Connecticut western news., 1900-11-01
MARRIED EYES,. HOW
 SWEET THEY BE"


 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. It 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.
 "I can guess. It's letter from Un- cle Donald. A checkT
 Once In awhile, at Christmas always, 2 letter lnclosing 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 increas- ing family, hailed the advent of each lnclosure with gratitude and elation.
 No. It's letter from Donald, but there's no check" He looked across at his best loved and eldest child with e 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 busied at the kitchen stove until the remainder of her family had eaten. Between Deronda and her fla ther a noisy and voracious young brood intervened, 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 itr
 The tidings came out in rush. "If you will go to New York for a visit, the check will follow your letter of ac- ceptance. Therew
 Deronda was the healthiest girl in town, but for the moment she felt posi- lively weak. She set down the pitcher. The children clamored unheeded.
 "Oh! she gasped. 'I must tell motherw
 Then she was gone, and the over worked man with the kindly face wait ed on the children himself.
 Those that followed were exciting days. The little, struggling, low rooms over the depot were the scene of many confabulations, much scheming, many glorious hopes, innumerable 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, sobriety 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 1t. the day that Agent 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 clung around her in an | adoring farewell, which was detrimen- tai to her finery If hattering to her sen- | sibility.
 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 fol the east was public property all along the line, and the men who had known her since she wore short dresses anG waved them a welcome when theil train went by were interested in thi, young bird flight of hers from the overfowing family nest.
 tentative whistle quivered on th' air.
 "Goodby, Deronda! Have a goot timer' Deronda's father gave her , hard squeeze of the hand. There wa, the peck of kiss between these tw, who loved each other so dearly.
 And the train was speeding east ward.
 An, that was a marvellous work into which Deronda went, a worl, where one wore dainty clothes iron dawn until dawn, a world where tn chief function of the women was t charm, that of the men to serve wit
 most exquisite courtesy. And the mee' of admiration she received when he
 western dresses had been discarde,
 for beautiful gowns was new to hel
 Very sweet 1t was too. To be sure
 she had known what 1t was to hay | young men besiege her for dances an
 hang upon her words. But in one cas
 those who had given her tribute wer
 clumsy and rough handed countr.
 boys. The men to whom her late environment introduced her possesse, that indefinable air of breeding, of cul ture, of distinction which can be nei ther bought nor acquired. And sh found the melody of trained voices a the opera sweeter than the triple not of the meadow lark, the scent of hot house roses more delicious than tn
 perfume of wild clover.
 And so, too, she discovered entrance
 ment in the homage of Eldred Wiel
 Not that in his case there was the poi
 sibility of comparison. She had neve | t1s trA Ah~ tnrn rSR he