The western recorder., 1898-04-14
CHAPTER XIx.-(Continued)

M remarked barbara. with an
other sniff, perhaps not But for all
that. Miss Dorothy-Maam, should
say-David Stevenson was a mean boy.
and l never could abide meanness in
man. woman nor child.v
He was most generous to me-"
said Dorothy. with sigh.
Yes. to serve his own ends" said
Barbara sharply. You may take such
generosity as that for me. Not that
was speaking OF that ma'am. for
wasn't. but Of the time when David
was boy-a horrid boy. who thought
nothing of stealing the best apples and
letting another take the blame OF It.
"oh, Barbara, Barbara cried Do
rothy. you've got hold OF wrong
story Why, know that once when
David stole some OF auntie's apples.
and young Tom Merriman got the
blame. David came and told auntie
himself"
Yes: and for why?" demanded Bar
bara, with uncompromising sternness.
Because l happened to have caught
the young limb at It and collared him
before he could get away. You are
stealing Mrs Dimsdale's apples. David
Stevenson said, laying hold OF him
suddenlike; and you stole them other
apples that Tom Merriman has been
sacked for And what's that to you.
you old sneak?' he asked. Sneak or
no sneak said I. you'll turn out your
pockets to me. my fine gentleman; and
you'll go straight up to the house and
Vnn11 I'm cd that N
you stole the apples last week. and
then you'll go and ask Tom Merri-
mans pardon for having let him lie
under your fault That l shan't.' says
he. Then says /. I Just walks you
right of to Miss Dimsdale, and she'll
see you with your pockets full. red
handed as you are. No. says /. It's no
use to struggle. I've got you safe by
the arms. and so mean to keep you.
whether you like 1t or not. And IL
once Miss Dimsdale knows the truth.
do you know what she'll do. David
Stevenson says |. No. says he.
sulkily. 'whatY She'll never stop to
think that you're David Stevenson OF
Holroyd.' says. but she'll just hand
you over to the constable at once, and
/ don't think, my young gentleman |
adds, that Tom Merriman having got
the sack to fill your inside with ILL
gotten goods. II help you with the
bench in the very least"
well. SO l suppose he gave in"
said Dorothy.
well, OF course. he had to- return
ed Barbara, with practical plainness:
but all the same. he never forgave me
for having been the one to get the bet
ter of him, and never forgot IL. not to
the very last day we were at the hall.
Ali Miss Dorothy. darling. II you had
thought proper to marry David Steven
son, you would have had to do with
out me. He never would have had me
about him. and wouldn't have taken
service under his roof-no, not to save
myself from ending my days in the
workhouse."
Barbara, Barbara" cried Dorothy
lchidingly. mot for mel"
well, II you had put 1t in that way.
Miss Dorothy, you might have got over
me-" the old woman answered.
But stay! l think ought to say
here that although l have called her
old in many parts Of this story. Bar
bara was not, and could not reason
ably be called an old woman in the
common acceptation of the word. She
was year or SO over fifty, and a very
strong. hale woman at that. and at this
time to Dorothy she was a very rock
and tower OF strength.
Well. by virtue of the letter from Es-
ther Brand and In the Joy and expecta-
tion of her coming, Dorothy passed
that day with quite light heart. and
even sat down to the little piano and
sang one or two OF the songs that Dick
liked best And then she went to bed
and slept, leaving the door open be-
tween her room and Barbara's for COM
pany, and she dreamed, as she always
did. about Dick.
Nor was II pleasant dream. She
saw Dick on board of large steamer.
wearing white clothes and a sailor hat.
looking very bronzed and happy. He
was leaning over the side of the ship,
with cigarette in his mouth. Just as
she had seen him many time. and
by his side there stood beautiful lady
not a girl like Dorothy herself but
beautiful woman of about thirty
years old. such as Dorothy fancied her
old friend at home. Lady Jane Sturt,
might have been at that age. They
seemed to be talking earnestly togeth-
er, and after a time-such long time
1t seemed In her dream-Dick took one
of the lady's hands and raised II to his
lips; then she laughed and said some
thing. and Dick caught her to him and
kissed her on the lips. Immediately
afterward, while Dorothy. with frozen
lips. was gazing at them. Dick turned
his head and looked her full in the eyes
with the glance OF an utter stranger.