Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-03-09

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=. t.:nxj" late So WI7 s~atci
H. D., i...n il i'i,. i .a!5. -piuinnE
IL ii l',uar> road iitp wh%t ;eas
e. lI.r a. II Sun};ll cJuatfy.
D.ruthy wao very ti.sd. and WAS
thankful to reach the house and be
handed over TO the housekceper
Very soon she was fast asleep in an
Oldfashioned oak-pancled room that
would have seemed ghostly to her.
only that she was too fatigucd to
take much heed Of her surroundings.
and. besides, her maid WAS in the
,lressin. roon, and within call.
The next morning Dorothy was
down and was shown into Il bright
little morning room. Mr.. Lambert
met her, and was SO kind and anxious
to make her happy and at home that
she very soon found herself talking
to him as ii she had known him for
years. instead of his being an ac-
quaintance OF few hours ouly. She
Was rather an unconventional little
person. and by no means stiff or cold
She had warm hearted Irish manners,
and looked at the world in truotful
way, believing people and trusting
Ill them firmly. unless she found that
they We're not to be depended Oh,
instead of proving before trusting.
rs coid-natured and. perhaps, wiser
folks do. She had been brou sht up
by an old uncle, for whom her elder
sister kept house. Taty had no
brothers, and then parents had both
died years before. Mrs. Newton WAS
their mothers sister i'll law, bnt Ecr
hu-band had qunrrclel with tie
girls uncle and guardian, Mr. Nay
ton; So 1t WIS not iii after he death
Of the latter that DDro!hy aud her
sister had been allowed to 20 to
Prlarton. Now. however, they hoped
TO spend S1od deal OF time there;
but this WAS Do. hy's lirst visit
Mary Nayton. her sister. WAS about
twenty seven, and exceedingly sens
ible and placid; but she took things
SO quietly that Dorothy WIS always
allowed to 80 her own way and do
whatever she liked; consequently, at
twenty three, she had learned TO
think and act for herself. and, as her
nature waS impulsive and warm
hearted, she indulged i'll u great
many theories of her OWN. hated con
ventIonalities, believed firmly in
Platonic friendship and not unfre-
quently got into trouble in conse-
quence.
1t very soon struck Hugh Lambert
| that she was different from most of
the girls lie had met. and she inter
ested him accordingly.
Ii was with 4 feeinS OF relief that
lie found the road would be impass-
able for some days; SO he wrote to
Mrs. Newton, begging her to let
Dorothy remain with him, instead of
returning home. and asked an elderly
cousin who lived few stations off to
come and act as chaperon.
The old lady accepted the invita-
ton and the post allotted to her; but
as sne was great invalid, Dorothy
and Hugh We're constantly left alone
together. He liked to sit in the dusk
and hear her sweet voice singing to
him. to watch her arranging flowers,
and to consult her about the garden.
The girl felt supremely happy he
was 50 KIND to her, such an agreeable
companion in every way. that she
thoroughly enjoyed his society.
A fortnight went by, and the road
was pronounced perfectly safe; even
the floods had subsidized. 81 Hugh
had no excuse for OBTAINING his fair
guest longer; and, though very re-
luctant to part with her, he drove her
over to Priarton.
She was standing in the hall as he
left that night, after dinner, and
held out her hand to say good-by.
Il can't thank you enough for all
your Kindness she said. softly.
Nay, my child. l cannot tell you
what pleasure it has been to me:
but perhaps you will know some day."
he replied; and she went up stairs
wondering what ho meant.
She believed SO firmly in Platonic
friendship that she would not let
herself think that her feeling toward
Hugh Lambert was anything else;
and, although she knew he disbe-
lieved in her theory in the abstract
for they had argued the subject very
warml y-still she thought that his
sentiments We're well defined in her
case
Hugh Lambert felt as if some
thing very bright had come into his
life since he had known Dorothy
She was So quaint and naive in
speech, new and fresh with her ideas
and theOries,so free and unaffected in |
manner, and yet so womanly withal, |
that during those few days they had |
spent together she had completely |
won his heart. But he was not like
ly to act on the spur of the moment:
he was so much older than she, how
sould he ever expect that bright little
body to regard him as anything but |
a steady going friend?
But still day after day, he would |
ride over to see her at Priarton, and |
when he returned would sit and |
think of how she used to look in the
rooms that now seem SO desolate |
How he longed in the evenings for |
the sound of her voice singing to
him The Land O the Leal," or
"Auld Robin Gray"
And Dorothy began to watch for
his coming, and if by chance some
thing detained him at home, how
long the day seemed and how unin
teresting everything was. At first
she justified it to herself by the
thought of her friendship for him-a
friendship which had ripened quickly
In the peculiar circumstances OF
their meeting; but little by little, as
time passed. and she had been at
Pri arton nearly three months, it
dawned upon the girl that the feel
ing she entertained for Hugh Lam
bert was something mora t.lan mere
friendship She fought against
herself with all the strength of her
nature; she could not bear to prove
false to her own theories and traitor
to her favorite; but finally she felt the
struggle was hopeless. and made I'D