Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-07-08
DOLLY AND DAN.

Dorothy-Dorothy Waldo scream
ed Miss Lorinda Cross (''cross by name
and cross by nature" the children
yes, and many Of the grown-ups the
neighborhood declared herr, as she
bounced upon the huge loaf of bread
which she had taken from the oven and
put into the big stone crock only half an
hour ago, just before she turned her
neutrality-suspicious. back on the
kitchen, to stalk to the garnet after
chat idle hussy, Molly maid-of-
all-work-"WhO had been twice as long
az she ought to have been making the
beds there"
| said the huge loaf | should have
proportion Of the newly baked bread re
manned.
Dorothy Wal-do!" again screamed
Miss Gross, in an ascending scale, with
an ominous tremulo on the last note
Eyes, aunt" replied q sweet, fresh
young voice; and pretty young girl
came in from the garden, with basket
Of CHEEKY red currants in her hand
4 tiny thing she was, with round
dimpled, rosy face, innocent child-like
bme-gray eyes, and fair hair some short
tresses of which had escaped from the
braid into which they had been bound,
and were making Il delightful use of
their freedom by curling in the most
charming manner about the low frank
brow and little pink-tipped ears.
About "sWeet sixteen" stranger
would have pronounced her; but Dolly,
rs her youthful companions, much to
the disgust of her aunt Lorinda, called
her, was older than that by Il year and
a half
An orphan at the age of twelve, she
had been left to the care of the only
relative she knew, her mothers elder
sister-a woman hard of speech and
manners, and anything but soft in heart.
This maiden lady soured irreyocably on
her twenty-fourth birthday, which
should have also been her wedding day;
but Mt the very moment she was fasten-
ing the orange blossoms in her hair, had
come the news that her betrOthed had
eloped with the girl-friend she had
chosen for her bridesmaid. Lorinda tore
the bridal wreath into fragments, and
scattered it to the winds; never mention
ed the false pair from that hour, Danish
ed forever all the womanly grace and
tenderness she had ever possessed truth
to tell she had never possessed much,
and became the hardest worker of hel
sex that ever worked upon farm. In 4
mans boots, coat, hat, early and late
hot or cold, wet or dry, with set mouth
lowering brow, and silent lips, she toiled
side by side with her sturdy old father
until the day he was struck down by the
pitiless sun and died few hours after
died Just in time to be saved the pang
of hearing that his youngest and favoritC
daughter was lying at the point of death
widowed and friendless, in a far-away
city. Lorinda buried her father-if she
wept for him none saw her-prOmOted
Il man who had long been in his employ,
ment to the position she used herself tC
occupy, and started for her sisters bed
side When she returned to Fernville
again, she brought dear little fair-haireC
soft eyed Dorothy with her, and some
of her neighbors fancied that since that
time she had been Il shade less stern
but if she had been, it was SO slight q
shade that it was almost impossible tC
perceive it. True, she did less out-of
door work, and devoted part of the time
thus saved to teaching her neice to sew
and cook and churn, and other like ac
cOmplishments; but never were the les
sons accompanied by pleasant smile
or kindly word, much less loving kiss
Even to the gentle, winning child, Lor
india Cross remained cold. stern WO
man. But Dorothy was 50 sunny in dis
position that the stern ways and dark
face of her aunt could not cloud hel
yonng life. And though shut out from
that infexible woman's heart, she found
the doors of all other hearts wide ope1
toher. The dogs, the cats, the hens
the horses, the COWS, the calves, the
very geese, regarded her with alteration
The farm laborers blessed her pretty
face whenever she came among them
and rs for Molly-poor hard-workeC
Molly!-she would have kissed tht
ground the little feet trod upon.
What wonder, then, that Dan Howell
the young surveyor, who lived half ;
mile away, in the old stone cottage, an(
whom she had known from the yer,
first day of her arrival in Fernvill
when he, then a tall, bright-faced DO,
Of fifteen, passing her aunt's gate, an(
seeing the sad-looking little girl, in he
black dress, standing by it, silently OF
fered her the prettiest white rabbit sh
had ever seen-a rabbit he had beer
coaxing Abner Brown for a month pas
to sell him, and which now he parte(
with, without another thought, at sigh
of those lovely fearful eyes and tina
sweet wistful face)-what wonder, say
that he Thought of her by day, an,
dreamed of her by night?"
But to get back Dorothy came smil
ing into the kitchen, her lips and cheek
rs red as the currants she carried; bu
the smile faded away when she met he
aunt's irate gaze.
Did you cut this loaf, and then leav
it here in this hot room to dry to
chip" demanded Miss Cross; and thel
she added, emphatically, without wait
ing for an answer: But of course yol
did. No one else would have dared t,
do it. And how dared you, KNOWN,
that / never allow bread to be cut il
my house until it is at least day old {?
1 am sorry, aunt" began Dolly
but he looked so hungry"
Hell" screamed her aunt, regard