West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-08-19

| AZ. hnu ner Drown hair. Ike her gown,
was trihe faded
Il don't know" she answered. slnil.
Ing. lis II yours or Amanda'sr"
Neither" returned the Elrl at Is
yours. Now guess what Il is
"ltth letter. screamed Amanda.
Tildy's eyes opened wider with a
slow astonishment. They were AS blu,
as the cornfowers OF her futheriand.
I why. there isn't any one 10 write. -
she said.
Think" insisted I>ottie. Some rel.
alive. some
A sudden light broke over Tildy's
face. dimpling IL and making Il almost
pretty for a moment. "Ive got one
relative" she ventured softly. He's
young brother. But he's In Ger.
many. and never saw him. lie doesn't
write to me-"
Lottie ceased questioning and hand.
ed her the letter. II guess you have
heard from him" shs snrmlseth "pcr.
haps he IS coming TO see you"
Her last conjecture proved TO be a
true one. Tndys brother was on the
ocean even then. In few days the
ship that was bringing him would ar
rive.
Tidy occupied a peculiar position I'm
the Wilton home. She was not exact.
ly servant and certainly not n mem.
Der of the family. When the children
were robbed OF both parents I'm one
short year 1t had been her presence.
like IA stanch sail. that had borne
them through the troubled waters.
Another letter came TO Tidy I'm n
few days. but this one was addressed
by another hand. and not "A German
one. Ii was written by the superIn.
tendent OF great hospital In New
York. Karl Schneider. Tlldy's broth.
er. had arrived In America very M.
The note gave no particulars. but re.
quested that Tidy come to her broth.
er as quickly as possible.
She read the letter In the linen
closet, where Lottie found her few
moments later sitting on the door with
her face buried In her hands. The
sight OF her forlorn. motlonless figure
was shock TO the girl Tildy's face
when she raised It looked pltifuny
strange. The Wiltons had seen Il
bright with smiles many times. but
never tear stained. All through that
afternoon, when the girls helped 10 get
together the few possessions which
Tidy needed for the journey TO her
brother. she seemed to their startled
fancy another person. They were all
conscious OF grave respect for her
that they had not known before.
a farmer who lived up the road had
offered to drive Tidy TO the station.
All the Wiltons hurried down the
driveway with her and stood beside
the stone wall when she went away.
Not until the farmer. IN his high bug
gy, had taken her from view did re-
grets occur to mar the peace of those
left behind
you might have driven her down
yourself. Jack" Lottie said reproving-
ly IA n cloud OF dust faded In the dis.
tance
"You ought to have kissed her." he
retorted, with a pang OF indignation.
Tidy, seated alone aud feeling very
sad, noticed that the cars were filed
with good natured people returning
from some excursion. The new scenes
and the flying. unfamiliar landscape
might have made this n red letter day
In her career II her errand had been
happier one aud her heart had been
less anxious.
Poor Tidy. The world seemed n
very wide one as she hurried on and
the strangers jostled her rudely and
irnnaHaH hat. -
pushed through the great station But
at last she stood beside Karrs bed I'm
long. window dotted room. Then
the universe seemed bounded by the
walls that closed about the slender
lad. She forgot everything else while
she hung over him and held his hand
in a tender clasp.
He spoke but n few words to her,
for his days were ebbing fast. At the
close OF n week his short soJourn In a
foreign land had nearly ended, and one
evening. still holding his sisters hand
and smiling In her face. he started on
another journey. This time TIldy's
brother found his way to a happier
shore.
Several days passed before Tidy.
stunned and helpless, reused herself to
think OF the familiar routine of duty.
She was too much wearled TO summon
thoughts. but at last she did write a
short note 70 Lottle In which she spoke
Of returning to the Wlltons and touch.
ed upon her loss In a quiet. unobtru-
sive way. It was n labored epIstle,
which cost poor Tidy much effort, and
was written with n lead pencil But
Lottie forgot to make even n smiling
criticism upon &C. and the humble sheet
OF paper seemed TO her TO hold some
element that made It eloquent.
All the family gathered I'm the sit.
ting room to hear this letter read.
The elder sister delivered Il with a
gravity thnt made Tildy's words dou-
bly, impressive. A startled trio stared
at her as she rose after It was finished.
"1 tell you" she said with a sob. "lps
shame-a perfect shameg
Jack and the little girls sank back I'm
their seats. weakly surrendering before
her sweeping assertion It never oc.
Cured TO them 10 question what she
meant Something In her manner made
them understand They had felt the
unwritten pathos Of Tildy's note. and
Il hurt them vaguely. but they natu-
rally recOiled from Lottie's next words.
she's been a sort OF slave TO u.s."
she said quietly. and this idea. hurled
so suddenly. smote the listeners like a
blow. From nearly every corner OF
the room some reminder of Tildy's
faithfulness twinkled before their eyes
as they stood there breathiess
"see. She doesn't even expect any
sympathy from u.s. Lottie went on
relentlessly. And. oh. she is the best