The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-04-17

"Sorry! Say that again, lass people
have mostly left of being sorry for
me-" said Joanna, with hard laugh.
"But listen, Joanna. DO be serious.
Won't you try TO do dilierentlyS"
al am not so bad as folks think me,
Dora 0xgate, except for the horred
craving for drink. have been nothing
worse than wild and willfull. Believe
me, child, for it is Gods truth. Only,
when a girl gets on the mill every
Christian man or woman think ii their
duty to give her yet another push?"
"Then will you try to retrieve your
own self?"
"How can ~ What is there left for
meg"
'YOur suburb voice, Joanna"
"You would have me sing myself in
to respectability, eh9 And in the
meantime should starve."
"YOu need not starve, Joanna.
Here ~
Quick as lightning, she drew small
gold chain, with a gold locket shaped
like heart dangling at its ends, from
her neck.
"Dear Joanna, take this. 1t is worth
money know; and it is all that | have
in the world to giYel Sell it, and use
the money for your needs"
Joanna Elfeld stared vaguely at the
cleaning trinket.
"Are you in earnest, Dora?"
"Of course am. Hush! Mother is
calling me. must 60"
"God bless you for this" said joan
ma husky. "And, Dora-one word
more : | am only Joanna Eltleld, but
if you will, let me kiss you just once"
By way of answer Theodore Oxgate
threw her arms around the tails girls
neck, and pressed her soft red lips close
to the others cold mouth. And as she
did so something FLASHED on her cheek
IA hot, round tear.
The next minute Joanna Elfeld dis
appeared into the world Of shadows
that was lowering over all the autumn
landscape. And as she went she muir
INJURED to herself, unconscious tnat she
was speaking aloud t..
"Some one believes in me yet! In
me! It's a strange sensation, and yet
it give one something to live for, af-
ter all !"
Dora! Theodore! Why don't you
answer? But no one thinks it worth
while to listen to me now-a-daysW
1t was Mrs. Oxgate's shrill piping
voice; and Mrs. Oxgate, helpless from
paralysis, set in her cushioned chair by
the sunny doorway.
"What is it, mammal" Dora asked,
coming to the door.
The OXgate farmhouse had drifted
sadly to decay. Fences has fallen;
gates hung creaking on one hinge; sun
ny pasture lands were neglected; grass
meadows had toppled over their own
weight of harvest. And Mrs. Oxgate
herself looked, as she sat in the door
way, like the very genius of decay.
"The carriage with them grand peO-
pie that has brought Glenwood Place.
A gentleman dressed like the Prime Of
Wales, and lady whose diamond
flashed fit to blind one. All me? it's
fine to be young and rich. Look! the
carriage is stopping! P'raps they've
dropped something. Sure's | live the
lady's coming back, trailing her pur-
pie silk dress in the dust like it was
domestic gingham. Oh, dear me, |
wish had my best hat on J"
She gave her apron twitch and tried
to settle her scant skirt over her poor
useless feet as the tall, stately figure
swept up the door.
"This is the Oxgate place, is it not?'
the lady asked, in Il deep, sweet voice
that betrayed her at once. Dora
answered promptly:
"This is the OXgate; and you are
Joanna Elfleld."
"Not Joanna Elfeld nOw-but joan
ma Avenel," she rejoiqed, smiling and
blushing. "Here is my husband.
George, this is the friend told you of,
whose hand ten years ago, lifted me out
of the darkness and set me in the right
path. Oh, George, you know how much
| owe to herp
Mrs. Avenel was weeping softly now
yet the smiles shone brightly through
her tears.
"Dora," she added, "that was the
turning point in my life. See! have
your gold chain with the heart yet.
knew then that one human creature
had faith in me still, and it renewed
the fountain of life within me! Dora,
Dora, you are my guardian angel. God
bless you for it,"
1 eoi wondered much that those
rich Avenels OF The Place had an in
significant chit like Dora Oxgate SC
much with them to say nothing Of that
tiresomc, pressing old bore, her mother
But Mrs. Avenel was great lady,
and of course could be excused for hav-
ing her whlms-one of which was al
ways to wear thread-like chain OF
gold around her neck, with a heart
shaped locket hanging from it.
"When she could have diamonds In
stead |" said Miss Comfort Peabody
who had of late observed that she al
ways had thought Joanna Elfield to be
agenlus.
And Dora OXgate, although she haC
settled into n solitary, Woodworking
old maid, knew that her apparent life
had not been in vain.
| nn.znyuMnuu.unnlnnlfnna
slirewdness and Ability.