Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-07-28
IN THE DEAD 0 NIGHT.

81 OROTHY BENTON crept soft
II u ly to the head Of the stairway
~ and listened to the vocal evil
dences OF slumber which reached her
from the room below. proof that both
t'ncle Jacob and Aunt Jemima were
sleeping sOundly. So she secured
match and lighted a small tallow can
die murmurng to herself the while,
What a wicked girl am"
Next she lOosened a cord which was
fastened around her neck then took
in her cold little hand the object which
the cord held In placea small pho
tograph. TO this she softly spoke:
ITS 80 wicked. Reuben, for me to
keep your picter when Aunt Jemima
said I shouldn't never see you again.
She says I'd ought to be so thankful
got a good kind aunt to keep me from
the wiles OF this sinful world, Reuben,
an she says men are all wicked, de-
ceivin critters an she says-Oh. OH
Dorothy almost screamed aloud be-
fore she remembered the quick ear
below. 1t seemed as II she had heard
! some one say "DOtty." But no one
ever called her "Dotty" except her ia
Their and Reuben. and her father was
sleeping the sleep which knows no
waking, in far-off Illinois; while Reu-
ben was toling on the old farm ad-
joining the one where she and her ia
ther had spent so many happy days
before she had seen Aunt Jemima or
Kansas.
Her blue eyes filled with tears,
cloudiny her vision. Then these drops
were cleared away, for she heard an
other noise. Il grating as Of some OBJ
ject being dragged along the side OF
the house. Although frightened she
could not decide to waken the sleep
ers. and hastily eXtinguishlng the can
die she knelt in front of the garnet
window. peering out into the night.
Nothing was there hut the same bleak
Kansas prairles, now white with the
first winters snow. How often. dur
ing those sad. lonely two years. had
she looked from this little window.
wondering II there We're any end to
the prairie: wondering how far 1t was
to dear old Illinois and Reuben's
home; wondering whether II she
should die Aunt Jemima would insist
upon laying her away under the sod
Of the dreary plains.
She could count on her fingers all
the persons she had seen since coming
to Kansas. and with these she had
hardly exchanged words. for her aunts
sharp voice was ever reminding her
, that she had better be about her work
And how she had worked! Washing,
ironing. mending, cooking, feeding
pigs and chickens, and. until the
snow. she had even helped to turn the
windass for Uncle Jason, who was
digging a new well under the old syca-
more tree, a few yards In front Of the
kitchen.
Before her passed the scene Of that
asst stormy interview between Reuben
ind Aunt Jemima. which had been,
as her aunt had said. the last Of it.
She would take her niece to Kansas.
She needed Dorothy herself, AN he
needn't think she was goin' to allow
young thing like that to have sech
notions about gittin' married. The
girl Is an orphant, an might be thank
full" She recalled the last loving, res
olute look which shone in Reuben's
eyes AS they parted and he slipped the
tiny photograph into her hand
i know it's all because I'm SO wick
ed"
Rap-tap-tap! The sound appeared
to come from under the window.
Aunt Jemima would say twas a
ghost, but | don't believe"
Hap-tap-tap! "Dottyw
Dorothy could doubt no longer. She
sprang TO her feet and placed her lips
to the broken pane.
Reuben. Oh, Reuben. is that you?"
Yes. Dotty." The answer was
prompt and resolute. Dress warm an
quick an open the winder I've got
ladder. Hurry. dear"
Her trembling fingers almost refused
to obey, but In less than five minutes
she had donned her best dress, her
, cloak and hat. had reached the bot
| tom of the rickety old ladder, and
Reuben was holding her In his great,
strong arms and kissing lips that Of
fered no resistance. Then, before she
had time to think, he -grasped her
hand and hurried her away to the old
tree, whispering: We can't talk here
Dotty. The old cat'll hear ~
| and"
! Then Dorothy found her voice and
began to cry. "Oh, Reuben. what am
doing? Aunt Jemima said l
shouldn't never see you again I'm
going right back II you call her sech
. Names"