Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-05-14
DORA.

thing he had not done, Harold ran away.
No one knew it but l, and was nobody
But l thought as much of Harold as ever
n human being could think of another
And / knew that he was wronged, and l
felt that MrS. Robling had done dread
full thing when she took Squire Halsted
for her second husband, and let him rule
her, take possession of her money, and
i'll use her handsome boy.
had had my share of it too, for while
Mr.. Eobling lived, and while she was
widow / was like daughter of the
house. But no sooner had she come back
from her honeymoon trip than all that
was altered. The squire looked at me
coldly, and l heard him ask Mrs Hal
sted who l was.
"Her mother died when she was born, !"
Mrs. Halsted said, s'and took the baby
to my own nursery, where Harold lay in
the cradle"
''More fool you, my dear" said the
squire
''The father went away" said Mrs.
Halsted, "and was lost at sea-so they
said-and kept the little girl"
'sYou must remember that she will
need to earn her own bread" said the
squire. 'sShe is not lady Let the
servants keep her in their part of the
house and teach her her duties as wait
ress.'
'.Oh, Mr.. Halsted" cried the bride,
II cannot do that"
"My DEAR" said Mr. Halsted, 81 am
master here"
The poor lady was helpless. She had
no longer any control of her own money.
| was six years old, Harold the same
! age, and terrible life we had had of it.
| was very well used in the kitchen, but
| felt cast down and degraded l wore
big crash aprons that covered me from
head to foot, instead of my pretty mus
lin and silk dresses. was delicate, and
waiting is hard work when your wrists
are slender.
Mrs. Halsted did all she could for me.
| used to hear her pleading with the
squire to let her send me to boarding
school to learn to be a teacher, but he
called her a 'slittle goose" and she fan
cied him very wise.
But for Harold | should never have
known anything, as after school he used
to come to me and teach me what he
had learned himself.
Cook would whisper:
"That's right, Master Harold. It's
good deed you are doing. God spare
you. was never taught to rade me-
self, on account of an evil minded step
father iv me own that put me to sarvice
before could get schoolin', an / know
the loss"
And not q servant but would have
waited in my place, for they said l was
too small to carry dishes; but the cruel
squire would have me come in to make
sure that he was obeyed
Mrs. Halstead really felt badly about
it, know. But two little girls came
soon, and then little boy, and soon she
cared nothing for her own splendid boy,
and why should she care for me?
But | am wandering away from the
morning when Harold Robling, just
eighteen that day, walked down the gar
den path in the gray morning light, and
with him, choking down my sobs. For
now the one being | loved was going
away from me, perhaps forever
1t was only 8 o'clock, and no one
was up. The grass was wet with dew,
and there were only a few pink streaks
in the sky to tell that day was coming.
We did not dare to speak until we got
out of hearing of the house, but then
said:
"Oh, Harold, what will you do with
no money and no friends-alone in the
world?'
"Many young fellow has done the
same sort of thing" Harold said. "No
man with his limbs and senses need to
starve, and mean to make my fortune.
But I'd rather work in the trenches for
my daily bread than to live in Squire
Halstead's house, and with mother he
has bewitched into doing what he wishes,
whatever it may be. 1t was crime to
make servant of you, little sister. But
remember, the moment have power in
my hands all that shall be altered.
will write to you, and you shall know
just how get on.
But now we had got to the wharf
where he was to take a little market
boat to New York, and was obliged to
leave him, for he did not want the
squire to find out what he had done un-
til he was fairly out Of reach, and then
he put his arm about my waist and
kissed me.
"Goodby, little sister" he said, ssgood-
by, Dora, my pet. Keep up good heart
and never forget to answer my letters"
And he was off, and went home weep
ing as though my heart would break.
There was a terrible time at the house
when they found he was gone, and the
squire swore he should never enter his
doors again. But the squire's daughters,
who hated Harold as their father did,
though he was their own mothers child,
said they were glad he was gone. And
only | remembered him, I think, very
long. A weak woman was Mrs. Halsted,
and her husband had got her under his
power. The way he managed her has
always made me think that there must
be something in magnetism or hypno-
tism. She seemed to have lost her senses
or to have grown mentally blind, and he
led her where he would.
Just about this time l fell very Ill,
and when | grew better the squire,
knowing was good at my needle, made
q seamstress of me. | was ashamed to-
say why, but it is because looked rather
stylish and was called pretty, and SO
many questions were asked me by
guests. AS g seamstress could stay in
my upper room and work. / was so
thankful for the change. Now could
read a little and be meSe to myself. /
made the finery for the young ladies Of
the family, and no one troubled me.
Once, indeed, rich old gentleman,
having somehow got my story from
good old cook, sought me out and made
me proposition of marriage, saying it
was shame that such an elegant woman
should live as / did. But thanked him
and declined his offer. l was not un-
happy now, except that pined for news
of Harold, for in all these years no word
had come from him--none Of those let
ters.he had promised
/ felt sure he was not dead. and 1t was