The St. Johns herald., 1901-01-26
| A PRAIRIE QUEEN i

|
 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 a surprise for him, and an opportunity for Deronda.
 'I can guess. It's a 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 a large and increasing family, hailed the advent of each inclosure with grati- tude and elation.
 "N-o. It's letter from Donald but there's no check" He looked across at his best loved and eldest child with a smile brighter than even the welcome check had ever sum- moned. Guess againl'
 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 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 CT "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.
 "FatherI It's good news! Keep still, Floral What is it2"
 The tidings came out in rush. "If you will go to New York for visit the check will follow your letter of ac- ceptance. There!"
 Deronda was the healthiest girl in town, but for the moment she felt positively weak She set down the pitcher. The children clamored un- needed.
 "Oi" she gasped, q must tell moth erl"
 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 contradictions, 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 garbed, 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 clung around her in an adoring farewell, which was detri- mental to her finery if fsttering 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 a welcome when their train went by were interested in this young bird flight Of hers from the overfowing family nest.
 A tentative whistle quiyered in the air
 ''Good-by, Deronda! Have a good time!" Derond's father gave her s'hard squeeze of thehand. There wasthe peek of a kiss between these two who loved each other so dearly.
 And the train was speeding east ward.
 An, that was 6 marvellous world into which Deronda went--a world where one wore dainty clothes from dawn till dawni A world where the chief function of the women was to charm that of the men to serve with the most exquisite courtesy. And the need of ao- miration she received, when her west ern dresses had been discarded for beautiful gowns, was new to her. Very sweet it was. too. To be sure, she had known what it was to have young men