Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-07-23

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. I really never dreamed he
was coming because he cared for me-"
protested Dorinda.
why did you think he called, EN-?
Dor1nda biushed furiously; but. she
looked her mother straight in the eyes.
II thought thought he came to see
you, mother" she said steadily.
A dull red settled over Mrs. Kerr's
sallow countenance. She could not ex-
plain to Dor1nda that she. herself, had
believed the same thing-that Lem was
coming to court her-n0r could she tell
the girl how bitter had been her dtsap-
pmntment when the hardware dealer
had declared that Dorinda was as the
apple Of hts eye.
II hope hope ! have too much re-
spect for your poor pa ever to look at
any man again." cried Ann Kerr Wild
~, for in moments of emotion she was
wont to refer to her long suffering
husband as paragon among men.
IL know. mother-but-but"- Poor
Dorinda. remembering her dearly loved
father. broke into sudden tears.
Ann Kerr's face darkened, and she
prepare the evening meal. She was
angry With herself for having believed
Lem Tuckby 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 desWsed an opportunity that
she herself would gladly have seized
So mother and daughter ate their
supper In silence, and when the meal
WIS concluded Do1dnda went and sat
In the sitting room with look Of
utter despair on her fair young face.
you'll soon be rtu Of Lem if you're
going to look. at him like that" laugh
ed her mother sardontcally.
The back door opened and A1vinA
Toby came in, little red shawl held
closely around her thin, sallow face.
Hope amt unwelcome," she cried.
day nights beau night you know,
and thought perhaps you'd get lone
some sitting out here alone
sit right down." urged Mrs. Kerr,
with a hasty glance at Doldnda's avert
ed face. "Dorry's got headache,
and"-
Dor1nda got up ana went into the
parior, where her mother had lighted
the pink lamp 1t was warm In there.
for the coal fire in the stove was
glowing red, but Dorimlla was SILVER
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 shrfll sound Of Alvina's
voice. Now and then her words sound
ed quite plainly to Dorinda and as
Alvina talked the girl grew paler:
"Dortnda acts awful uppish over be-
ing engaged to Lem Tuckby," shrilled
Alvina. '<She needn't put ON a1rsI
could have been engaged to him ten
years ago myself-but-I had good rea-
sons for staying single"
Ann Ken's deep voice rumbied some
fnaudible reply: then A1vina went on:
"We1. it's surprising just the same
! to think Of Dorinda taking Lem-yuu'd
have thought she'd have preferred Billy
Lane. I hear that he's stead1ed down
| wonderfully. He went west. you know,
and his folks are pleased as can be over
it-sa1d Billy want nearly as bad as
folks painted him. His ma always said
it was Dorry sent him away to make
man Of himself"
"Dory?" questioned Ann Kerr sharp
y.
"Yes-and seems he told her he
wouldn't come back till she'd he proud
to take him-he amt never come back
yet" Alvina laughed disagreeably.
Dorfnda stood with closed eyes and
tightly clenched hands. Her heart was
aching with the remembrance Of her
parting with Billy Ianehandsomc.
fascinating, careless Billy Lane. who
had undoubtedly forgotten her long
ago. Well, perhaps it was just as
we'll that her mother had arranged a
marriage for her with Lem Tuckby-
people couldn't laugh at 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 vas the accept
ed thing to do in Quincy Harbor.
She heard a sudden silence I'm the
sitting room, and she knew the two
women were listening.
Dorinda opened the door and ad-
mitted the athletic form Of Mr.. William
Lane. Bil1y's hat dropped on a chair
and Bil1y's arms went around Dormda
and remained there.
'Tntnk.1 was never coming for you.
Dorry?' asked Billy. inclining his lips
to Dorinda's sunny head well, here
am. and when you've heard my story
we'll, you'll say I've kept my promise,
that's all! There's a fourishing busi-