The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-01-29
t A PRAIRIE QUEEN /
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MOW'S your chance. Deronda!"
IN 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 surprise for him,
and an opportunity for Deronda.
II can guess. It's letter from
Uncle Donald. A check?-
Once in awhile. at Christmas al
ways, a letter inclosing check ar
rived from Donald Bertram, of New
York. And his brother. who found his
petty salary as station master of the
Insignificant Nebraska town quite in
commensurate with the needs of
large and increasing family. hailed the
advent of each Enclosure with graft
tude and citation.
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 welcome check had ever sum
moned. 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
father a noisy and voracious young
brood intervened-eight or ten OF
them. Deronda was kept busy attend
ing to their needs. She and her moth
er did" for the rest. They ate as
their portion whatever was left. And
neither 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.
"Fatherl It's good newsl Keep
still. Floral What is it?'
The tidings came out in a rush. "If
you will go to New York for visit
the check will follow your letter of ac-
ceptance. rhere!"
Deronda was the healthiest girl in
town. but for the moment she felt
positively weak. She set down the
pitcher. The children clamored I'M
needed.
"Ol" she gasped, IT must tell moth
er!"
! Then she was gone, and the over
worked man with the kindly face
waited on the children himself.
Those that followed were exciting
days. The little, struggling, low
rooms over the depot were the scene
of many combinations, much schem-
ing, many glorious hopes, innumerable
pleasant prophecies. 'Ronda, as the
children called her, was going away
away into some vast and mystic fairy
land, which their vivid imaginations
merged in the triple ecstasy of Yule-
tide, Heaven and the Fourth of July.
But one day order was born of con-
fusion-sobriety of hysterical antici-
patton. That was the day Deronda's
trunk stood labeled and corded on the
platform-the day Deronda's self
freshly and becomingly CARRIED, stood
beside it. The day that Agent Bert
ram, 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 detri-
mental to her fnery il fiattering to
her sensibility.
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 look
ing back to see that the agents pretty
daughter got on safely before he pulled
the throttle. The brakeman stood ir-
resolute. The conductor loitered 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
welcome when their train went by
were interested in this young bird
fight of hers from the overlooking
family nest.
A tentative whistle quivered in the
air.
"Good-by. Derondal Have good
timel" Derond's father gave her hard
squeeze of the hand. There wasthe peck