Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-09-03
DORA DEANE.

one was Jnlrty-tW0, anu the prenX
which would indicate her married
was stA wanting from her name.
Yet there were no lines of disappoint-
ment about Dora Deane's mouth; no
troubled expression in the clear gray
eyes, Yet she looked woman to love
and to be loved. She was not beautiful,
but people had always called her pref
= by girl. They called her so still $50
~ youthful was the graceful figure and
mobile face), until they stopped to reck-
on on their fingers and discovered the
" term g womann was more appropriate.
There was about her, too, a certain dis
= tinctive charm-a something which
s made strangers turn again as she passed
them by for second glance She was
l.s, neither belle nor beauty. She could
have married many times, but-perhaps
because she felt that love was one of the
essentials lacking, perhaps because the
ideal was not attained-she remained
Dora Deane still. Thus the gossips
~ reasoned. Pry as they would, they
= 4 could discover no early disappointment,
u no hidden romance, in all the years she
had lived among them. Yet, peeping
over her shoulder, as is our privilege,
noting the delicate flush upon her cheek,
the light in her eye, the trembling Of the
little hand Which holds letter written
in firm, bold characters, they might
have seized upon clue we are too gen
erous to faSten or follow. The words
she had perused were these:
"The fever has broken out again quite hotly
withus, andlHm anxious Cara shoulder
purer air. May drive her ont to morrow
ana leave her for fortnight! My messenger
will wait your answer.
"Of course she might come,'' thought
Miss Deane.
Dear little Cara Doctor Ray was
her guardian. She had been left to his
care when little child of three
years. She must be eighteen now. For
six years she had been at school. Now
she had returned to her guardians
home, to remain until some one stole
her away to grace another. But she
was still a child. That was but re-
mote possibility for the distant future.
- Ronald Ray was a physician in the
great city in one of whose suburbs was
,r- Miss. Deane's beautiful home. How
/ ! tilnany years she had known himl He
Had even come to her first, in that long
ago time, to tell her the story of the
:. =, child eonfided to his care,
She had been but seventeen herself
th2n, he six years her senior. They had
been friends always, but lately she had
seen more of him than his usual wont.
He had talked with her of Cara's home
ycoming-of the plans he had matured
q, bt5r her amusement-of the pleasure his
mother would experience in having her
bright young presence constantly near
her; anda She had listened, as she had
always listened when Ronald Ray talked
listened with y beating heart and
fleeing color. But it had never be-
itfayed her secret even to him. She had
Flscatce acknowledged it to herself. She
: I Aonly knew that other men might come
o. and so, but were all powerless, even by
81. the most passionate protestations of de-
Notion, to Waken that called forth by
az. his Simplest word
'sl But lately he had been different.
There had been light in his eye like
that within her own-a suppressed OK
element in his manner totally at vari-
sA'a arce with his usual calm. And now
i ana from among his legion of friends he
,sI had chosen her home where his ward
!, b, might DO guest.
,arr o Her thoughts were very busy as she
made her preparations to receive her
eai visitor With her own hands she gath
cred and arranged the flowers that were
A,., TO. welcome her in the pretty room she
So had assigned her, joining her own.
In the dusk of evening, the sound of
wheels announced their coming.
"Dear Miss Dora" exclaimed a
sweet, girlish voice, as some one sprang
from the carriage, ere the doctor could
y ahght to assist her. at is all non
- sense, Ronaid's sending me away from
home! But so long as he insisted on it,
am so glad it is herel We shall have
,D-sueh nice times together-that is, if you
( hale not forgotten me-"
'Nl And she impulsiyely threw her arms
about the elder woman's neck.
CN'Nfhere was a charm-a winsomeness
about her impossible to resist. Dora
Deane felt her heart 90 outtoward hel
anew, rs it had done when, tiny, gold
cn-haired child, she had climbed upon
her knee and fallen asleep Graded il
.ra' her arms.
ssli- Not until they had all gone in to-
gether into the lighted drawing-room
did she discover how fully the child''
promise of rare beauty had redeemed
itself.
But the light was less merciless else
where. 1t showed the physicians face
- pSle and eareworn, and bearing trace!
of overworll and lack of sleep. Dora
found moment during Cara's GAY
pgatile to lay her hand upon his sleeve
n = n " Take care of yourself" she hal
Z whispered. 3" ] fear YOU forget that, il
i 7 icercae for others. You are not look
q y ing-welh"
"Nonsense!" he laughed "Tht
idea of u doctor not being able to taxi
care of himself! 1t is like the cook al
lowing herself to staEe. You woulC
almost persuade my parents, Miss Dora
..... 10 lose faith in me, which reminds M
e.. that l en- losing preciouA time, AM
ed must Beofk A thousand thanks for re
a. eeivingo this child shall see you q
.-' 5often 8possible, and shall now have
double induceiaei9s@ coming"