The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-07-23

ham with champagne sauce, u Balaa,
coffee. sweets-all these things MI. Fol-
lott enjoyed because, In their way,
they were perfect And he was just
culling out a few monster strawber-
ries from among their green leaves
when . footstep sounded on the YER
anda.
He looked quickly up. IA tall child
Of 10 stood there, her face flushed, her
hair disheveled and her. thick boots
powdered over withlthe fineS dust Of the
roads. Vi s,ss n s.! IS 5s,l33 W. 3tl.,
= am so hungry" burst inyoluntar-
lily from her lips. Cant ! have one q
those cakes ~ 81 7. u, ss,s Y.
NJ. Folliott frovned and SHOOK So !: ii.
head. s. y. 'ss 's!s5i MI 5H
III ycu ares beggar,' he said, ''you'
had better go around to the back door.
Mrs. Hartford VIII give you something.
dare say" w 81. - n fsss. 4. ~
The child blushed deeply and drew
herself up. with something Of uncon-
;sciotis dignity. ! Sd, sstsss.5S ss
Tim hota beggar,' ';she said. Cant
9 girl be hungry without. being beg
gar I, SnYs come a., i 4. e 3 look Tor
That's my name. = said the old gen j. !
tienan. q little suspiciously.
Then, she said. composedly, ~
have come here to be.your little giri.
] am Oracle Bellaire. = NY papa vas
Colonel Bruce Bellaire, and when ihs
died he said that You would take care
Of me. Here are his letters. And, now.
please. let them give me something to
eat" t'.l' + Y
And this was the way in which
Grace Bellaire came to the house, Of
her fathers distant u kinsman, Paul
Folliott. $5ais b s
She was pretty child, when the.
dust was washed ont of her dimples
and the shining brown curls were
brushed into something like shape. She
had Bruce Bellaire's large, dreamy eyes
and exquisite Greek profile, and Mr.
Folliott. even while he experienced
thrill Of CONSERVATION at this new
charge. felt his, heart warm toward
her.
my dear" said he, .you are nice
little girl, but what can lido with you 2"
Il could stay here and play, couldn't
u" said Oracle. innocently.
"But there Is something else In the
world for little girls to do besides play
Ing" said Mr.. Folliott and 90 he took.
counsel with good Mrs. Hanford, his
housekeeper. s.Ss
Dear heart. sir" said that kindly
parsonage. sit seems to me plain
enough. Why don't you send her, to
Mrs. John Folliott? Don't you remem-3
Der last summer, when she was here
and you helped her out with the debts
that troubled her 30 badly, she declared
she would do anything IN! the world to
show her gratitude? And she's got
daughters Of her own, hasn't she? Who
Is there in all the world that could
bring Miss Oracle up better than she?'''
Mrs. Hanford, you are genius
said Mr.. Folliott. why on earth
didn't think Of that myself?n
Mrs. John Folliott came to the
Grange at oncea portly, smiling ma
tron.
1.-THE darling" she cried, enthusias-
tically embracing Oracle, who looked
rather awed at the sight Of so much
,splendor, II shall love her as dearly as
II she were my own! Poor, dear Cousin
Bruce! How we'll remember him!
You sweet one, You are the very, pic
ture Of your papa!'
So Mrs. John Folliott. greatly re-
joicing, returned to the brown-stone
house In New York, whose rent was
unpaid, and to the daughters, whose
expensive dresses were yet written nm
on the wrong side Of Mile. surlitor's
books. 5 # !, ~
IT'S positively providential," said
Mrs. Folliott "A thousand dollars q
year clearly added to our incomey.
But there ID. that great awkward
child to bring up. " said Madalena Fol-,
lott handsome brunette, who had
Just made her debut In society.
"Oh, that does not signify" said the
serene matron. Her cost viii be ab-
solutely nothing" q!
And 30, In the course Of few weeks.
Oracle Bellaire found herself settling
down to the position Of lady's maid 10
the three Misses Folliott. She sewed
the buttons on Madalena's boots. she
ran out on rainy days, when the very
chambermaid objected On account of
the weather, to match shades Of worst
ed and hloselle for Alicette, the second
daughter; she washed Florence's poo
die for her. and wept many q tear. 81
bitter modification the while. And
by degrees her shoes grew worn ana
rusty, her healthy young growth ont
stripped the limits Of her coarse serge
gowns. her bonnet and mantle became
20 shabby that she could not 70 ont
except under cover 81 the friendly
dusk. Once; driven to desperation. she
wore Tlorence's white chapeau and
soft seal Jacket. But she never re-
peated the experiment. Tor Mrs. Fol
Holt met her on the stairs, and. flashed
the light Of her great, black eyes upon
sher n 9 manner that VA truly appal-
ling, FAN