Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-07-15
Zelda Cameron
BY
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
c.pynsh., 1904. b, II. B.sAsM.srsn C.


paused with her hand on the catch,
and hurried on. She came to Mrs
Forests house. There, too, a welcome
awaited her; but the thought of the
o%verheated rooms. of the cherries lux
ury in which her aunt lived, stif1ed
her. She felt no temptation to make
any appeal there. She turned into a
side street that led to her ather's
house and walked slowly homeward.
Without putting aside her wraps she
dropped a match into he kindlins in
the fireplace of the living room, and
waited until the flames leaped into the
throat of the chimney. Polly was in
the dining room, showing a new assist
ant how to lay the table for the even
ing meal. and she came to the folding
doors and viewed Zelda with the in
terest that the girl always had for her.
Polly was Zelda's slave, and she went
about half the day muttering and
chuckling over what seemed to her
Zelda's una|ccountable whims.
Polly" said Zelda, this is julius
Caesars birthday-or Napoleon Bon
parties or the Duke of Argyle's-do you
understand"
The black woman showed all her
teeth in appreciation.
"And we'll have out the candlesticks
those very high ones; and you may
| use that gold banded china and the
real cut glass"
Polly departed chuckling and Zelda
went to her room. Her father was
reading his newspaper by the fireplace
when she came in upon his startled
gaze an hour later. She had arrayed
herself in a White silk evening gown.
| He had never before seen her dressed
so at their family dinner-table. The
long skirt added to her height. Her
hair was caught up from her forehead
in an exaggeration of the prevailing
mode.
Good evening, father! 1 thought I'd
dress up tonight just for fun, and to
| get the crinkles out of my things. Isn't
this gown a perfect love? It's real
Partisan"
She swept past, the rich silk brush-
ing him, and then-Polly having ap-
peared at the door with her eyes star
ing from her head:
Now let us feast while we may" she
\ said.
She passed before him into the din
ing room with an inclination of her
lhead and to her place. The old man
had not spoken and he sat down with
i pallStaklHS CdJe, HAAuiIlS apparently
some difficulty in drawing in his chair.
He bowed his head for the silent grace
he always said, and raised his eyes
with a look of sweet resignation to the
girl. Nothing in the old house ever
escaped his sharp eyes. The old china
with its gold band, and the cut glass
that had not known service for years
struck him at once.
Ezra Cameron did not understand
much about human nature, though like
all cunning people he thought he did
It was beginning to dawn upon him
that Zelda was deeper than he had i'm
agined. Perhaps. he said to himself
she was as shrewd and keen as him
self; or, he asked again, was she not
playing some deep role-even laying !
trap for him? He did not know thai
the moods of a girl are as many as thu
moods of the wind and sea. He re.
membered that his wife had been cas-.
lily deceived. He had crushed the moth
err; but this girl would not SO easily bt
subdued. The candles made a soft
light upon the table. He lifted hi:
eyes furnively to see whether the ga.
In the chandelier overhead was light.
ed; and was relieved to note thai tn,
extravaganza of the candles was no
augmented there. He drew his bon,
fingers across the table-cloth, feelin:
its texture critically. He knew that i
had been taken from a forbidden shell
Of the linen closet. Clearly his rule
over the ancient Polly was at an end
When they returned to the living
room he tended the fire; and when h,
took up his paper ~nervously. from hab'
it, he put it down again. and began t,
talk. Almost for the first time sine,
Zelda's return, he showed an interes
In her foreign experiences, and led he
to speak OF them. And she exerte,
herself to be entertaining. He ha,
supposed that Mrs. Forrest woul.
prejudice Zelda against him during tn
years in which she had kept the gir
away; but his daily scrutiny had dis
covered 40 trace Of disrespect or con
tempt in her attitude toward him,
1t had been on her tongue severa
times to ask him boldly about the deb
OF Olives mother, even If It should b
necessary to confess that she had over
heard his conversation with Mrs. MAJ
Ram; but his might cause an un
pleasant scene. No great haste wa
necessary, she judged; and so sh
waited. She could probably persuad
her aunt or uncle to help her in tn
matter when the time came, II no othe
way should occur to her.
When she went at last to her room
the old cedars outside her window
were moaning softly. She found
satisfaction in boiling her door, an
then she drew from her writino.tab9
the little book tied with Its faded rib
bon. and opened it to; the charge he
mother had written-those last pitifu
words-and read them over and owe
again. until they seemed to be audib.
whispers in the room:
Perhaps / was unjust to him; i
may have been my fault; but IL III
can respect or love him I wish it to b
So. 1880
She lay awake staring into the darl
for half the night. with fearless eyes
one hand clasping the little book unde
her pillow.
CHAPTER NJ.
Zelda saw much Of Morris during tn,
winter. He went often to the oil
house in Merriam street in, spite OF tn,
fact that he assured himself constant.
" that she did not interest him NOR,
than other girls. She continued to de,
light in plaguing him, particularly be
fore her uncle. who learned, however
not to praise Morris to Zelda. Mrs
Forrest pretended to be ~ diligca'
chaperon, but Mariona social affairs dis
l nc hes, and she went oGtve-A
thttle. frequently Merriam took Zelda