San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-09-20
A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY.
BY S. D. A.

Trotty is standing at the window,
looking disconsolately up at the
clouds, and wondering ii it will even
stop raining. She is so tired OF the
rain, and of hearing mamma and
Miss Carlotta talk! -,
SLOW long they have been at It'll
thinks Trotty. Most the whole at
ternoon."
Then she leans her golden head
against the curtain and listens attent-
iyely, with vague hope of hearing
something that may be interesting.
It is such pretty room she is look
ing into. The wainscoted walls have
lovely plaques hanging on them' the
shelves of the mantle hold many
a rare bit of porcelain, and the hang
ings and the furniture are so bright
and warm with their rich folds and
soft coloring. Mamma sits III her
low chair with her slim foot resting
on the brass fender, idly smoothing
her pet kitten Royal as he lies curled
up like great white caterpillar on
her soft dress.
Mammals friend, Miss Carlotta
stands at the end of the mantle-shelf,
where the lamp, with it's globe Gov
cred with gold butterflies, sheds a
soft light on her golden hair and the
pale blue folds Of her dress. She
looks, as she stands there, tall and
straight, like an angel in the church
window, thinks Trotty.
The fire flashes up, and seems to
nut some of it's own life into the lock
ct mamma wears around her neck, SC
brightly does it shine. 1t catches
Miss Carlotta's eye. ;.
"Whom have you in that locket
Helen?" she asks.
Erred" simply answers mamma
But q shade comes over her sweet
face.
"May l see it?" says Miss Carlotta
coming closer to mammals chair.
Mamma unclasps the chain ane
lays the locket in Miss Carlotta's out
stretched hand. Miss Carlotta looks
at it little while in silence.
"Have you no clew to him yet?" SHE
asks presently.
None at ALL replies mamma, Sc
mournfully. ooh, Carlotta, how
wish he would come back! thlnl
fathers heart is almost broken"
Il am sure he WILL" says Miss Car
lotta. Indeed, Helen, l cannot hell
thinking he will come home. YOU
will certainly see him some day, wher
your slip comes ill.,"
Yes, repeats mamma, smiling sad
ly, when my ship comes
Has mamma a ship?" thinks
Trotty. elbow very interesting"
But what follows is more interest
ing still.
what a handsome face,
Carlotta says, and how IL II
like your little Trotty!"
But before mamma has time to an
swer. papa's voice is heard at the
door, and she and Miss Carlotta &C
out into the hall TO get the letters he
has brought. The locket slips from
mammals lap where Miss Carlotta
has laid it, and falls on the rug.
Trotty is about to follow the others
when the clustering bit OF gold at.
tracts her attention. The opportuni-
ty is too tempting for Trotty to resist,
She feels thai she must see the mys-
terious Fred who looks like her, and
who is coming home in the still more
mysterious ship.
Come nigh; along, Jemina," she
says, taking her long-sutteIng doll by
the ann and starting for the fireplace,
Jemima. sympathetic rs usual III heI
wooden and sawdusty-way, submits
passivcly to be dragged over the car
pet until she reaches the hearth-rug,
where size irlis PROSTATE before the
superior attractions OF the locket.
Tro;ty Ticks It up, opens 1t, and
sees a frank, hovlsh lace, with pain
Of laughing blue eyes, very much like
her OWL, only she does not know that.
There Is nothing al all about the ship
which diEapICints her. She had ex-
pected 70 find something quite differ
ent, though she could not have told
what She drops the lOcket, chan