The Somerset reporter., 1900-09-20
-" MARRIED EYES. HOW
SWEET THEY Be. p"

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"Now's your chance. Derondap 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 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
Il can guess. It's letter from I'm
Gle Donald A eheck?"
Once in awhile, at Christmas always,
letter inclosing a 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 ncreas-
ing family, hailed the advent of each
Enclosure with gratitude and elation.
Mo. It's a letter from Donald, but
there's no check" He looked across
at his best loved and eldest child with
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
eaten. Between Deronda and her ia
Their noisy and yoracious 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 itY'
The tidings came out in a rush. IF
you will go to New York for a visit,
the check will follow your letter of &C.
ceptance Therep'
town. but for the moment she felt posi-
lively weak She set down the pitcher.
The children clamored unheeded.
"Oh" she gasped. 81 must tell
motherr'
Then she was gone. and the over
worked man with the kindly face wait
ed on the children himself.
hof fnI
days. The little, struggling. low rooms
over the depot were the scene of many
combinations. much scheming. many
glorious hopes, innumerable pleasant
prophecies. 'Ronda, as the children
called her. was going away-away into
some vast and mystic faryland 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, sobriety of hys-
terical anticipation. That was the day
Derondas trunk stood labeled and
corded on the platform. the day Deron-
da's self, freshly and becomingly garb-
ed. stood beside 1t. the day that Agent
Bertram and Mrs. Bertram and all
the numerous young Bertrams listened
for the 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 detrimen-
tai to her fnery If flatterlng to her SEN
sibility.
Then the iron beast was upon them.
A 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
sher since she wore short dresses and
waved them welcome when their
train went by were interested In this
young bird flight Of hers from the
overlooking family nest
A tentative whistle quivered on the
air.
"Goodby. Derondal Have good
timer Deronda's father gave her a
hard squeeze Of the hand. There was
the peck Of a kiss between these two
who loved each other 30 dearly.
And the train was speeding east
ward.
All, that was marvellous world
into which Deronda went, world
where one wore dainty clothes from
dawn until dawn, q world where the
chief function of the women was to
charm, that Of the men to serve with