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

L
girl, ''don't be so angry, He wasn't a
tramp; indeed he wasn't; but hand
some young fellow with long golden
hair"
ga wig" snarled Miss Cross.
''And the most beautiful blue eyes,"
Dolly went on, II ever saw in all my
life. And he wasn't near the house.
And he didn't ask for anything Oh, do
listen, aunt, while [ tell you all about it.
| was on my knees in the path, picking
up some currants [ had let fall, when [
saw him through the hole in the hedge
Brownies calf made the other day, COM
ing slowly up the lane"
eff you had been looking at what you
were doing, you wouldn't have seen
him" said her grim listner.
''He didn't see me, of course" said
Dolly, ''Or / shouldn't have looked at
him so intently And, oh, Aunt Lorinda,
it was just looking at a picture"
Stuff" said Miss Cross.
"He was so handsome, and so dusty.
and so habby, poor fellow And he sat
down under the old tree, took a crust of
bread out of his pocket, and began to
eat it as though he was very, very hun
cry. That went to my heart"
"Rubbishp' said her aunt.
"And [ got up softly and ran into the
house, and cut slice"
"a slice! Great grief!' interrupted
Aunt LOrinda. ga piece big enough
for the breakfast Of whole family"
''And | buttered it"
''You buttered it."
L. u, ~,
was left in the dish ?"
"Half a pound You go without but
ter for a week"
'And [ ran out again, and into the
lane, as fast as [ could" continued Do
rothy, apparently undismayed by this
threat, ''fOr fear [ might lose courage;
and stopping suddenly before him, [ put
the bread in his hand, and said, I am
so sorry for your and turned to run
away, when he seized my hand and
kissed it," Miss Lorinda Cross became
rigid as marble) "and said, These are
the first kind words I've heard since [
came to this beastly country. Tell me
your name little one Dorothy Waldo,
said Dorothy Waldo, he repeated; |
shall never forget it, and he raised his
hat and went away. Dear aunt, had
you been in my place would you not
have done as / didw
'I?" cried Aunt LOrinda-'I carry
meals to strange men on the public high
way? let foreigner who called my
country "a beastly country kiss my
hand? No, indeed; he never would
kissed my hand"
Perhaps not" said Dolly, with Il
mCmentary twinkle in her eyes, and
then she added, pleadingly, "But don't
be angry any longer, aunt. I'll make
another loaf of bread right away"
"But that won't bring back what you
have wasted" said her infexible rela-
tive? "a pretty wife you'd be for man
who hasn't a dollar to call his own, Civ
ing away bread by the loaf and butter
by the pound" Miss Cross had retained
at least one womanly trait-a slight ten
derness to exaggeratiOn) "to all the
thieves and tramps who happen to come
along"
ooh, auntr exclaimed her niece: she
looked like prince"
"a princew- snort of scom.
'Yon head is turned by that trashy
poetry you read. A prince! A likely
story-in shabby clothes and nibbling a
crust! A disguised burglar, in my opin-
ion But burglar or no burglar" she
continued, it must be confessed with
some irrelevancy, "yOu shall never mar
ry man who hasn't dollar to call his
own, with my consent, and if ever you
marry without my consent you make a
liar of your mother in her grave"
"Aunt, | have told you again and
again" said Dorothy, firmly but gently,
''that / never would. [ have not for
cotton my mothers last commands"
''Then don't be encouraging that Dan
lei Howell to meet you every tack and
turn; and if you must have some one
to walk home from church with you'll
can 90 and come by myself, thank
heaven.-theres Arthur Brown, and he
has thousand dollars in the bank"
But, aunt, I've known Dan so long
and he is away so much, that when he
is at home | feel as thought mean, [
mean, | wouldn't like to hurt his feel
ings."
"Bah!'' retorted the grim maiden.
"Men have no feelings. And as for
knowing him a long time, [ think
you've known him quite long enough. .
''But if he had a thousand dollars in
stead of Abner Brown" questioned
Dolly, with more spirit than she had
yet shown.
"That would be in his favor, certain
| ly. But he hasn't and never will have,
with that old father and mother de-
pending upon him. A thousand dollars,
indeed! Where would he get it? The
sooner you forget Daniel Howell and
the sooner Daniel Howell puts you out
of his head, the better"
"There's no need for you to talk so
loud, aunt" said the little girl, indig-
nantly; and then startled by the look of
malicious'riumph on her aunt's face,
Dorothy looked around, just in time to
receive farewell bow from Daniel
Howell as he turned from the door.
'He heard me-" said Miss Cross, I'm
glad he did; twill save trouble"
''Oh, Aunt Lorinda, how cdn you be
so cruel?' said poor Dolly bursting into
| tears.
A year and half passed away,
| during which, owing to his frequent
absence and Miss Lorinda's watchfuI
care, Dolly and her,lover had met but
three or four times TITS hard" said
the young man, on the last of these oc-
casiOns, ito know that [ can not ask
your aunt for your hand because I have
not thousand dollars ofmy own, when
l know that there is plenty of room and
love and everything for you at the old