The Bessemer indicator., 1893-05-27
DORA.

DORA.
Tho night after his stepfather.
Squire Halsted, whipped Harold
Robling for thing he had not done,
Harold ran away. No one knew 1t
but l. and l was nobody. But l
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 ill-use her handsome
boy.
had my share OF 1t, too, for while
MIR. Robling lived and while she was
widow was like daughter OF tho
house. But no sooner had she come
back from her honeymoon than all
that 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, and | took
the baby to my own nursery. whero
olu Vi
"More fool you, my DEAR" said the
squire.
The father went away" said Mrs.
Halsted, land was lost at soa-so
they said-and kept tho little girl"
"You must remember that she will
need to earn her own bread" said the
squire. "She is not lady. Lot the
servants keep her in their part of the
house and teach her her duties as
waitress"
.'Oh, Mr.. Halsted." cried the bride,
81 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 a terrible life we
had of it. | was very we'll used in
tho kitchen, but fo;t cast down and
degraded. wore big crash aprons
tina. 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. Halstcd did all she could for
me. j used to hear her pleading
with the squire to let her send mo to
boarding-school to learn to be a
teacher, but he called her "a little
goose" and she fancicd him very
wise.
But for Harold should never have
known anything, as after school he
used to come to me and teach mc
what he had learned himself
Cook would whisper:
"That's right, Master Harold. It's
n good deed you are doing. God spare
you was never taught to rade
mcself on account OF an evil-minded
stepfather iv me own that put me to
sarvicc 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
tho cruel squire would have me come
in to make sure that he was obeyed.
Mrs. Halsted really felt bad about
it, know. Da. two little girls came
soon and then little boy. and soon
she cared nothing for her own splen-
did boy, and why should she care for
mep
But am wandering away from tho
morning when Herold Robling, Just
eighteen that day, walked down the
garden path in the gray morning
light md with him, choking down
my sobs. For now tho one being
loved was going away from me, per.
haps forever.
1t was only five o'clock and no one
was up. The grass was wet with
dew and there were only few pink
streaks in the sky to tell that day
was coming. Wo 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 20 friends-alone in
the world?"
MANY young fellow has done
the same sort of thing" Harold said.
"No man with limbs and senses need
to starvc, and 1 mean to make my
fortune But I'd rather work in the
trenches for my daily bread than to
live in Squire Halstcd's house, and
with mother he has bewitchel into
doing what he wishes. whatever it
may be, 1t was crime to make
servant of you, little sister. But re-
member, the moment I have power
in my hands all that shall be altered.
/ will write you, and you shall know
just how get on"
But now he had got to the wharf
tt~horn ho IN fnl
boat to New York. and / was obliged
to leave him. for he did not want tho
squire to find out what ho had done
until ho was fairly out of reach, and
then he put his arms about my waist
and kissed nc.
"Good-by, little sister," he said.
good-by Dora. my pet Keep up
good heart and never forget to an
swer my letters" And he was off,
and ! went nome Weeping as though
my heart would break.
There was terrible time at tho
house when they found out he had
gono, and tho squire sworo he would
mover 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 ho was gone. And only !
remembered him, think. very long.
A weak woman was Mrs. Halsted,
and her husband had got her under
his power. Tho way he managed
her has always made me think that
there must be something in magne-
tism or hypnotism. She seemed to
have lost her senses or to have grown
mentally blind. and he lead her where
he would.