The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-02-21

and | never could abide in
man, nor child"
He was most generous to me-
said Dorothy, with a sign.
Yes. to serve his own ends" said
Barbara sharply. "You may take such
generosity as that for me. Not that |
was speaking Of that ma'am, for l
wasn't. but OF the time when David
was a boy-a horrid boy, who thought
nothing of stealing the best apples and
letting another take the blame of it,
"Oh. Barbara, Barbarai" cried Do
rothy, you've got hold of a wrong
story. Why, know that once when
David stole some OF auntie's apples,
and young Tom Merriman got the
blame. David came and told auntie
himself"
yes; and for why?" demanded Bar
bara, with uncompromising sternness.
Because l happened to have caught
the young limb at it and co!lared him
before he could get away. You are
stealing Mrs. Dimsdale's apples, David
Stevenson | said. laying hold of him
suddenlike; and you stole them other
apples that Tom Merriman has been
sacked for And what's that to you.
o old sneak?' he asked. Sneak or
no sneak said /, you'll turn out your
pockets to me. my fine gentleman; and
you'll go straight up to the house and
you'll tell Miss Dimsdale that ii was
0 stole the apples last week. and
then you'll go and ask Tom Merri-
mans pardon for having let him lie
under your fault, That | shan't,' says
he. Then, says |, 1 just walks you
right off to Miss Dimsdale, and she'll
see o with your pockets full, red
handed as you are. No, says I, it's no
use to struggle. I've got you safe by
the arms, and SO | mean to keep you,
whether you like 1t or not. And If
once Miss Dimsdale knows the truth,
do you know what she'll do. David
Stevenson says l.. No. says he,
sulkily. What She'll never stop to
think that you're David Stevenson of
Holroyd.' says, but she'll just hand
you e TO the constable at once, and
] don't think. my young gentleman, ]
adds. that Tom Merriman having got
the sack to fill your inside with ILL
gotten goods, II help you with the
bench in the very least"
Well. so | suppose he ave in"
said Dorothy, who was deeply inter
ested.
We'll. of course. he had to" return
ed Barbara, with practical p~lainness;
"but all the same. he never forgave me
for having been the one to get the bet
ter of him, and never forgot il, n to
the very last day we were at the hall.
All! Miss Dorothy. darling, If you had
thought proper to marry David Steven
son, you would have had to do with
out me. He never would have had me
about him, and | wouldn't have taken
service under his roof-no, not to save
myself from ending my days in the
workhouse."
Barbara. Barbara cried Dorothy
chidingly, mo- for me?"
We'll If you had put ii in that way,
Miss Dorothy. you might have got over
me- the old woman answered.
But stay, | think | ought to say
here that although | have called her
old in many parts of this story, Bar
bara was not, and could not reason
ably be called an old woman in the
common acceptation of the word. She
was a year or so over fifty. and a very
strong, hale oma at that, and at this
time TO Dorothy she was a very rock
and tower Of strength.
Well, by virtue of the letter from Es-
ther Brand and in the joy and expecta-
ton of her coming, Dorothy passed
that day with quite a light heart. and
ever sat down to the little piano and
sang one or two of the songs that Dick
liked best. And then she went to bed
and slept, leaving the door open be-
tween her room and Barbara's for COM
pany, and she dreamed, as she always
did. about Dick.
Nor was it a pleasant dream. She
saw Dick on board of a large steamer.
wearing white clothes and a sailor hat,
looking very bronzed and happy. he
was leaning over the side OF the ship,
with a cigarette in his mouth, just as
she had seen him many \ time, and
by his side there stood a beautiful lady
no a girl like Dorothy herself. but
a beautiful woman of about thirty
years old. such as Dorothy fancied her
old friend at home. Lady Jane Srurt,
might have been at that age. They
seemed to be talking earnestly togeth-
er, and after a time-such a long time
II seemed In her dream-Dick took one
of the lady's hands and raised IL TO his
lips; then she laughed and said some
thing, and Dick caught her to him and
Lizsnd har nn the ling ~mmndiatalv