The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1917-03-09
DOROTHEG S CAREER
BY OLIVE RosERTs BARTON.

SsfsSSSSSfSs SSSSFSsFFSSqN |
borbthea ripped open the official
looking envelope and ran her eye rap
idly over the contents Of the letter
and then at the place on the inclosed |
check filed In to the amount of a
thousand dollars. Somebody had died,
ITO mnttcr who, and her share OF the
decehsed telation's estate now lay in
her hand to do Wifi as she Would,
The state of DorOthea's feelings mSt
be more readily understood perhaps e
the reader be informed Of the things
that Had been uppermost in her mind
all day. She had been living over again
her triumph of the night before, When
as star performer at the dedication Of
the new library, she had won laurelS
far beyond her greatest dream Of sue
cess. OF course everyone knew she
Gould blaS and she played the organ
Sundays, and figured c6fsbitdously on
the programs in all the local concerto.
But no one in Parsonsburg had ever
heard her sing before. Not even Mrs.
Pressing, who lived in the other half
of the house, except perhaps n little
hummng when she was hurrying
through with her dishes to so to the
iRGfies With Charley.
Dorothea, thereforS, wns as sur
prised as anybody when on the day
before the library concert she had dis
covered something.
She had found the sopranos part Of
the offertory for Sunday lying on top
of her piano after the choir had gone
home from practice. She glanced over
the notes, first hummlng the tune, then
grooming II, and finally opening her
tit6iith and letting ont the full round
notes.
Ecstacy took hold of her. She had
never known what a JOY it was to sing.
She would surprise Parsonburg and
sing at the library Instead Of playing
the serenade from Chamnade that she
had intended.
And so DorOthea had stood upon the
| Platform 10 the auditorium Of the new
library and had sting, and not the least
of her triumph was the look or per
picked surprise on Charley Totten's
face.
DOrothea was silent on the way
home. Life, which before that day
Nus carrying her straight into lnatrl-
tI6hB, wifi Ci1attey's heart and home
lis d port, had sdddetiy tiifhed i'll its
course and was heading for tile liar
Dor of career. Already grand opera
was looming large, and she had visions
of herself as Brunnhlde and CarusO
as Siegfrlcd wOOng her with the soft
notes of his wonderful tenor.
And so, when the check for the thou
sand dropped out of the clouds to light
en- the way, there was no doubt in
DOrothen's mind that 1t was all heaven
sent. SHE 'phohed to Charley.
"t'm leaving In the morning for NeW
York" she said. II wish you'd come
dt6uhd tonight. rye something to tell
SOu."'
But when Charley saw his dreams OF
happiness fading and the girl he adOred
slipping away forever he voiced a pro
test.
There isn't much In that game
grille. You've got a mighty fine voice
but 1t takes years of hard work, and
then some, to get anywhere, and moi
always then. Besides, Dolly, was
Just going to tell you. I've had some
good news myself, and | was going tC
ask YOU If you could get ready to bC
married next month. Uncle Ned's writ
ten for me coine on and he's going Il
give me dandy position In his bank
You can still live in New York and got
won't have to work so hard as you vii
at your music. cant give you up
Dolly"
But the magical door had shown
DOrOthea visions she could not forget
"Tm sorry, Charley, but | feel tina
1 cnhnot Wuste my life being merely
domestic. think It's my duty to e
ahead and make the most of my talent
Besides, 1t looks like fate when a thou
snhd dollars drops from the skies ILL,
this. No, It's all over, Charley.
hope you'll be very happy. GOOd-by
now. must pack"
year sped along. Food, lodglni
ana lessons at ten dollars apiece hat
played ducks and brakes with DOrO
thea's fortune. There we're Ave year
, of hard work ahead, years in whicl
more money would be needed an
years, too, at the end of which moth
inc vroa cartain She had discovered