Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-07-14
DoLLY's DESTINY

"I shouldn't be surprised any day
Dolly, to see David Wiggin tying his
horse at your gate" said MIR. Blount,
roguishly, gathering up the reins.
Nonsense, brotherl Anything the
matter with his own hitching post p re-
torted Miss Dolly. turning. in the door
way.
Mr.. Blount laughed. Everybody felt
bound to laugh at Miss Dolly's crisp
sayings that had kept her friends in good
humor these forty years.
And when David does call on you, y
pursued Mr.. Blount, more seriously,
"I do hope, Dolly, you'll give him q
chance to do his errand. That'lI be nc
more than fair, and the man won't be
easy until he has freed his mind"
What mischief are you the forerun-
ner of now, James Blount ?" cried Miss
Dolly, facing about like soldier on
drill. sc What upon earth have [ to dc
with David's errands ?''
ssWen, his wife has been dead year
or more said Mr.. Blount, suggestiyely,
shutting one eye and squirting with
the other down the length of his whip
stalk, "and lately he has been asking
about you. You can put that and that
together to suit yourself"
.Fiddlestick r said Miss Dolly, ener-
getically.
"I shan't say have him or don't have
him-tbough there isn't likelier man
living than Dayid-but do say, Dolly,
you ought to give him hearing" and
having convinced himself beyond rea-
sonable doubt that the whip was right,
MIR. Blount tickled his ssleepy horse with
it and drove away.
"Oh, my sorrows !" calculated Miss
Dolly, closing the door with an afflicted
countenance, and sitting down SO quiet
~ for'o once that photographer might
have copied her then and there. Not
that he could have done her justice, fol
her expression was too quick and varied
to be caught by any trick of chemicals,
and without it Miss Dolly's physiogno.
my would have been rather character
less but for her Roman nose. This
organ gave tone to her face. By which
would not be understood literally as
saying that she talked through nasal
whine. I mean simply in metaphors
cal sense this bold feature spoke loudly
of energy. And Miss Dolly had abun-
dant need of energy =. else why the
nose? Every two years during hel
childhood she had been tiptoed into the
East bedroom to see new baby, till, al
her mothers death, five little brothers
fell to her charge TO be coaxed and
scolded into manhood.
sfVor1 oa7,gf lrS,aor 4boeo 1ox-.. 1,
groaned dolorous aunt. They II run
square over you, Dorthy Almeda."
"d,et them run over me so long as il
does not hurt emp laughed Miss Dolly,
skewing her faxen hair with goose.
quill and tying calico apron over he1
calico longskirt, preparatory to 6 bring.
ing up" said youths. ~
From that day forward she went
cheerily on, making the best of every.
thing. though it must be confessed she
often had odds and ends to work with,
as those do have who are born with 6
faculty. Somehow she found time fol
all her duties except matrimony. Il
that were duty, twas one she wouldn'l
and couldn't attend to while her father
and the children needed her. Divers
young men thought this great pity,
among them Wiggin. g Don't be silly
David |" said Dolly, when he limited as
much to her whereupon David went of
and married Olive SearIe, the plainesi
girl IN the parish.
This happened twenty years ago, and
David was again wifeless, and again
the current of his thoughts turned to-
ward Dolly. who still lived at the old