The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-08-07

1t was bright June morning. Miss
Dorothy, now a nice old lady of sixty,
was picking roses of the large old CHINA
mon Iose-bush at her back door. AL
though her face was not 80 youthful
looking as it was that afternoon when she
gathered May flowers with Robert Deane.
forty years before, yet it was still very
attractive, with its clear, kind eyes, Its
sweet mouth and just trace of the roses
that used to bloom 10 her checks. Per
haps it was partly her kindly face that
made all the children of Farmleigh love
Miss Dorothy-Aunt Dorothy, as they
called her-and no real aunt ever had
more regard and love than she did Her
Y !. Sc ;.s,,=.s set an -unhanny or -louelv one.
for 1t was so full of kindness and bless
ing to others that she was content.
A few years after Robert Deane had
gone from Framleigh, she had heard that
he had married rich Boston girl. Only
about a year after she had heard of his
death. While practicing at the hospital
he had taken some contagious disease.
That was all she knew about him. She
had never received word from him.
Although at first her heart had been very
bitter toward Robert, yet as time went
on her feelings had softened, and now
she thought of him In fond, tender way
as of one she had loved.
This morning as she was picking the
roses, little Tommy Chaplin, one OF her
most devoted cavaliers, came out of the
back door and said, 81 left left letter
on the table in the sitting-room for you,
Aunt Dorothy"
"Thank you, Tommy, don't you think
Eyour mother would like these roses'
They are about the last there'll be, guess
and II you'll come in l will give you one
OF my ginger cookies
SO Tommy followed Miss Dorothy In aud
she gave him a large round cooky out OF Z
stone jar which she always kept fun, ~
that she might have something to give
the children when they came to see her.
When he had gone, with large bunch
of roses 10 one hand and cooky done
up in brown paper in the other Miss
Dorothy went into the sitting room and
opened her letter and note enclosed In
the envelope She unfolded the note and
read;
SALEM, June, 1873.
Miss Dorothy Field In reftting the
boxes of this post Office it was necessary
to take down the high base boards be.
hind the receiving-box. There we found
this old letter directed to you. On as
certaining that you still lived in Franz
leigh we at once forward 1t.
Respectfully yours,
"Postmaster.
Then there was an envelope yellow
with age aud with postmark OF forty
years before. Miss Dorothy opened II
with trembling fingers and read;
SALEM, June, 1870
my Dear Dorothy Il have thought
about you a great deal since left Fran
leigh and now that nv mother Is better
must write you. could not bear to
come away without telling you that
loved you, although think you must
know it. never supposed that l could
care for any one as care for you. Now
dear Dorothy, II you return my love al
all let me know and will come to Franz
leigh. II you do not and cannot care
for me, do not pain yourself and me by
saying so, but don't write at all.
Hopefully yours,
Robert Deane,'
As poor Miss Dorothy read this mist
came over her eyes. This was the hard
est moment OF her life, harder than those
weary weeks of suspense. AS abe
thought OF Roberts weary, restless walt
ing of his heartache and sorrow, and OF
the sadness which had come into her own
life, " seemed to her that very cruel
fate had guided the course OF that letter
But Miss Dorothy's trusting heart could
not be bitter long. She believed that
somehow all things must be best as they
were, and after few quiet hours spent
alone she came out of her room with her
usual sunshiny manner. Then she went
out into the garden to pull some Of her
nice radishes to send to uuattI active old
Miss Dunn, whom she pitied very much,
for she firmly believed that she had new
er had lover Springfield Republican.