The Caucasian., 1909-08-22

was tritie faded.
Il don't know" she answered, smn-
ing, rs it yours or Amanda'sT'
Neither" returned the girl. ~ y
YOURS. Now guess what it is!'
'It'th letter. screamed Amanda.
Tildy's eyes opened wider with a
slow astonishment. They were as blue
as the cornfowers of her fatherland.
"Why, there isn't any one to write
she said.
Think insisted aottie. 'Bcme ssl-
ative, some
A sudden light broke over Tildy's
face, dimpling it and making it almost
pretty for a moment. i've got one
relative" she ventured softly. Hes
young brother But he's in Ger
many. and / never saw him. He doesn't
write to me-"
Lottie ceased questioning and hand
ed her the letter. Il guess you have
heard from him." she surmised. "Per-
haps he is coming to see you"
Her last conjecture proved to be
true one. TiIdy's brother was on the
ocean even then. In a few days the
ship that was bringing him would az
rive.
Tidy occupied a peculiar position in
the Wilton home. She was not exact
Iy a servant and certainly not mem
Der of the family. When the children
were robbed of both parents in one
short year it had been her presence,
like a stanch sail, that had borne
them through the troubled waters.
Another letter came to Tidy in a
few days, but this one was addressed
| by another hand. and not German
| one 1t was written by the superin'
| tendent of great hospital in New
| York. Karl Schneider, Tildy's broth
| er. had arrived in America very III
| 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 floor with
! her face buried in her hands. The
| sight of her forlorn, mOdonless figure
was a shock to the girl Tildy's face
when she raised it looked pitifully
strange. The Wiltons had seen it
bright with smiles many times, but
never tear stained. All through that
afternoon, when the girls helped to 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 a grave respect for her
that they had not known before.
A farmer who lived up the road bad
offered to drive Tidy to the station
All the Witons 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 dowr
yourself, Jack" Lottie said reproving
ly as cloud of dust faded in the dis
tance.
"You ought to have kissed her" be
retorted. with pang of indignation.
Tildy, seated alone and feeling very
sad, noticed that the cars were fillet
with good natured people returning
from some excursion. The new scene'
and the flying. unfamiliar Landscape
might have made this red letter day
in her career if her errand had beei
a happier one and her heart had beer
less anxious.
Poor Tidy. The world seemed ;
very wide one as she hurried on ant
the strangers jostled her rudely an(
impeded her way when she timidl,
pushed through the great station. Blu
at last she stood beside Karl's bed il
a long. window dotted room. Thel
the universe seemed bounded by thu
walls that closed about the slende
lad. She forgot everything else whil'
she hung over him and held his hant
in tender clasp.
He spoke but few words TO her
for his days were ebbing fast. At th
close Of week his short sojourn in
foreign land had nearly ended, and on
evening, still holding his sisters han;
| and smiling in her face. he started vi
another journey. This time Tidy
brother found his way to happie
shore.
Several days passed before Tildy
: stunned and helpless, reused herself
i think of the familiar routine of dut!
. She was too much wearied to summo
$ thoughts. but at last she did write
short note TO Lottie In which she spok
D Of returning to the Wiltons and toucf
/ ed upon her loss in quiet. unobtrr
: sive way. 1t was laboretE epistl'
+ which cost poor Tidy much effort. an
r was written with a lead pencil Blu
Lottie forget to make even smilin
criticism upon it. and the humble shee
q of paper seemed to her to hold som
element that made it eloquent.
\ All the family gathered in the 81
. ting room to hear this letter reat
The elder sister delivered it with
4 gravity that made Tildy's words dol
+ bly, impressive A startled trio stare
g at her as she rose after it was finished