The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-11-24

/ don't know what be about" she re-
marked, as she locked the door Of the
/ Blue house and hid the key under the
mat Should a barge come-well, it
must manage somehow! Barges were
never 10 a hurry. She had come to a
momentous decision. She was going
to inquire after "her little gentleman"
Whether he was i'll or gone for a holi-
day, or was merely forgetful she would
find out and end this dreadful suspense.
She was a very simple-minded woman,
but in her heart Of hearts she felt
little sore with the grand vizier, for
she had a notion that he was by no
means ignorant of what these Sunday
visits meant TO her.
81 believe ed ave come afore this
if ed "a been let. a be that meek
'eaTted a wouldn't 'urt a vloi, let alone
u oman" she said 10 herself with a
half sob. She was convinced that her
sultan could not forget so utterly the
humbest of his slaves. So she put
on her best clothes and tight elastic
sided boots, with lots of little white but
tons adorning the fronts.
At the Blue house, Dorcas was never
either self-conscious or shy; but when
she reached her sulian's palace, having
timidly pushed open the drive gate, she
became aware that the new boots
creaked horribly, and that perspiration
was dropping from her eyebrows into
her eyes. Having mopped her face,
and generally pulled herself together,
she managed TO reach the front door,
though her knees trembled and her
heart 1uttered like a Gagged bird.
Never was such a noisy belll It
changed and echoed in most alarming
fashion; she wished that the stone
steps would open and swallow her up.
What would they think of her for dar-
ing to make such a clatter? Besides
and at the dreadful thought she nearly
cried out-of course she ought to have
gone TO the back door.
For full five minutes she stood on the
steps. listening 10 any sound inside
the house. but all was perfectly quiet.
She turned and went into the drive,
meaning TO go round 10 the back door.
when II occurred 90 her 10 look back az
the house: she had been far too nervous
TO do So as she came I'm. The lower win
dows were suffered. and all the blinds
were down.
They had gone. thcnl and st was
empty. "And they never didn't bring
i'm 90 say good-by TO me-"
Life's little tragedies generally hap
pen 20 the lonely. What IN full and
happy life ranks but as am episode be-
comes an epoch in the sad-colorcd days
OF lean monotony Dorcas wiped her
ewes more than once on her way home,
and wcpt heavily for many days. Eli
iah saw that she was fretiing. and
tried 20 distract her by news from
town and occasional suggestions that
she 90 over "and see sister law" in
an adjacent village; but beyond her
necessary journeys 10 town to buy such
stores as she could afford. Dorcas never
left home. She scrubbed the kitchen
table tin she grudged.t to sully its white
ness by so much as yellow bowl, and
she made herself a warm new winter
dress. but. for all her industry, the
time hung heavy on her hands, and she
never forgot her 'little gentleman"
The wet season was followed by an In
dian summer Of exceptional beauty.
"The spirit Of October, mild and boon,"
was I'm the air; the tottering Of Cottes-
void wall, which laid its wayward
length on the far side of the footway,
was covered by sprays Of crimson
blackberry, mingled with the fluffy
grayness Of "old mans beard" Dor
cas- no longer started hungrily down
the towing path on Sunday morning,
but she did not forget; and, in token
of her remembrance, the twenty-first
chapter of the Book Of Revelation was
marked i'm her Bible by little woolen
glove with a large hole in the thumb.
Her sultan had dropped it during his
last visit
The birds sang as though il were
spring. and Dorcas began to read aloud
to herself to keep her thoughts from
wandering. "And God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes" whispered
the kind Gloucestershire voice, when
suddenly. above the triumphant voices
of birds. above the soft wash Of the wa
ter among the yellowng reeds, rang
that clear sound for which the soul of
Dorcas had hungered so cruelty.
81 wonder if the lady at the Blue
house will know me again, dadY'
It seemed as though the grand vizier
had not been so greatly to blame after
all. He had been suddenly called away
10 the north Of Scotland. and although
he had left directions that before the
sultan and the household followed
him that potentate was to be taken TO
say good-by "to the lady at the Blue
house" although the sultan himself
had frequently suggested the propriety
of such a pilgrimage. his nurse had al
ways considered the roads too muddy.
81 thought. sir, as You was all gone
fur good and ALL" said Dorcas. with a
catch i'm her voice; "and were that
taken to never made no inquiries
On his way home the grand vizier
was rather silent. Once or twice he
made a queer little face. and at last
seemed to swallow something in his
throat. At last he quoted, but not to
the sultan: by heavens, ii is pitiful,
the bootless love Of women for children
in Vanity Fair" The rosy-faced child,
whohad been wondering why the usual
Sunday service of gingerbread had
- ...taA.l LOO n her enrnriSpd.