The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1893-07-08
LIFE WAS A BLANK.

"OS S"OiS III S<hACCCA4SO, Oul JIG
happy days when they ignored
everything else had been merged
into the past.
Her father had become of late al.
most invisible to her for days and
days. And his manner was so strange.
True, morning and night he would
kiss her and assure her that she
would be his ducky diamond for
ever and ever, but if she happened
to upset the fireirons or play at skip
ping rope in the hall or roll her mail
cart down the stairs he would dash
out of his study with his hands
clutching his hair and speak quite
angrily.
Sometimes, too, he would start up
from the breakfast table saying he
had got a situation, then rush off to
his study and perhaps not return till
she had gone out for her morning
walk with Jane.
What mystified Dorothy all the
more was that her mother didn't
to be disturbed in the least by
her fathers eccentricity, except oc.
casionally when Doddleums, who
was cutting another tooth, was more
than usually fractions, then, when
her father ventured to designate
Doddleums a signalling, nerve an
Initiating brat" her mother would
say reproachfully:
"Oh, George; the little pet can't
help it. Now, Dolly, dear, don't cry;
your father didn't mean it."
There was something strange, too,
about her mother. Frequently Dol
ly, on entering the sitting room un-
expectedly, found her pacing up
and down before the mirror, talk
ing very wildly, throwing her arms
about and at times crying. One day
Dolly heard her saying to herself
aloud, "Oh, it is hard to tear myself
away from my little ones" though
when she saw her little girl she, so
far from endeavoring to tear herself
away, took her on her knee and
promised her a rice pudding for din
ner if she wouldn't practice her
scales until papa had finished writ
ing.
Once again, too, she heard her
mother tell Aunt Kitty that she
would be glad to get back to the
boards, which made Dolly wonder if
her mamma contemplated turning
herself into a sandwich lady, though
she had never heard Of her being
connected with that profession.
Now, Dolly was of an inquirine
turn of mind, and though her pas
sion for investigation was not al
ways encouraged by those about hel
she determined at all hazards tc
solve the mystery of her parents al
tered demeanor, their p%reoccupied
manner, those consultations which
continued in whispers or enigmatical
sentences when she appeared and
their frequent and unexplained alb
sences from home.
One day, having been out all the
forenoon, after dinner they departed
in a hanson. They little knew thai
a tiny form in a long nightdress was
peeping through the half opened
window as they departed, that the
little n heard the direction to the
cabman. THE Corinthian theater-
sharpl"
They were going to the. theater, tt
that wonderful place they were al
ways talking about with which they
were somehow connected.
In a few minutes Dolly had changed
her nightgown for her frock, bel
warm hood, her cape and hat ant
had stolen very quietly out Of thu
street door.
After walking a long way and ask
ing a number of policemen, who fol
some al laughed as they direct
ed her, Dolly arrived at a vast build
ing like a palace, with a lot of beau
tiful lamps in front, a line Of car
riages outside, and a number Of tai
!. gentlemen in uniform opening tn
, carriage doors.
She felt she dared not 60 in tina
way-perhaps there was anothe
way in. She turned down a sid
street and saw a huge crowd at an
: other door, but gave up all hope o
entering there, until suddenly tn
I door opened, and in about 10 min
utes the crowd had entered.
t Then Dolly crept up some stair
and said to a gentleman who stOo'
at a sort of turnstile that didn't turn
IF you please, sir. l want to g
9 into the theater."
!, Fortunately Dolly had in her pocl
T let a dollar her Uncle Jack ha'
: given her that very morning, so afte
q great deal OF trouble she found Del
self seated upon leather covers
forms, among a lot of people, in
spacious, beautifully lighted build
, ing.
= Dolly began to gaze with deligh
on a beautiful picture right in front
. the largest she had ever seen, of
blue lake, with a white marble TEN
v pie in the center, with gentlemel
t lounging on the steps playing gul
tars to lovely ladies.
Then a gentleman in front rappe
/. with a stick, which he afterwar
waved about, and a band Of must