Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-11

of September next. And Louisa Lacy
is going to compete for it y
Five hundred dollars !" repeated
Miriam, with a long breath. "Oh, 1
wish could write y
Dolly said nothing, but she listened
with varying color and bated breath.
Five hundred dollars To her it repre-
scented golden mine of wealth-an in
exhaustible treasure
Miss Pink used to say that my COM
positions at school we're good, thought
Dolly. II wonder if it would be wrong
to try ~
And only the gray cat, purring away
! in the garnet window ill, knew Dolly's
persevering efforts, al those long twi-
! lights, or the oil that was burned in
the little kerosene lamp, long after the
rest of the family hal sought their pill
lows-the hopes, the fears, the inter-
walls of feverish exaltation, the answer
ing chords of dull despair
Writing, ell y
! Miss Melissa had crept up stairs on
| tip-toe, and now stood, like an aveng-
ing spirit, over blushing, FACILITATING
Dolly, who vainly strove to cover her
disordered mass Of papers with one
futtering hand.
49," cried Melissa severely, "this
is the secret of all those mysterious
disappearance. This is the reason you
never can be found when you are
wanted for anything. Dorothea Spen-
Ger, l am surprised at you !"
"It's only little story" faltered
Dolly, turning pink and white by turns.
IL don't suppose any one would
publish it, but / thought it wasn't any
harm just to write down what came into
my head" =.
"You'd deal better devote yourself
to stocking darning and busting, and
bread-making," said Melissa. As if you
could write you, that can't iron a
shirt properly, or basic on the trimming
to dress Well, I am surprised at
the confidence of some people -
Eyes, but Melissa"
Take my ADVICE" imperiously in
terrupted Miss Melissa; "burn all this
trash Fling the ink out of the win
dow--put the pens in the fire. Devote
yourself to real, practical work. You're
bad enough and careless enough as
you are, but if you're going to turn
literary"
And Miss Melissa stalked out of the
room with countenance expressive of
the EXTREMIST derision and disgust.
Dolly's face crimsoned holly as she
heard, five minutes afterwards, the
peal of Miriam's scornful laughter, as
Melissa told her of the discovery she
had made.
81 uiU succeed" she murmured to
herself, as she drew the pile of papers
nearer to her, and dipped the pen anew
into the ink stand.
AS the summer waned away, things
Jared ill with the Spencers. Miriam
broke her arm and was compelled, per-
force. to abandon her trade: Melissa
found that the demand for wax flowers,
guitar lessons and water-color painting
was dwindling away to mere nothing
and matters looked unpromising
enough.
IL don't know what is going to be-
come of us all, said Miriam, in tears.
eff Dolly was only good for anything
now"
But, just at that moment, Dolly came
in, with Redeemed cheeks, and dark
eyes sparkling with unwonted light.
" Miriam" said she, pausing and lay
ing her hand gently on her sisters
shoulders, st am not good for much, I
know, but God has given us each our
separate talents in this world. See !"
She opened a letter which she had
been holding all this time, and laid a
narrow strip of gray paper in Miriam's
palma check for five hundred dollars.
"Cbild," gasped the astounded elder
sister, "where did you get this ?"
:" 1t is for my story" said Dolly,
flushing all over with innocent delight.
- have been fortunate enough to win
TIE prize"
"And Louisa Lacy ?" breathlessly
questioned Melissa.
L suppose, of course, she has been
unsuccessful"
The two elder sisters looked in al
most incredulous surprise at this hith-
erto unrecognized genius that had bios
somed up in their family; and in their
regards Dolly read dawning respect
and admiration.
Five hundred dollars !" repeated
Miriam, scrutinizing the scrap Of gray
paper as if it had been fairy amulet.
at would be long enough before I
made five hundred dollars at dress
making !"
"And I shall necer earn it at wax
flowers or guitar lessons" almost
sobbed Melissa. ''To think that our
Dolly had such gift as that and we
never to suspect it u
But Dolly's most perfect happiness
was when her white haired father
blessed her with inarticulate fervency,
and her mother cried tears Of joy upon
her shoulder.
81 aloays knew our Dolly would
come out right r. said Mrs. Spencer.
And the two elder sisters were COM
PEELED, albeit it was little difficult
just at first, to coincide in this opinion.