The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-02-10
Selert Storg,
DORIS HOLT'S VALENTINE
From All the Year Round.
CHAPTER l

Doris Holt was the orphan daughter of
an officer who had been the comrade and
bosom friend of Lady Glumglass' only
brother In days long past, Lady Glum-
glass who was then Nora O'Brien, had
spent the happiest hours when the two
friends came over to her Irish home, to de-
vote some of their leave to shooting and
fishing, and all the miscellaneous enjoy
ments which the large country house and
extensive estate afforded But that was
long ago. Captain Holt had married and
left the army; Nora became the wife of
Lord Glumglass, an excellent but elderly
man; and the old times and old associa-
tions were waxing dim.
But they were destined to be recalled by
trouble. Bobby O'Brien returned from
arduous foreign service, wounded and bro
ken in health and, with pathetic yearn-
ing for the happy past, went down to his
favorite sisters to die.
During his lingering illness-a peaceful
and, in spite of its ineffable sadness, almost
"a happy time-he longed to see his old
friend again; and Holt came to spend a
week with him at Lady Glumglass's.
1t was not only the dying brother and
the married sister who were greatly altered
since their last meeting together in Ireland.
Arthur Holt was also changed man. All
his old buoyancy of spirit was gone; the
ready wit, the pleasant complacency had
vanished; his figure was already bent, and
his face was careworn and anxious, with
an ever-present expression of regret. He
spoke but little of his wife, much of his
little daughter. When his visit had ended,
Nora and her brother had long talk about
him, in which she learned something of
the cause of this change.
Captain Holt had fallen in love with and
married very pretty girl, the beauty of a
fashionable town where he had been quar-
tered. For some time they lived appar-
emily happily enough, but illness robbed
Mrs Holt of much of her beauty, and she
imagined that it robbed her of more. The
devotion of chivalrous husband, and the
delight of little daughter, could not make
up in her mind for the loss of what she
valued more than either; she became fret
full and peevish, and at last her discomfort
developed into that curse of married life
a constant, hankering jealousy, For some
years the life of the high-souled gentleman
who had had the misfortune to marry her
had been a constant struggle and con-
slant pain.
"Nora, DEAR" said Bob, after relating
the history of his friends married life, sit
cuts me to the heart to see dear old Holt
looking so wretched. VIII you, for my
sake, do what you can for his happiness :?
Win you befriend his little girl2 We
ought not to have lost sight of them for so
long.
His sister promised with tears that she
would gladly do it for poor Arthur's own
sake, their dear old friend but now, after
her brothers request, it should be a sacred
duty.
Lady Glumglass was not of a nature to
let much time elapse before fulfilling such
an obligation; and when the first mourn
ing was over, she set about discharging it.
The first thing was to make friends with
the child, aud accordingly she wrote to
Captain Holt, asking for little Doris to be
allowed to come to and stay with her for
a while, to make acquaintance with her
own little girls. And having done this,
she felt more happiness in her heart than
had been there since the sad hour when
poor Bob had come back to her, that he
might end his days under her care.
The friendship thus begun was a source
of deep delight to three Of the persons
concerned-to Lady Glumglass, to Captain
Holt, and to little Doris. Mrs. Holt gave
expression to no feeling on the subject.
Time passed on. Lady Glumglass was
a widow; and when Doris was little over
fifteen, her father died Lady Glumglass
now saw an opportunity of fulfilling her
brother, request, serving her dead friend,
and gratifying her own affection for his
daughter; and in the settlement of affairs
after Hollis death she offered to adopt the
child, an offer the more justified as the
mother was by no means well off, and had
never exhibited any great affection for her.
The offer was not very graeiously declined,
but the visits were allowed to extend to
such period that great part of Doris S
later education was acquired with the chill
dren of her friend. Mrs Holt had re-
solved that for some time at least her
daughter should be a governess; and with
a crotchety desire for an independence,
which would entail no inconvenience on
herself, she would not oblige her beuefac-
trcss by accepting further favor than her
interest in securing a good engagement.
So Lady Glumglass, accepting the inevita-
Bile, was intent on finding very good sit