The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-09-28
MARRIED EYES, How
SWEET They Be.


"Now's your chance Derondar' cried
the agents hearty voice.
When he had carried the mail bags
up from the depot, he had waited until
their contents were distributed. That
was not a long time 1t never was
in Excelsior. And tonight the sacks
had not been of sufficient weight to
tax his strong shoulders. But out of
their lankness had come a surprise
for him and an opportunity for De-
ronda.
II can guess. It's q letter from Tn
Gle Donald. y check?"
Once in awhile, at Christmas always,
letter inclosing Il check arrived from
Donald Bertram of New York And
his brother, who found his petty salary
as station master of the insignificant
Nebraska town quite incommensurate
with the needs of large and increas-
ing family, hailed the advent of each
inclosure with gratitude and elation.
NO Its Il letter from Donald, but
there's no check" lie looked across
at his best loved and eldest child with
a smile brighter than even the well
come check had ever summoned.
Guess again
She looked at him from her opposite
end of the table where she presided,
her mother. in true western fashion,
still being busted at the kitchen stove
until the remainder of her family had
gotpr Iagt,1-nso OoropIo opl g,
ther a noisy and voracious young brood
interviewed. eight or ten of them. De
ronda was kept busy attending to their
needs. She and her mother did" for
the rest They ate as their portion
whatever was left and never dreamed
of complaining. Labor and service
were their ethics of domesticity But
now Deronda paused in her task of
pouring out the numerous cups of milk
Father! It's good news! Keep still,
Flora What is Il"
The t.3uss came out in rush If
you win go to New York for Il visit,
the check viii follow your letter of ac-
cepjaare. There"'
Deranda was the hcalthiest girl in
town. but for the moment she felt posi-
lively weak. She set down the pitcher
The children clamored unheedcd.
OH" she gasped Il must tell
mother"
Then she was gone, and tue over
worked man with the kindly face wait
ed on the children himself
Those that followed were exciting
days. The iittle. Struggling, low rooms
over the depot were The scene Of many
confabulationS, much scheming, many.
glorious hopes innumorahle pleasant
prophecies. 'ROnda. as the children
called her was going away-away into
some vast and mystic fairyland. which
their vivid imaginations merged in the
triple ecstasy Of Yuletide heaven and
the Fourth OF July. But one day order
was born of confusion. sobrety of hys-
terical anticipation, That was the day
Deronda's trunk stood labeled and
corded on the platform, the day Deron-
da's self freshly and becomingly garb-
ed. stood beside it. the day that Agent
Bertram and Mrs Bertram and all
the numerous young Bertrams listened
for tn" whistle of the train at the
depot eight miles west, hung around
her with growing excitement as the
black column of smoke came down
like the guide Of those fleeing from
Pharaoh and chung around her in an
adoring farewell. which was detrmen-
tai to her iinery if flattering to her SEN
sibiIity
Then the iron beast was upon them.
\ few passengers alighted Some ex-
press packages were handed off. These
the agent mechanically received Then
DerOnda's foot was on the first step
of the Pullman The engineer was
looking back to see that the agents
pretty daughter got on safely before
he pulled the throttle The brakeman
stood irresolute. The conductor loiter.
ed along. deferring the signal to start
because the departure of Deronda for
the east WAS public property all along
the line. and the men who had known
her since she wore short dresses and
waved them a welcome when their
train went by were Interested in this
young bird fight of hers from the
overlooking family nest.
A tentative whistle quivered on the
air.
"Goodby, Deronda! Have good
time" Deronda's father gave her a
hard squeeze of the hand There was
the peek of a kiss between these two
who loved each other so dearly
And the train was speeding east
ward
Ah. that was marvellous world
into which Deronda went world
where one wore dainty clothes from
dawn until dawn. a world where the
chief function of the women was to
charm, that Of the men to serve with
most exquisite courtesy And the need
of admiration she received when her
western dresses had been discarded
for beautiful gowns was new to her.
Very sweet It was too. To be sure,
she had known what it was to have
young men besiege her for dances and
hang upon her words. But in one case
those who had given her tribute were
clumsy and rough handed country
'lovs 'lo -a0~ ~ whom her later
umgnt introduced her pogscssed
u.. inGvAnab!e air of breeding
taga. Of diseiLet.au wEich c@a a.