Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-01-27
DORA.

DORA.
The night after his stepfather,
Squire Halstead, whipped Harold
Robllng for a thing he had not done,
Harold ran away. But | thought as
much of Harold as one human being
could think of another, and knew
he was wronged, and felt that Mrs.
Robling had done a terrible thing
when she took Squire Halstead for
her second husband, and let him rule
her, spend her money, and illtreat
her handsome boy.
| had my share of it, too, for while
Mr.. Robling lived, and while she
was widow, | was like a daughter
of the house. But no sooner had
she come back from her honeymoon
trip than all was altered. The
squire looked at me coldly, and |
heard him ask Mrs. Halstead who |
was.
"Her mother died when she was
born" Mrs. Halstead said, land |
took the baby to my nursery, where
Harold lay in his cradle"
More fool you, my dear" said the
squire.
1.-THE Father went away and was
lost at sea-so they said-and |
kept the child"
"You must remember that she
will need to earn her bread" said the
squire. "She is not a lady. Let the
servants keep her in their part of the
house and teach her her duties as
waitress"
"Oh, Mr.. Halstead, ! cannot do
that cried the bride.
my dear, | am master now," said
her new husband.
The poor lady was helpless. She
had no longer any control of her
own money. was but six years
old, Harold was the same age, and
terrible life we had of it. was
very well used in the kitchen, but
| felt cast down and degraded. |
wore big check aprons that covered
me from head to foot instead of my
pretty muslin and silk attire. was
delicate, and waiting is hard work
when your wrists are slim.
Mrs. Halstead 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
teacher, but he called her little
goose, and she fancied 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 him
self.
THAT'S right, Master Harold"
cook would whisper. ats a good
deed you are doing. God spare you.
| was never taught to rade meself
on account of an evil minded step
father and 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 /
was too small to carry dishes; but
the cruel squire would have me come
in to make sure he was obeyed
Mrs. Halstead really felt badly
over it, | know. But two girls
came soon, and then a little 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 garden path in the gray morn
ing light, and / with him, choking
down my sobs. For now the only
being loved was going away from
me, perhaps forever.
1t was only five 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 till we got out of hear
ing 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" said Harold.
mo man with his limbs and senses
need starve, and I mean to make
my fortune. But | had rather work
in the trenches for my daily bread
than live in Squire Halstead's house,
and with mother he has bewitch-
ed into doing what he wishes, what