Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-04-16

Il can do nothing of the sort. MISS"
retorted the widow bitterly. There
amt any loose money in the whole
village. and | amt going to Tom, Dick
and Harry asking EN- to buy the mort
gage on my house-not If | lose 1t. You
forget that | was a Hodger'
$50 you're selling me for the mort
gage?" laughed Dorinda mirthlessly.
"Stop that nonsense. Dorinda. You
know you like Lem Tuckby. Why.
he's been coming here for six months,
and you've played accomplishments for
him while he sawed away on that old
fiddle of his. and nobody can blame
him If he thinks you meant you liked
him."
Mother, | really never dreamed he
was coming because he cared for me-"
protested Dorinda.
why did You think he called, eh?'
Dorinda blushed f~uriously. but she
looked her mother straight In the eyes.
Il thought thought he came to see
you. mother" she said steadily.
A duh red settled over Mrs. Kerr's
sallow countenance. She could not ex-
plain to Dorlnda that she. herself. had
believed the same thing-that Lem was
coming to court her-nor could she tell
the girl how bitter had been her disap-
pointment when the hardware dealer
had declared that Dorinda was as the
apple of his eye.
Il hope-I hope l have too much re-
spect for your poor pa eyer to look at
any man again." cried Ann Kerr wild
~, for in moments of emotion she was
won't to refer to her long suffering
husband as a paragon among men.
IL know, mother-but-but"- Poor
Dorinda. remembering her dearly loved
father, broke into sudden tears.
Ann Kerr's face d%arkened, and she
went into the kitchen and began to
prepare the evening meal. She was
angry with herself for having believed
Lem Tuekby would look at her with
such a fresh young creature as Do
rinda to attract his admiring eye. And
she was angry with Dorinda because
the girl despised an opportunity that
she herself would gladly have seized.
SO mother and daughter ate their
supper in silence. and when the meal
was concluded Dorinda went and sat
In the sitting room with a look Of
utter despair on her fair young face.
You'll soon be rid of Lem if you're
going to look at him like that" laugh
ed her mother sa%rdonically.
The back door opened and Alvina
Toby came in. a little red shawl held
closely around her thin. sallow face.
Hope | amt unwelcome." she cried,
winking openly at Mrs. Kerr. "Wednes-
day nights beau night you know,
and | thought perhaps you'd get lone
some sitting out here alone"
"Sif right down. urged Mrs. Kerr.
with a hasty glance at Dorinda's avert
ed face. 'Dorry's got a headache.
and
Dorinda got up and went into the
parlor. where her mother had lighted
the pink lamp. 1t was warm In there,
for the coal fire in the stove was
glowing red. but Dorinda was shiver-
ing with cold dread as she waited for
the unwelcome sound of Lem Tuckby's
heavy footsteps.
From the closed door of the sitting
room came the shrill sound of Alvina's
voice. Now and then her words sound
ed quite plainly to Dorinda and as
Alvina talked the girl grew paler.
"Dorinda acts awful uppish over be-
ing engaged to Lem Tuckby," shrilled
Alvina. ,She needn't put on airs-I
could have been engaged to him ten
years ago myself-but-I had good rea-
sons for staying single"
Ann Kerr's deep voice rumbled some
inaudible reply: fheu Alvina went on:
We'll. it's surprising just the same
to think OF Dorinda taking ~Lem-you'd
have thought she'd have preferred Billy
Lane. | hear that he's steadied down
wonderfully. He went west. you know.
and his folks are pleased as can be over
it-said Billy want nearly as bad as
folks painted him. His ma always said
1t was Derry sent him away to make a
man of himself"
"Dorry?" questioned Ann Kerr sharp
~.
"Yes-and seems he told her he
wouldn't come back till she'd be proud
to take him-he amt never come back
YET Alvina laughed disagreeably.
Dorinda stood with closed eyes and
tightly clenched hands. Her heart was
aching with the remembrance of her
parting with Billy Lane-handsome.
fascinating. careless Billy Lane. who
had undoubtedly forgotten her long
ago. Well. perhaps it was just as
well that her mother had arranged a
marriage for her with Lem Tuckby-
people couldn't laugh ut her, then. If
Billy came home with a wife as every
one predicted he would do.
The gate screeched on its rusty hinges
and Dorinda's heart sank. She would
go to the door and let Lem In before
he rang the bell-that was the accept
ed thing to do in Quincy Harbor.
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