Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-01-30
The Judges Daughter

NOyanCe W my Q0IlcHt MOtHei, iSA
alwaws loved pretty clothes and was
always envying the pretty things 9TH
er girls had, and which, through cir
c,ln,stances, were denied me. Ours
was such a humble little home; ONE
hall Of the house was log cabin and
the other half an unfinished frame
structure just as father left 1t when he
died, leaving mother with two child
rem, boy and girl, myself being but
an infant She did sewing for the fam
lilies near us and used to envy the
girls mother made such dainty dresses
for.
When she would be away for lit
tie time to take home some work, l
would slip into the unfinished room
where she kept her sewing and don
some dainty dress she was making for
the. judges daughter, and would
prance around in the pretty frock.
When i would see mother coming l
would slip out OF the dress. throw it
over chair and run out to play.
Mother knew | had had the dress on,
but she never sal wanything, for was
very careful not to rumple it.
Judge Garden lived a quarter. OF
mile from our place in q red brick
mansion, and his daughter Madge and
L had become fast friends. Madge had
brother, Kent, who was overbearing,
aggressive and filed with self-import-
ance. while Madge was demure little
maid as gentle as a kitten and as UNI
like her brother as black is from
white.
had never been inside OF the judy
els home, and, although there was
scarcely day that Madge did not come
over to my home and bring her dolls,
where we would sit under the shade
tree by the door and make dolls dres-
SEES, yet she had never invited me to
her home Kent sometimes came over
to play with my brother, Tom, and
help him make boats which they
would sail in the pond back Of the
house but he never asked Tom over TO
his house, and, even If he had, mother
would have hesitated about giving her
consent She used to say they were
too fine for us, but longed with all
my heart to see the inside Of the red
mansion.
Then one wonderful day Madge said
her mother and father were away and
she asked me to come over and take
tea with her, as There would be no one
there but her brother and the maid.
Kent was on the porch as we walked
UP and grinned at me an ugly GRIM,
whereupon promptly forgot my man
ners mother had cautioned me about
and made a face at him. We went up
stairs to Madges bedroom, which was
like a fairys room to me. A white
rug covered the floor and white ruff
fled curtains. tied back with blue RIB
bons, drapped the windows. A white
iron bed stood cornerwise and little
white dresser and writing desk occu-
pied two corners of the room. stood
looking about in wide-eyed wonder,
when Kent came noisly along the ball
and flung the door OPEN
They've come,' he said to his sis
ter, as he looked at me and scowled.
Instantly all the pleasure left
Madge's face and she stood there
trembling, with frightened look in
her eyes.
Its all right, though; you can
come down." she said to me. Kent
left the room, giving my hair VIC
ious pull as he passed me. was too
engrossed noticing Madges confusion
to pay heed to him, and the next in
| slant silver bell tinkled below and
| we went down to lunch. When we
| entered the dining room the Judge
| and his wife were seated at the table,
| having returned sooner than they ex-
pected. Madge looked at her moth
| er in a frightened way and slid
| noiselessly into her chair, while !
| took a seat beside her.
The mother had no greeting for the
little daughter she had been separated
| from; instead she looked at me cold
ly for a few minutes, then turned to
Madge and said: THE next time |
come home / don't want to see any
Of your poor trash here"
Madge gave no reply to this cruel
remark. She turned very pale. and
Kent looked at me and grinned an
other OF his ugly grins. The judge
and his wife never spoke during the
meal. and I thought how different 1t
was from our little home, where tea
time was the hour when Tom and
told our troubles and joys to mother
| and It was an hour in the day we
looked forward to.
AS Madge and left the dining
room Kent was in the hall and
| scarcely waiting to say goodbye to
! Madge, l darted through the door on
to the porch as Kent called after
| me: How'd you like to come again?
Bully, amt tit"
How fast my feet flew over the
ground! They could scarcely bring
me fast enough to the home ] had
SO often been ashamed of. AS l en-
tered the door mother was sitting by
the window sewing A yellow ray
OF sunlight rested on her hair and as