Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-12-21
MARRIED EYES. HOW
SWEET THEY BIZ"

NOW YOUR chance, DefOnua! Crleu
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 surprise
for him and an opportunity for De-
ronda.
81 can guess. It's letter from I'm.
Gle Donald. A check2"
Once In awhile, at Christmas always,
q letter inclosing check arrived from
Donald Bertram OF New York And
his brother, who found his petty salary
az station master of the Insignificant
Nebraska town quite incommensurate
with the needs of n large and increas-
Ing family, hailed the advent OF each
Enclosure with gratitude and elation.
mo. It's letter from Donald, but
there's no check" lie looked across
at his best loved and eldest child with
Il 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 busled ut the kitchen stove
until the remainder of her family had
euten. Between Deronda and her ia
ther 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 domestlcity. But
now DerOnda paused In her task of
pouring out the numerous cups Of milk
"Father It's good newsl Keep still,
Floral What IL It2"
The tldings came out In a 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. II must tell
motherp
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
contributions. much schemlng 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 lmaginations merged In the
triple ecstasy OF Yuletide, heaven and
the Fourth Of July. But one day order
was born Of confusion. sobrlety 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 bccomlngly garb-
ed, stood beside It, the day that Agent
Bertram and Mrs. Bcrtram and all
the numerous young Bertrams listened
for the whistle OF the train ut 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 nm
adoring farewell which was detrimcn-
tai to her hncry II hattcring TO her son.
sibility.
Then the iron beast was upon them.
A few passengers alightcd Some cx-
4 a 81
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 lrresolutc. The conductor loiter-
ed along, dcfcrring the signal to start
because the departure OF Derondn 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 welcome when their
train went by were Interested In this
young bird flight of hers from the
overfiowing family nest.
A tentative whistle qulvercd on the
air.
"Goodby Deronda! Have a good
time" Deronda's father gave her
hard squeeze Of the hand. There was
the peck OF kiss between these two
who loved cnch other 80 dearly
And the train was speeding cnst.
ward
All, that was marvellous world
into which DerOnda went world
where one wore dainty clothes from
dawn until dawn, 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 II was too. To be sure,
she had known what II 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
boys, The men 10 whom her later
environment introduced her possessed
that indehnable air OF breeding, Of cul-
ture, OF distinction which can be mel
Their bought nor acquired. And she
found the melody Of trained voices ut
the opera sweeter than the triple note
Of the meadow lark, the scent Of hot
house roses more delicious than the
perfume Of wild clover
And 30, too, she discovered entrance
ment In the homage Of Eldred Wler.
Not that IN his case there was the pos
aibility Of comparison. She had never
been touched by tho attentions OF her
former acqualntances. There had not
been one who attracted her When