Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-02-06
OVOtO5OG UOESOU OUO OVO0OVOVO
/ THE STEpSON
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How He Ran Away and Made
His Fortune and What
Happened When He
Came Back
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. hdlSleU, Wulppeu IdlOlu Duii AOA
thing he had not done Harold ral
away. No one knew it but l, and
was nobody But | thought as mucl
of Harold as ever n human being coult
think Of another, and ! knew that b.
was wronged, and | felt that Mrs
Robling had done a dreadful thinj
when she took Squire Halsted for he
second husband an3 let him rule her
take possession Of her money and IL
use her handsome boy.
had had my share of II, too, TO
while Mr.. Robling lived and while sh'
was q widow | was like daughter o.
the house. But no sooner had she come
back from her honeymoon trip than al
that was altered. The squire looked a
me coldly. and ] beard him ask Mrs
Halsted who | was.
Her mother died when she wa:
born" Mrs Halsted said. "and | tool
the baby to my own nursery, where
Harold lay in the cradle"
More fool you. my dear" said the
squire
The father went away" said Mrs
Halsted. "and was lost at sea, so they
said, and kept the little girl"
"You must remember that she will
need to earn her own bread said ths
squire. "She is not a lady. Let the
servants keep her in their part of the
house and teach her her duties as
waitress"
''Oh, Mr.. Halstedr' cried the bride,
81 cannot do that"
"My dear" said Mr.. Halsted. 81 am
master here"
The poor lady was helpless. She
had no longer any control of her own
money. | was six years old. Harold
the same age, and terrible life we
had had of it. | was very well used
in the kitchen, but felt cast down and
degraded | wore big crash aprons
that covered me from head to foot in
stead of my pretty muslin and silk
dresses. | was delicate, and waiting
is hard work when your wrists are
slender
Mrs. Halsted did all she could for
me. used to hear her pleading with
the squire to let her send me to a
boarding school to learn to be teach
er. but he called her little goose"
and she fancied him very wise.
But for Harold | should never have
known anything, as after school he
used to come to me and teach me
what he had learned himself.
Cook would whisper:
"That's right, Master Harold. It's a
good deed you are doing. God spare
you. was never taught to rade me-
self, on account of an evil minded step
father iv me own that put me to sarv-
ice before could get schoolin', an ]
know the loss"
And not servant but would have
waited in my place. for they said
was too small to carry dishes; but the
cruel squire would have me come in
to make sure that he was obeyed.
Mrs. Halsted really felt badly about
it, / know. But two little girls came
soon, and then little boy. and soon
she cared nothing for her own splendid
boy, and why should she care for mep
But I am wandering away from the
eighteen that day, walked down the
garden path in the gray morning light,
and | with him. choking down my
sobs. For now the one being ! loved
was going away from me perhaps for
ever.
1t was only o'clock. and no one
was up. The grass was wet with dew,
and there were only few pink streaks
In the sky to tell that day was coming.
We did not dare to speak until we got
out Of hearing Of the house.
"Goodby. little sister," he said; "good-
by, Dora, my pet. Keep up good
heart and never forget to answer my
letters" And he was off, and l went
home weeping as though my heart
would break.
There was terrible time at the house
when they found he was gone, and the
squire swore he should never enter his
doors again. But the squire's daugh-
ters. who hated Harold as their father
did. though he was their own mothers
child. said they were glad he was gone,
and only l remembered him, think,
very long. A weak woman was Mrs.
Halsted, and her husband had got her
under his power. The way he man.
aged her has always made me think
that there must be something in mag
netism or hypnotism. She seemed to
have lost her senses or to have grown
mentally blind, and he led her where
he would.
Just about this time l fell very i'll,
pnd when l grew better the squire,
knowing / was good at my needle,
made seamstress Of me. ! was
ashamed to say why, but 1t is because
looked rather stylish and was called
pretty. and so many questions were
asked me by guests. AS a seamstress l
could stay in my upper room and work.
was SO thankful for the change Now
could read little and be more to my
self. I made the finery fer the young
ladies' of the family. and no one trou-
Dled me.
Once. indeed. a rich old gentleman,
having somehow got my story from
good old cook, sought me out and made
me proposition of marriage, saying it |
was shame that such an elegant wo-
man should live as did. But | thank
ed him and declined his offer. | was
not unhappy now. except that | pined
Tor news Of Harold; for in all these
years no word had come from him
hone Of those lettes he had promised
felt sure he was not dead. and It |
was very natural that he should for
get to write; but my heart had no rest.
He was twenty-six years old by this
time, and in all that time much might |
have happened.
My pillow was often wet with tears
from thoughts of him-fancies of what |
be had suffered and longing to meet
him or only see him from afar but once
again.
At last news came. Mrs. Halsted
came running INTO my room wild with
10y.
'News of my boyp she said, holding
4 letter toward me.
81 thought you had forgotten all
about him, madam" l said.
l was sorry the next moment, for she
burst into tears and faltered through
her sobs:
"You don't know what it is to be the
wife of a man who dominates your
will l never have forgotten or ceased
to regret other things" Then she wip-
ed her eyes and ss!d: But, as far as
Harold goes, 1t is all over. He has
written to me. He Is rich-really rich.
He has made a fortune in California,
and he Ia coming home to see me. He