St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-09-12
MARRIED EYES.

the agents hearty voice
When he had carried the mail bag.
up from the depot, he had waited unit
their contents were distributed. Thai
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.
Il can guess. It's a letter from I'm
Gle Donald. A check"
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 increas-
ing family, hailed the advent of each
Enclosure with gratitude and elation.
No It's a letter from Donald, but
there's no check" He looked across
at his best loved and eldest child with
GAL4IC III ulCI ludu even LuG wei
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 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 itY'
The tidings came out in rush. "If
you will 90 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. Il must tell
mother"
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 We're the scene Of many
contradictions 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, sobrety 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 it, 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 {
and chung around her in an ;
ldoring farewell, which was detrimen-
al to her fnery if flattering to her SEN
;ibility.
Then the iron beast was upon them. {
A few passengers alighted Some ex- {
press packages were handed off. These !
he agent mechanically received. Then
Deronda's foot was on the first step
)f the Pullman. The engineer was
cooking 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
Inc 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 I
train went by were interested in this
young bird fight of hers from the /
oVerflowing family nest.
A tentative whistle quivered on the /
air. /
"Goodby, Deronda! Have good @
time" Deronda's father gave her e
hard squeeze Of the hand There was /
The peck OF kiss between these two S
who loved each other so dearly.
And the train was speeding east 7
ward. !
All, that was a 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 9
charm, that of the men to serve with /
most exquisite courtesy. And the need c
Of admiration she received when her t
western dresses had been discarded g
for beautiful gowns was new to her /
Very sweet it was too. TO be sure G
she had known what it was to have /
young men besege her for dances and o
hang upon her words. But in one case /
those who had given her tribute were l.
clumsy and rough handed country Q
boys, The men to whom her later c
environment introduced her possessed
mat indehnable air of breeding, of cul-