River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 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-o the
neighbOrho0d declared herr, as she
pounced 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, lust before she turned her
neutrality-suspicious. back on the
kitchen, to stalk to the garnet after
that idle hussy, MolIy"-the maid-of-
all-work-'' who had been twice as long
as she ought to have been making the
beds there
said the huge loaf. | should have
said half the huge loaf, for only that
proportion of the newly baked bread re-
manned.
Dorothy Waldo" again screamed
Miss Cross, in an ascending scale with
an Ominous tremuio on the last note.
Yes, aunt" replied sweet, fresh
young voice; and Il pretty young girl
came in from the garden, with a basket
of CHEEKY red currants i'll her hand.
A tiny thing she was, with round
iimpled, rosy face innocent child-Gke
blue-gray eyes. and fair hair, some short
tresses Of which had escaped from Tive
braid into which tllcy had been bound,
and were making delightful use Of
their freedom 10y curling in the most
charming manner about the low frank
brow and little pink-tipped ears.
About sweet SIXTEEN Il 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 n 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 irrevOcably on
her twenty fourth birthday, which
abOuld have also been her wedding day;
but at the very moment she was tasten-
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 10 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 her
sex that ever worked upon a farm In Il
mans boots. coat, Il hat, early and late
hot or cold, wet or dry, with set mouth,
lowering brow, and silent lips, she tClled
side by side with her sturdy old father,
until the day he was struck down 10y the
pitilesS sun and died few hours after
died Just in time to be saved the pang
of hearing that his youngest and favorIte
daughter was lying at the point of death,
widowed and friendless, in a faraway
city. LOrinda buried her father-lf she
wept for him none saw her-promoted
man who had long been in his employ
mcnt to the position she used herself To
occupy, and started for her sisters bed
side. When She returned to Fernvllle
again, she brought dear little fair-haired
soft eyed Dorothy with her, and some
of her neighbors fancied that since that
time she had been shade less stern;
but if She had been, it was so slight Il
shade that it was almost impossible to
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 &C
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. ster. wo-
man. But Dorothy was so sunny IN dis
position that the stern ways and dark
face of her aunt could not cloud her
vonng life. And though shut out from
that infiexible woman's heart she found
the doors Of all other hearts wide open
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 as for Mollv-pOOr hard-worked
Mollv.-she would have kissed the
ground the little feet trod upon
What wonder. then, that Dan Howell,
the Young surveyor, who lived half a
mile away, in the old stone cottage and
whom She had known from the very
first dav of her arrival in Fernville
when he. then "A tall bright-faced boy
ot fifteen. passing her aunts gate and
seeing the sad-looking little girl. in her
black dress. standing by it, silently of
fered her the prettiCst white rabbit she
had ever Seen-a rabbit he had been
coaxing Ahner Brown for month past
To sell him. and which now he parted
with. without another thought, at sight
of those lovely fearful eyes and that
sweet wiStfJIl face)-what wonder, | say,
that he Thought of her by day and
dreamed of her 10y night 2
But To get back Dorothy came smil-
ing into the kitchen, her lips and cheeks
rs red as the currants she carried but
the smile faded away when she met her
aunt's irate gaze.
Did YOU cut this loaf and then leave
il here in this hot room to dry 10
Chin" demanded Miss Cross; and then
she added emphatically, without wait
ing for an answer: But of course you
did No one else would have dared to
do H. And how dared UoH, knowing
that | never allow bread 10 be cut IN
my house until it Is nj least day old Z
| am sorry, aunt, began Dolly;
but he looked 50 hungry
HeN screamed her aunt, regard
ing her with Il look of horror You
gave il away. then, And 10 'he,' \
tramp. I've no doubt, who will come
back some fine night to rob the house
and murder us all.
Please aunt, entreated the young
girl, don't Ice So angry. lie wasn't n
tramp: indeed he wasn't; but a hand
some Young fellow with long golden
hair
A wig. suarled Mis- Cross.
And the most beautiful blue eyes.
Dolly Went on, Il ever saw IN all my
life And he wasn't near the house.
And he didn', ask for anything. Oh, do
listen. aunt while tell you all about It.
/ vas ON my knees in the path picking
up some currantS had II fall, when
saw lnIl through the hole in the hedge
Brownies calf made the other day, COM
ing slowly NJ the lane
IF 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 ut
him so intently And, oh, Aunt Lorinda
il was lust looking at picture
stuff said Miss Cross
He was SO handsome, and so dusty,
and 80 habby, poor fellow! And he sat
down under the old tree, took crust of