Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-05-19

their own mOJnefS cnllu, Salu Inoy
were glad he was gone. And only |
remembered him, think, very long.
A weak woman was Mrs. Halsted,
and her husband had got her under
| his power. The way no managed
her has always made me think that
there must be something in magne-
tiem or hypnotism. She seemed TO
have lost her sense' or to have grown
mentally blind, and he lead her where
he would.
just about time fell very i'll and
when / grew better the squire, know
ing / was good at my needle, made
seamstress of me. was ashamed TO
say why, but it was because | looked
rather stylish and was called pretty
and so many questions were asked
about me by guests. AS seamstress
| could stay in my upper room and
work. / was so thankful for the
change. Now 1 could read little
and be more to myself. l made the
fnery for the yosng 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 that it was shame that such
an elegant woman should live as |
did. But thanked him and declined
his offer. was not unhappy now,
except that pinned for news of Har-
old. for in all these years no word
| had come from him-nOne Of those
letters he had promised.
felt sure he was not dead and it
was very natural that he should for
! get to write, but my heart had no
rest. He was 26 years old by this
time and in all that time much might
have happened.
My pillow was often wet with tears
from thoughts of him-fancies of
what he had suffered and longed to
meet him, or only sec him from afar
but once again.
At last news came. Mrs. Halsted
came running to my room wild with
joy.
"News of my boy" she said, hold
ing a letter toward me.
IL thought you had forgotten all
about him, madame, said.
was sorry the next moment, for
! she burst into tears and faltered
through hor sobs:
You don't know what it is to be
the wife of man who dominates
your will! have never forgotten or
ceased to regret other things" Then
she wiped her eyes and said: "But,
as far as Harold goes, it is all over.
He has written TO me. He is rich
really rich. He has made fortune
in California, and he is coming home
to see me. He is in New York and
will be here tomorrow. The squire
is pleased; the girls are wild to see
him; his little brother is delighted.
She ran out OF the room again,
looking young and happy, and l sat
down to my machine, swallowing a
great lump that had risen in my
! throat.
He had not written to me. Well,
I was only servant, and he was a
rich man now. They were rejoicing
in his coming for that reason-the
squire and his children. He was a
|
Harold Robling who went away.
II expect he will give us lots of
presents" heard one of the girls
say. 'An older brother who is rich
is great thing to have We must
pet him and make him good-natured. ="
"Oh, yes" said the other. when
girls have as stlngy a father as we
have a generous elder brother is a
godsend.
And I-oh! If he returned in rags,
begging his bread, / should have well
coined him. / cared for him, not for
his money. And il he had returned
poor it was to whom he would have
written. | knew well. But | tried to
put the selfish thoughts away and re-
ioice for his sake that he had pros
pered even if he had forgotten his
little sister Dora.
The morrow came. AS l sat at my
machine l heard the sounds below
that told he had arrived. / heard his
mother cry out and the squire say
heartily, Welcome home. my boyr'
and his sisters squeal and giggle after
way they had. Then the great
drawing room doors were closed shut
ting me out.
l, who loved him so dearly, went
back to my room alone, uncared for,
wretched! l felt as though my heart
would break. could no longer keep
back my tears. Half an hour passed
then some one came to the door-a
servant--who told me that l was
wanted in the parlor.
Trembling, quivering, feeling as |
had never felt before, l obeyed the
summons. l opened the drawing
room door.
The squire stood before the fire.
important as usual, one hand in the
breast of his coat, the other wav-
ing toward me as he uttered these
words:
Dora | have sent for you because
Master Harold has returned and
wishes to meet a faithful servant Of
the family"
But before tho words were out OF his
mouth Harold, handsomer and larger,