LockN ood had lived to his eight
and twentieth year in state of single
blessedness. He felt, now that he could
afford to marry, ndstheu idea of Gene.
We've Lambs blue eyes shining gupor
him through life was not at all an un,
pleasant one. 'e sni sdl a. sa4ae srq-
"Aithough, to.be-sure,Y he told him
self, II had no idea, when came out to
Wyndledge, that my fate was awaiting
me here'' aGc1 q 81 TAG s5a} a. ybeoT
As he stood under the shade of &
gnarlY old apple tree, preparing his line
and tackle, figure suddenly rose up be
hind ., moss; ;enamefed boulder for
lorn, slim figure, clad in faded calico
with brown hair floating like an unkemp
name about its face, and great haze
ewes shining out from beneath lons
lashes. F qfH 19tl 10 5ogoo91 gaa0
"Hello!n calculated Gryce Lockwood
strange apparation, shifting a heavy til
pail from one arm to the other. II KEEP
quiet awhile for you to get by. but
guess you don'tSmean to go by" 4 9ii
"What are you doing I" said Mr.
Lockwood, still staring with all aiseyes
"Picking huckleberries."
"What are you going to do witt
them ?" @ a ne
"Sell them at the Poynsett House 70
pies and things. Four cents quart
"You are young for such work" sai'
Mr.. Lockwood. M ri c b3es7a
Il
"I'm not young" said the girl, witt
an impatient toss of her tangled brow
hair that revealed her sun-burned face
s'Im sixteen. I've always worked eve
since I was child. il / amt lady, lik
tGenevieve." iasu s9laagi 2.h xi
| "Like-sohomf' .sis.g s.{
| "Like Genevieve, my sister. In
Zelda lamb ,3teUaa oloT ni fasia4
"Bless my soulr' ejaculated MI
Gryce Lockwood. .a"Aud your mothe
allows you to spend your time thus ?
sOh, she amt my mother said Zelds
with short laugh. "She's my step
mother. And .Genevieve isn't nv owl
(sister. I'm glad OF it, too"
"You are glad of it2s Why2'Jay n.
4 "Because she's so hateful. She boxe
tmy ears and pulls my hair, and says III
nothing but plague SO / am, / s'post
Some folks can't help being plaques
| l most wish I had died last fall. when
had the scarlet fever. 4 guess Genesiev
would have been glad."i b.s9 rd ad
j aBut," cried our bewildered hero. ,isI''i
Iyou are Doctor Lambs, daughter, wh
| IdoTyou never appear ~ the table = i'.'ysjla
"Oh. somebody must do the honsl
work, you know,n said Zelda, shrewdly
and scour the pots and pans, and was
the dishes. It,isn't fit work for Gem
vipve's white hands. And II there al
any new clothes bought, Genesieve b.
them. Nobody thinks of me.'Ioh sgt
4 But what do you do with the hnckl,
berfy money p -. .ss--
my stepmothet takes it to buy thing
, for the house. -. r.,,. G
sl All this was an entirely new revel
, ton to Gryce Lockwood. -, !.
!, That Geneyieve Lamb, whom he b.
3 believed an angel upon earth, could !
. cold, and selfish, and arrogant like thi
g seemed an impossibility; but, here W
the living proof, IN faded calico, bar
feet and sunbrowned hands, looking
him out Of weird. brown eyes. 81 a4a
asIt's a shame" broke oinvol1ntari
from his lips. why doesn't your faith
: interfere Ell ia. asi er.us.qE kav
g 1T amt fathers fault So much sa
:, Zelda. He'd he kind enough if it wasr
: for mother and Genevieve. They ma
him believe I'm an awful bad girl-al
so I am sometimes, when I fly into ,o
% of my RACES. / scratched Genevieve
the arm once, but it was because q
wruag my brown thrush's neck, B
TIL tell you what, Mr.. Lockwood
q know you're Mr.. Lockwood, becau
q Eve seen you sometimes at table, VIII
j. I was peeping through the crack of t
door-Pm saving two Quarts of buck
berries day. u s sa
!. Saving them p echoed GrYce. ifr
+ TO ruiz away! nodded Zelda-'t
a money, ! mean. Four cents a quart |!
i Twice four Is eight, isn't it2 l keep
It back from the money they pay me
It the Poynsett House, and I put it in
e cracked china mug, that I've got in t
s cupboard at home
Il where would you runr asked n
|, Lockwood, amused in spite of himse