The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-02-14

n Dorothy III herSelf lett aione
in the pretty fiat, face to face with the
sorest trial of her life.
A week before. she had written to her
cousin, Esther Brand, but she had had
no reply. That had not surprised her
much. for Esther was a restless soul,
never SO happy as when moving about
from place to place. Apart from that,
London is scarcely the place to look
for rich and idle people in September,
and Dorothy had addressed her letter
to her cousins bankers, knowing that
it would be the surest and probably
the quickest way of finding her. But
when Dick was gone Dorothy began
to get very anxious for a letter from
Esther, to watch for the post, and TO
wonder impatiently what Esther could
possibly have done with herself and
whether she had got her letter or not
But for several days there was still
silence. and at last, just when Dorothy
was beginning to despair, it came.
Here is your letter. Miss Dorothy,
cried Barbara, hurrying into the room
with it.
"oh, Barbara Dorothy cried, ex-
citedly.
In a moment she had torn it open
and was reading it aloud to Barbara.
"Oh, it is from Russia. Fancy Miss
Brand being in Russia, Barbara, and
she says:
My Very Dear Little Dorothy: So
you are married! l can hardly be-
lleve ft-indeed, since having your let
ter this morning | have been saying
to myself ove and over again, "Doro-
thy Strobe is married-little Dorothy
has got married" and still l do not in
the least realize II. So you are very
happy, of course. and you are going to
have a baby-that is almost an "of
course" also. And your husband has
got a good appointment in India which
he does not dare refuse. That looks
like observation-disclosures and kisses, my
dear little cousin. However, not that
money makes any real difference to
ones happiness, and so long as you
love him and he loves you, nothing else
matters, money least of all. But why,
my dear, have you waited so long be-
fore you told me of your new ties? |
have wondered so often where you
were and what had become of you, and
about four months ago l wrote to the
old house and had your letters return
ed by a horrid young man, David
Stevenson, whom / disliked always be-
yond measure. He informed me that
you had left Immediately after dear
auntie's death, and that he did not
know your present address. I felt a
little anxious about you, but eminent
ly relieved to find that you were evil
IDENTIFY not going to marry that de-
testable young man, who is, / have no
doubt, all that is good and estimable
and affluent, but whom, as l said, |
have never liked.
Well, my dear child, you must let
me be godmother to the baby when it
comes that l may spend as much
money over its corals and bells as /
should have done over a wedding-gif
to you. AS for coming to you-my
darling child, OF course l shall come
straight back, and help Barbara to
make up to you for the temporary loss
or your spouse. I gather from your
letter that he is all that is good and
kind and brave, to say nothing of be-
ing handsome and loving and true
you lucky little girl.
EXPECT me when you see me,
dear, which will be as soon as I can
possibly get myself to London. If 7
were on the other side Of the frontier
| could pretty nearly fix both day and
time. As it is, l can only say that l
Will lose no time in being with you,
and | will stick to you till l see you
safe on board the P. and o. steamer.
My love to Barbara-how she and
will yarn together over the old place
and the old days!-an6 much love to
you, dear little woman.
From your always affectionate
ESTHER"
This letter in itself was enough to
put Dorothy into the widest and gay
est of spirits, and Barbara was almost
as much delighted; for, truth to tell,
the old servant had looked forward
with no little dismay to the prospect
OF supporting her loved young mistress
through her hour Of loneliness and
trial, and was therefore greatly re-
lieved to find that the responsibilities
Of the situation would fall upon the
strong and capable shoulders Of Miss
Esther Brand instead Of lying upon her
own weaker ones.
1T is so good and sweet and dear of
Esther" Dorothy repeated, over and
over again. Just like her to throw
everything else aside on the chance