The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-01-31
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The Cedar
House
Around 1t Grew the Love Story Of
Dorinda and Cilben.
By CLARIssA MAcKIE-
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
By cLARIssA MAcKIE-
Copyright, 1910, by American Pres
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o-O-O-O-o-O-OO-O-o-O- 90
The house stood in grove Of red
cedars that reared their conical tops
above the low roof.
Once when she was quite a little
girl Dorinda Rodman had asked her
mother question: why did grand
father plant such black trees? They
hide the sun"
Mrs. Rodman tapped Dorinda's gold
en- head with her thimble and frowned.
grandfather planted the trees be-
cause he wanted them to grow there.
You should be thankful that there il
such a pleasant shade during the hot
weather, child"
rBut they are so black" protested
Dorinda
.sThey are very beautiful" returned
Mrs Rodman, with an air Of decision.
Dorinda grew up to womanhood be-
lieving that the cedar trees that grew
about her home and Swallowed 1t from
dawn till sunset were beautiful be-
cause Grandfather Rodman had plant
ed them sixty years ago when he made
home in the wilderness for his little
family.
Inside the house Dorinda cared for
two old. old men, brothers of her
grandfather.
"You should put them away in some
institution. Dorinda." said a neighbor
one day when the girl had hurried
past on her daily trip to the village
you'll die taking care of those two
old men. You're young. and you ought
to be having good time"
They are all the relatives | have in
the world" said Dorinda quietly. Il
could not let them go to strangers as
long as have roof over my head"
Her golden hair, began to lose its
luster and her gray eyes to grow sad
and troubled with care, but Gilbert
Fame continued to make his weekly
call upon her. Once every year be
asked her to marry him, to leave the
Cedar House and make her home with
him in some brighter. happier spot At
last he even besought Dorinda to bring
the two uncles and they would manage
somehow.
But Dorinda always shook her head
decidedly. They love the old place.
Gilbert, and they want to live and die
here. AS for me, shall not marry
any one. Do not wait for me. When
l am left alone l shall go away"
when you are left alone you shall
marry me-" declared Gilbert hotly.
You have lived so long in the shadow
of this dark house that you do not
know how happy you may be some
day. Let me cut down the trees, Do
rinda. and let some sunshine into the
windows"
II love the red cedars," interrupted
Dorinda coldly. my grandfather plant
ed them"
when your grandfather planted
those trees the hillside was a wilder
ness and there was no protection
against the sweep of the northwest
wind. The tall growing woods on the
other side of the river form wind
break now, and you can well dispense
with the cedars."
''They shall remain here as long as
do" said Dorinda obstinately
After that Gilbert Fame stayed away
from the Cedar House, and Dorinda
nursed her two uncles in solitude. At
last they died in the late winter.
Perhaps the kindly neighbors did not
know that now. with her labor torn
away from her hands, she was quite
lost and very much frightened at her
own loneliness. One quiet woman
stayed with her and helped her dis
mantle the old house and store the fur
niture in the large barn. Everybody
knew now that the place was mort
gagged to its full value and that the
interest had not been paid The last
expenses attendant upon the two I'M
cles had made Dorinda almost penni-
less. The man who held the mortgage
had waited patiently for his money.
Now the place must be sold Dorinda
wanted to go away before it happened.
Early one March morning she climb
ed into the stage and saw her one
trunk tumbled into the seat beside the
driver. The woman who had stayed
with her locked the door of the house
and walked along the path beside the
rumbling stage and talked to Dorinda.
As they passed Gilbert Fane's big
lot next to the Cedar House Dorinda
saw gang of men digging into the
brown turf. what are they doing?"
she asked.
THAT'S the foundation for GIL
Fane's new house." interpolated the
stage driver
AS they rolled through the village
toward the railroad station Dorinda
waved her hand to the few friends
she cared for and a little later was
whirling away in the train toward the
city.
Dorinda did not seek employment
In the shops or factories. nor did she
attempt any work that she did not
thoroughly understand. She found
position as domestic in small house
hold and thus Immediately was in pos
session of home and good wages.
To her surprised mistress she explain
ed the situation: 81 have no time to
learn a new trade. l must earn money
and buy back my old home. Being
your cook cannot harm me. l shall
always be what i am" said Dorinda
proudly.
The neighbor who had stayed with
Dorinda after the old uncles died
wrote to her occasionally. and after
awhile she told. as if reluctantly, of
certain piece Of news.
at is said that Gilbert Fame is soon
to be married. Nobody knows just who
the girl is. but they say she is from
Middle Village. He has built a fine
houSo on his lOf II is callod fho