Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-08-31
MY HAROLD.

Harold ran away. No one knew it
but |, and | was nobody. But |
thought as much of Harold as ever
a human being could think of
another. And | knew that he was
wronged, and felt that Mrs. Robling
had done a dreadful 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.. Robling lived, and while
she was widow, was like a daugh-
ter of the house. But no sooner
had she come back from her honey
moon trip than all was altered.
The squire looked at me coldly, and
heard him ask Mrs. Halsted who |
was.
"Her mother died when she was
born,' Mrs. Halsted said, land
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, land was lost at sea
so they say and | kept the little
girl"
you must remember that she
will need to earn her own bread,
said the squire. 'She is not lady.
Let the servants keep her in their
part of the house, and teach her her
duties as waitress"
"Oh, Mr.. Halsted," cried the bride,
IL cannot do that
My DEAR said Mr.. Halsted. II
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 IA terrible
life we had of it, was very well
used in the kitchen, but | felt cast
down and degraded. wore big
aprons that covered me from head
to foot, instead of my pretty muslin
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 a boarding-school to learn to be
teacher. But he called her a
little goose" and she fancied him
very wise.
Butfor Harold Ishould never have
known any thing, 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. 1t
is good you are doing. God spare
you. ! was never taught to rade
myself, OH account of an evil-mind-
ed step-father iv me own that put
me to sarvice before | could get
schoolin'; an | know the loss"
And not 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 obey
ed.
Mrs. Halsted really felt badly
about it, | know. But two little
girls came soon, and then a 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 garden path in the gray morn
ing light, and with him, choking
down my sobs. For now the one
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 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 worldP"
MANY a young fellow has done
the same thing" Harold said. mo
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
live in Squire Halsted's house, and
with a mother he has bewitched
into doing what he wishes, what
auor Il .unu 10 IL uraa a ax.a.o L.